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Given the huge number of technologies and categories in IT, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed. New fields and zeitgeists emerge every day while existing popular ones quickly lose favor and become deprecated Github repositories replete with shouts of issue requests.

Here are a few technologies we're tracking.

React, Next, Nuxt, Gatsby, NodeJS, Firebase, S3, Javascript, Amazon Web Services, Google Computing Services, SQL, Python, Azure, Power BI, Databricks, Oracle, VMWare, VMWare Cloud, JSON, Powershell, Power Fx, HTML, CSS, Kubernetes, Docker, Svelte, Openshift, Git, Selenium, Ranorex, Puppeteer, Splunk, New Relic, ISP, Web Assembly, Mikrotik, Cambium, Ubiquiti, Terraform, Dynamo DB, Windows, Linux, Tailwind CSS, React Native, Substrate, Rust, Angular, Elastic Search, Prometheus, Redis, RabbitMQ, Redux, Flutter, MongoDB, Typescript, Hadoop, Kafka, Airflow, Kibana, Sagemaker, Superset, Tensorflow, Pytorch, R, Mac OSX, C++, C#, iOS, Scala, PHP, Redhat, Ruby, Swift, Vue JS, Wordpress, Android, Unity 3D, AutoCAD, Chrome OS, D3, Go, Google Sheets, GraphQL, Kali Linux, Kotlin, Meta, Microsoft Word, Unreal Engine, Scrum, Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Agile, Mulesoft, Sharepoint, Kanban, Microsoft Office, Excel, Google Suite, Web3, JIRA, Perl, Shell, Salesforce, SAP, NZ Drivers License ...

View our tech report for more info.

This list may seem large but is in no way comprehensive. In fact, two or three of these technologies have probably died in the time it took you to read this list.

Okay, so if you don't know anything about technology, where should you get started. Is it React? Or will React be dead by the time you get through the tutorial?

It turns out, we can look at history. A business that has been around for a long time will tend to exist for a long time yet. The same is the case with software, Javascript and Python have been growing in popularity since their inception. You'll be in good hands learning those. The more widely adopted the language, the more hiring opportunities exist for it as well.

Getting started in technical roles

Either you apply, same as everywhere else. You can polish up that CV, make it short, then make it long, then go back to making it short again. Basically, the painful process of applying to jobs.

Or, you can build Github projects, either your own repositories or open source ones where you've been an active (or not-so-active) contributor.  This helps demonstrate how you work with others and your propensity for teamwork even in your own time.

Technical roles are accompanied by the dreaded technical interview. This is a multi-round knockout process involving candidates competing to write algorithms in record time.

You can prepare for the technical interview with a few short steps:

1. Research the company and the role: As with any job interview, it is important to research the company and the specific role you are applying for. This will help you understand the company's products, services, and culture, as well as the specific skills and experience that are required for the role. By researching these details, you can tailor your responses and examples to show how you are a good fit for the job, even if you are new to coding.
2. Brush up on your technical knowledge: Even if you are new to coding, you can still demonstrate your technical knowledge and skills in the interview. To do this, you can review the basics of computer science and programming, including concepts like algorithms, data structures, and object-oriented programming. You can also review the specific technologies and languages that are used by the company and the role you are applying for, to show that you are familiar with these tools and can learn them quickly.
3. Practice your problem-solving skills: In many technical interviews, you will be asked to solve problems or write code to demonstrate your skills. If you are new to coding, you can still show your problem-solving abilities by working on practice problems and coding challenges. This will help you develop your skills and get a feel for the types of problems you may be asked to solve in the interview.
4. Be honest and proactive: In the interview, it is important to be honest about your experience and skills. If you are new to coding, you can still demonstrate your potential and enthusiasm for the field by showing your interest in learning and growing. You can also ask questions and engage with the interviewer to show your curiosity and willingness to learn.

And of course, practice, practice, practice.

Getting started in non-technical roles

Not confident at coding? Don't like staring at dark screens for extended periods of time? Non-technical roles are a plenty. Instead of spending your time trying to pivot an obscure table in SQL, you can chat with people about their business goals and help solve these with a specific solution. It's harder to prepare for non-technical roles as they are more generalized, but here are some useful skills to grasp.

Project management skills: Many non-technical IT roles involve managing projects and coordinating the efforts of different teams and stakeholders. To be successful in these roles, you will need to develop strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, and track projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget.

Business analysis skills: In many non-technical IT roles, you will be responsible for analyzing the needs of the business and identifying ways that technology can be used to support its goals. To do this effectively, you will need to develop strong business analysis skills, including the ability to understand complex business processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop solutions to support the business.

Technical writing skills: Non-technical IT roles often involve communicating complex technical information to a non-technical audience. To do this effectively, you will need to develop strong technical writing skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts in a clear and concise manner, and to tailor your writing to the needs and level of understanding of your audience.

Customer service skills: Many non-technical IT roles involve working directly with customers to provide support, advice, and assistance. To be successful in these roles, you will need to develop strong customer service skills, including the ability to listen to customers, understand their needs, and provide solutions that meet their requirements.

Bon voyage and I wish you all the best in your journey towards IT competency. You don't need to be the best, just competent!