Switching it up: non-coding professions for coder graduates

If you are someone from a Computer Science or IT background striving hard to make your place in the tech world but are not fond of coding, this is your time to shine. As the world advances towards technology, graduates seek the highest paying jobs that tend to be primarily tech-based. Programming jobs pay exceptionally well, but again, not everyone finds their niche in coding. While most of the students are genuinely passionate about coding, debugging etc., there are a few who associate with the basics of programming but bear an aversion towards coding. With that being said, here are seven attractive, highly paid non-programming jobs for EEE and CSE graduates to take note of.

Project Manager

A Project Manager's duties are to devise project plans, supervise, coordinate and ensure that a project is finalised with the allocated budget and resources. A Project Manager requires 5 or 6 years of experience and pays handsomely. The job requires the following skills to ace at it: product innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, strong leadership qualities, risk mitigation, tracking budgets and communication, among many others. People from IT, EEE, and CS backgrounds are suitable for this position.  

Data Analyst

As the name suggests, a Data Analyst collects, processes, and interprets sales and logistics data from a technical perspective. Anyone with a strong understanding of mathematics, statistics or computer science is a good fit.

A Data Analyst must have experience in analysing datasets, which requires adequate knowledge of SQL. SQL is the primary programming language that creates databases, accesses and retrieves data.

It does not require a great deal of coding and is relatively easy to learn. Alongside CS graduates, a good portion of data analysts are Economics students too.

Product Manager

They develop products by researching clientele needs and make decisions based on information assembled by data analysts. Almost no coding is required for this career path which makes it intriguing.

Madiha Athar Khan, a product manager at SOLshare, adores that her career has tech involvement minus programming. She says," The SDLC methodology has come in really handy for product management because we have to follow a proper Product Lifecycle Management plan in order to make sure that we meet all our targets". She further attests that an EEE graduate also has a fair chance at shining at a Product Manager job as they have to operate with hardware and manufacturing teams.

Quality Assurance Engineer

A QA Engineer ensures the application's design and quality stand up to the standard. Risk analysis, automated coding tests, identifying potential bugs through testing, documenting the progress are all part of the diverse job description.

While testing calls for selective coding, it is not too frequent. QA jobs are perfect for fresh graduates trying their hand at entry-level positions.

Network Administrator

Network Administrators configure and monitor computer networks and troubleshoot problems. Most of these jobs look for CS, EEE and IT professionals who have a working knowledge of CISCO configuration. A Network Administrator, at some point, will be obliged to implement programming languages to automate recurring tasks, but that does not mean one has to be a savant.

Mahamud Hasan, a Network Engineer at DHL, Dortmund, believes it is vital to know programming languages even if you don't use them daily. He says, "Python will surely be beneficial for you. One must remember every command used for configuring devices which itself is very difficult. But if you don't have experience in networking, you should learn python programming as it will help you stand out from the crowd and you will be able to provide useful solutions".

If routing, switching, integrating network infrastructures entice you, you should definitely look into the details.

UI/UX Designer/Specialist

UI/UX Designers/Specialists accumulate user requirements and expectations and design websites/mobile applications. Moreover, they develop prototypes, troubleshoot UX issues and adjust fonts, layouts, visual specifications. In addition to that, the device menus, search bars, widgets etc., accordingly.

Expertise in wireframe tools, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is prioritised. Additionally, taking up a course on JavaScript helps in designing interactive websites. Since they need to collaborate with product marketing managers and QA Engineers, having strong communication skills and being a team player adds severely to their resume.

Computer Science graduates who contain working knowledge of HTML, CSS, iOS, Android Design Systems are suitable for this position.

Business Analyst

Contradictory to the name, most IT professionals seek out business analyst jobs. BAs use data to determine requirements, modify prevailing processes, develop products and services and provide their expertise based on data-driven results. They work closely with the IT department to strategise new ideas and check with the technological aspects.

BA recruiters search for those who exhibit exceptional problem-solving skills and have the potential to think analytically. Some companies incorporate BAs with their IT department as one might need to work with datasets, software services etc. In parallel with Computer Engineers, business graduates are proficient in handling data and having a widespread understanding of the tools that are competent to be Business Analysts.

Contrary to popular belief that coding is an essential element for survival, the technological universe is diverse. Basic knowledge of computers' inner workings is good enough to kickstart your career in the IT sector.