Stop Chasing Big Tech: A Better Way to Start Your Career in IT
The Reality of the Entry-Level Market If you’re about to graduate in computer science, IT, or software engineering, the job market can feel uncertain. You hear about layoffs. You hear about AI replacing entry-level work, and with the jobs that are left, you are seeing more people applying to fewer roles. All of this, while you are just trying to get your foot in the door and land that first job. Most people respond the same way: aim for big tech. When I say big tech, I’m referring to the well-known and widely used companies in tech. These are the companies that most, if not all, your friends and family have heard about. These companies are often referred to as FAANG—Meta(Facebook), Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. More recently, you may have heard the acronym MANGO (Microsoft, Anthropic (or Apple/Meta), Nvidia, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI) to highlight the companies in the AI/LLM space. Here’s the issue: everyone else is applying there too. That creates a situation where thousands of candidates are competing for the same role. In some cases, large tech companies receive hundreds of thousands of applications per year, with individual entry-level roles drawing upwards of a thousand applicants. With this much information to sift through, even strong candidates will get filtered out early, not because they aren’t capable, but because the system needs to be able to pare down the volume to make it manageable.
The Problem With ONLY Chasing Big Tech
The Interview Starts Before a Human Ever Sees You
When you apply to a large company, your resume usually isn’t seen by a recruiter at first. It’s being processed by software. Big tech companies with thousands of resues need to use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These ATS systems are designed to scan and filter resumes before they ever reach a person. They don’t evaluate your potential or your ability to learn. They match patterns and keywords. Knowing this is important because it will influence how you create your resume. It should have the right keywords and experience that align with what the job is looking for. This comes with a downside, for example if your job title does not match what the system is looking for, or if it’s not formatted in a parsable way, you will likely not move forward in the process. This specificity in resume formatting is where much of the frustration comes from. You can apply to dozens of roles, feel qualified for many of them, and still hear nothing back. Not because you weren’t a strong candidate—but because you didn’t pass the filter. It is often stated that 70–75% of resumes are filtered out before a human ever reviews them. For entry-level roles, where applicant volume is highest, that percentage can be even more significant. Even if your resume does make it through, you’re still entering a very crowded pool. At that point, you’re competing against hundreds of other applicants who passed the same filter.
It’s Harder to Make an Impact
Let’s say you do land the role. In a large company, you often join a well-established team of multiple people doing the same thing. The work is divided across multiple groups, each focused on a specific part of a larger system. That often means your scope is narrow, especially early on. You might spend most of your time working on a single service, a specific feature, or on a small part of a broader platform. Changes usually go through multiple layers of review, and decisions can take time. There’s value in that environment. You can go deep in a specific area and learn how large systems are built. But early in your career, it can also limit how much of the full picture you get to see. Instead of understanding how everything connects, you may only see one piece. Over time, that can slow the pace of building a broad, foundational, and transferable skill set.
A Better Approach: Look for Tech Inside Industries
The world runs on technology. It might be easy to overlook at first, but every industry uses tech in some form or another. When you look at job postings for these industries, they might not be front and center, but they are there. Over 90% of companies worldwide are undergoing some form of digital transformation, which means demand for technical roles extends far beyond traditional big tech companies. So instead of asking, “How do I get into a big tech company?” it’s worth asking a different question: Where does tech exist inside the industries or companies I care about? Take something simple like a grocery store. On the surface, it doesn’t look like a tech company. But if that store offers online ordering, delivery, or curbside pickup, a lot happens behind the scenes. Orders have to be processed, inventory has to be tracked, deliveries have to be routed, and payments have to be handled securely. All of that requires engineers, system administrators, and infrastructure teams to keep things running. You can see the same pattern in fitness and health. Gym memberships, class scheduling, wearable devices, and mobile apps all rely on software. In both cases, the technology is essential, even if it’s not the main thing being advertised.
Why Niche Roles Work Better Early On
One of the biggest advantages of looking at these types of roles is simple: fewer people apply for them. Most candidates filter their job search by company name. They go straight to big tech and ignore everything else. That leaves a gap. Mid-size and smaller companies often receive significantly fewer applicants per role, sometimes an order of magnitude less than large tech firms. That alone increases your chances of getting noticed. There’s also a higher chance that a person actually reviews your resume. Smaller companies still use tools, but they tend to rely more on someone actually reviewing a resume, be it a hiring manager or a team lead. A human may be involved earlier in the process. Another major benefit is how quickly you can grow. In smaller teams, you are less likely to stay in a single lane. You may start in one role, but chances are you will have a hand in multiple areas. That can include development, infrastructure, deployment, and troubleshooting. Instead of just writing code, you will more than likely have your hand in how it’s deployed and maintened. The broader your exposure to technologies and processes the stronger your foundation can be early on in your carrer.
Startups might be the right choice
Startups are another option that often gets overlooked, especially early-stage companies that are still building their core teams. These companies tend to be smaller, move faster, and operate with fewer layers of decision-making. That creates an environment where you can take on more responsibility earlier. In a startup, it is common to work on features that go directly into production, collaborate closely with founders or senior team members, and step outside of your defined role when needed. The pace is faster, and the expectations are different. Hiriging in a startup can tend to focus on potential over exact experience. Can you help them solve problems, adapt and grow. Venture backed startups can sometimes be “immune” to slower hiring or downturns in the economy. They have funding and are building a team now. If you are just starting out, it might be one of the best times to explore the start up world The hours might be longer and the direction not as clear, but if you adapt to an ever changing landscape, it might be the best bet. There is risk involved. Not every startup succeeds. But when they do, the upside can be significant, both in terms of experience and, in some cases, company equity.
Building Skills That Compound Over Time
When you work in a niche or industry-focused role, you’re not just learning technical skills in isolation. You’re learning how those skills apply in a real-world context. Over time, that context becomes valuable. If you work for a retail chain, you might have to understand fulfilment systems and inventory management and come up with technical solutions to solve those problems. The same goes for working in aras like logistics and fiance. Each area has their domain specific problems to solve. Having general technical know-how and domain specific experience shows you understand the business AND how to solve problems and optimize using technology solutions. As you gain experience, you’re not just becoming a better engineer. You’re becoming someone who understands how technology supports a specific industry. That combination makes you harder to replace and opens up more opportunities over time, whether that’s moving into leadership, consulting, or more specialized roles.
First Steps to Get Started
A good place to start is by thinking about what actually interests you. Look at the tools you use every day, the services you rely on, and the industries you pay attention to. Those are all potential entry points into tech roles that align with your interests. Once you have a few ideas, look at local business and mid-size companies that fit those interest. Many of them will have a technical teams supporting their day to day business. When you find opportunities, look for roles like junior developer, system administrator, or IT support. These are common entry points and are often listed under careers or corporate sections of company websites. Take the time to customize your resume to the role and industry. As always highlight projects that show your interest and your ability to learn. You don’t need to be the perfect candidate, but you should be intentional about how your approach it. A short, targeted cover letter can also help, especially in smaller organizations where someone is more likely to read it.
Final Thoughts
You can still apply to big tech. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s important to understand that it’s just one path. There are opportunities in industries people overlook, in companies that don’t get as much attention, and in roles where you can make an impact earlier in your career. In many cases, those paths offer better odds, faster growth, and more visibility into the work you’re doing. Big Tech is one option. It’s just not the only one.