Guides
Tech careers, explained plainly
Getting hired, choosing a path, negotiating pay, and running a fair hiring process. Written from official data and practical experience, without the filler.
LatestQA Engineer Salary Ranges for US Roles in 2026QA engineer salary benchmarks start at a $104,300 US median. Compare 2026 percentiles, job titles, and survey figures before you set an offer.17 min read
LatestManager Average Salary by Occupation in 2026Manager average salary starts at a $126,520 US median for management jobs in May 2025. Compare IT, finance and HR pay, and see why the mean misleads.11 min read
Getting HiredAre IT certifications worth it? When they help and when notIT certifications pay off for entry-level, DoD 8140, consulting and cloud roles, much less for senior engineers. How to choose one and what renewal costs.6 min read
Hiring TeamsDesigning a technical hiring process that worksHow to design a technical interview loop: screens, work samples, take-homes, live coding, structured scorecards, candidate experience, timelines, EEOC basics.8 min read
Career PathsDoes the open source way of working travel beyond software?Open source methods spread to encyclopedias, maps, chips and science. Where they worked, where they stalled, and what it means for tech careers now.7 min read
Getting HiredEntry-Level IT Jobs: Starting in Help Desk and Moving UpHelp desk and IT support as a way into tech: BLS pay and outlook data, why support jobs are projected to decline, progression paths and useful certifications.7 min read
Career PathsHow to become a data scientist: what the job really takesWhat data scientists actually do, the math, statistics and coding you need, common entry routes, portfolio advice, and BLS pay and 35% growth outlook.7 min read
Career PathsHow to become a software developer: routes that workThe realistic routes into software development, what employers screen for, which portfolio projects help, and what BLS data says about developer pay.8 min read
Career PathsHow to get into cybersecurity: the routes that workMost security analysts start in IT support, sysadmin or networking. The skills, roles and certifications that come first, plus BLS pay and job outlook.7 min read
Hiring TeamsHow to hire software developers: a guide for foundersDefine the role, set a pay range from BLS data, source candidates, run a fair process that tests real skill, and make offers that get accepted.8 min read
Getting HiredHow to Prepare for a Technical Interview LoopThe stages of a typical tech interview loop, a realistic week-by-week prep plan, what interviewers actually score, and what to do when you don't know an answer.8 min read
Getting HiredHow to Write a Tech Resume That Gets ReadHow recruiters and hiring managers actually read a tech resume, what applicant tracking systems really do, and a bullet formula with before and after examples.8 min read
Career PathsLinux on the desktop: the joke, the reality, the careerLinux never took the desktop but runs servers, phones, Chromebooks, supercomputers and the Steam Deck. What that means for building a Linux career today.6 min read
Career PathsLinux system administrator career: where the work wentWhat Linux sysadmin work looks like now, what the BLS projected decline means, the skills worth learning, and how admins move into DevOps, SRE and cloud.7 min read
Getting HiredRemote Tech Jobs: Where They Are and How to Get OneWhere real remote tech roles come from, how remote hiring differs, contractor vs employee in the US, how to spot job scams, and what makes applicants stand out.7 min read
Career PathsSwitching careers into tech: realistic paths by backgroundWhich tech roles career changers can realistically reach from support, QA, analysis, writing, project or domain work, with BLS pay data, timelines and risks.7 min read
Pay & NegotiationTech salaries by role: BLS pay, jobs and outlook2025 BLS median, 10th and 90th percentile pay, job counts and 2025 to 2035 outlook for 14 tech roles, with notes on what the official data leaves out.7 min read
Pay & NegotiationTech salary negotiation: anchor your number with real dataHow to set a salary anchor from BLS percentile pay, weigh base, bonus and equity, answer the expectations question, and negotiate without a rival offer.8 min read
Hiring TeamsWriting tech job descriptions that attract the right peopleWhat to put in a tech job description: the work, a real pay range, state pay transparency rules, honest requirements, inclusive wording, an annotated example.8 min read