Marketers typically work in creative and interesting roles, right? That’s what is generally assumed by many that don’t work in marketing – but sadly it’s often not the case.
That’s why many marketers (especially in Alberta) are seeking new and exciting roles where they actually have the opportunity to make an impact, see their ideas through, and be a part of creative decision making. This is a possibility in tech even in entry level positions.
The graduates from OnRamp’s first cohort put their thoughts together about why they decided to make the move to tech.
Here’s why our recent grads took the leap
With Cohort 1 closing, we find ourselves with mixed emotions. After nearly 18 weeks of hard work, skill building, and individual professional development, we’ve bonded over our journey to become digital marketers.
As we entered OnRamp, we were full of questions:
- How do we get into tech?
- What types of marketing jobs are there?
- Do Alberta tech companies have marketing jobs in Calgary?
We all knew one thing: we wanted to get jobs with Alberta tech companies (well most of us anyway!). We knew digital marketing was a fantastic career, but what drew us all to Alberta tech companies specifically?
Alberta tech is on-the-grow
The Alberta Tech sector is undoubtedly something that can’t be ignored by job seekers. According to the Edmonton Journal, Alberta tech employment will increase by 743 to a total of 99,533 during 2022, placing it fourth in Canada behind Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Part of the draw we’ve seen comes from wanting to be a part of this growing change.
“Being able to adapt to the digital transformation that’s evolving fast”
was something that drew OnRamp alumni Aparna in.
The CBC mentions that investments in Alberta tech continue to increase, prompting emerging tech companies to expand hiring. This exponential growth is an obvious draw to job seekers, including those in our first cohort. Increased investment and growth also mean increased wages, which are always a bonus for job seekers.
Growth creates unique opportunities
This exponential growth also opens job seekers up to new opportunities within the jobs themselves. With more investment and more startups emerging, different positions and opportunities to grow also emerge from the market.
“Something I learned about myself through working with OnRamp is that I prefer to work with companies at the startup stage… there are more chances to make a difference in the company and grow me.“
stated Candice, another OnRamp alumni.
Companies that are in a startup stage often have different needs than established companies. Employees need to wear more hats, push themselves to innovate on a budget, and have more sway in the company’s bottom line. This can be a substantial bonus to job seekers who enjoy daily variety.
Digital marketers are in-demand
These growing tech companies need a digital marketing solution that can match their needs as well. To paraphrase an old saying, modern problems require modern solutions. The emerging startup companies in tech need t-shaped marketers. The model of a t-shaped digital marketer fits tech companies to a tee (if you’ll pardon the pun)… wearing many hats and having mastery over several skills is just what the doctor ordered.
“You will never get bored. Creativity is unlimited.”
mentioned our OnRamp Alumni, Cindy.
Tech companies are cool
Tech companies are also more innovative than many traditional companies. In general, many more tech companies allow full-time remote work, which can be a draw for many of us. There are lots of us who have grown accustomed to having our dogs be our coworkers, which makes remote work a big draw.
Remote work also opens up the possibility of more flexibility with someone’s own schedule, which allows for a more optimal work-life balance. Employees with more control over their work tend to be less stressed, which is another huge bonus.
Finally, working in Alberta tech is an opportunity to work on that which is all new. It allows us to be on the front lines of an emerging and growing industry. The chance to be at the front of the line can be once in a lifetime!
“The tech out there right now is completely innovative and new,”
says Tamra, one of our OnRamp Alumni.
As a cohort, we can all agree that being able to land a role with a higher salary in a growing industry is an obvious draw. As we all grew into OnRamp more, we learned we also yearned for the untangle benefits of a digital marketing job in tech… you can’t put a price on schedule flexibility, being able to be creative, and making an impact at your job.
With tech companies in Alberta on the rise and creating unique opportunities, it’s no wonder we were all interested. Our mutual desire to improve our careers, make a difference and be part of an emerging industry pointed us all in a similar direction: OnRamp. Even though OnRamp is ending, and we are all making our way into digital marketing jobs, we plan on keeping our cohort together.