Non-Tech Roles in FAANG Companies
Working in FAANG and other top tech companies is a dream for all job seekers 🤩. Their work culture, highly desirable workplaces, above-average compensation, endless opportunities, and so many other perks and benefits are what makes them some of the most attractive companies to work at 👩💻
But every time we talk about working in big tech or at FAANG, technical roles like software engineers, data scientists, machine learning engineers etc., are the first ones that come to our mind 🤔. While they are super important to build a great product, there are many other non-technical sides to the business like marketing, sales, finance, strategy, design, and more, that FAANG+ companies hire for, which means you do not necessarily have to be from a tech background to work at FAANG+ 🎯
According to Glassdoor, 43% of roles within tech companies are non-technical positions. Non-technical jobs do not require any coding or programming skills, they are generally related to business domains. Let’s explore a few non-technical roles in tech in this blog!
1. Product Manager
A product manager has a cross-functional role and is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and launch of any product 👨💻. Product managers generally work with various teams within engineering, marketing, sales, design, etc., involving end-to-end product development — from ideation, road mapping, innovation and research, execution, launch, and analysis 📈
The responsibilities of a product manager are vast and varying, but here’s an overview of what a product manager is expected to do in a company:
- Set product vision and roadmap
- Analyze customer needs
- Collaborate with teams to meet deadlines
- Test programs
- Build business cases for new products
- Suggest improvements in already existing products
Although a product manager might not always be required to work on technical tasks, basic knowledge of technical aspects is crucial to succeeding in the role. It is important to note that the role of a Product Manager differs from that of a Technical Product Manager, who generally focuses on the ‘how’ of the product and works closely with the development, engineering, and technical teams.
Bonus: Do you aspire to work as a Product Manager at a FAANG+ company? Check out our guide on how to land into a Product Manager role to find out more.
2. Technical Recruiter
If you are a job seeker, you must have interacted with recruiters at some point in time. Have you ever thought YOU could be a recruiter at one of these FAANG companies too? That’s right! ✔️
Technical Recruiters are responsible for hiring candidates for technical roles in the company🕵🏻♀️. They generally collaborate with the hiring managers and HRs within the company and sometimes with third-party recruitment companies 🤝. To get started as a technical recruiter in FAANG companies, you won’t necessarily require a tech background or a degree in one of the technical domains. However, a technical recruiter must have the ability to understand the requirements of the team they are hiring for and find the right talent with the required technical skills.
An overview of the responsibilities of a technical recruiter looks like:
- Manage, prioritize, and close searches against a timeline
- Manage relationships with hiring managers, business leaders, and HR business partners
- Shortlisting and interviewing candidates
- Coordinate with technical teams regarding requirements and build effective hiring strategies
Nikita Gupta, founder of FAANGPath works as a Senior Technical Recruiter at Uber. She has previously worked at Amazon and has helped hundreds of candidates to land their dream job at FAANG+ companies throughout her career. You may reach out to her on LinkedIn for any career guidance or to learn more about what the day of a Technical Recruiter at FAANG+ companies looks like.
While this role is used only as an example to provide some insight on non-tech roles in the HR domain, you could also consider other positions HR Business Partner, Sourcing Manager, People Consultant, People Operations Analyst, etc., within People & Recruiting teams at FAANG+ companies.
Also Read: Understanding Salary Bands for FAANG+ Companies
3. Account Manager
The responsibilities of an Account Manager may vary from one company to another. But they play a crucial role in managing customer relationships and exploring new business opportunities. Although some FAANG companies give preference to candidates with a technical degree for this role, it isn’t always the case.
The responsibilities of an Account Manager generally look like this:
- Act as the main point of contact for all client concerns and needs
- Work with internal teams to develop strategic marketing plans and ensure KPIs are being met
- Retain and grow revenue from your book of business of existing clients
- Identify upsell, cross-sell, and renewal opportunities and communicate with the sales team regularly
According to Glassdoor, account managers make anywhere between USD 80,000–1,40,000/yr in the United States at FAANG+ companies. In addition to the Account Manager role, you could also target several sales & marketing positions at FAANG companies, such as Marketing Manager, Sales Representative, Sales Manager, etc
4. UX Designer
The fantastic designs of FAANG products are no surprise for all of us 📲. And you could be a part of these wonderful and creative design teams!
UX designers are the people behind these amazing user experiences. UX designers design the end-to-end journey of user’s interaction with a product, keeping in mind usability, functionality, branding, and much more 💻. They design seamless user experiences for the products to ensure a user can perform any task with ease, regardless of what device they are using the product on.
The job description of a UX designer would look as follows:
- Conducting user research and testing
- Developing wireframes and task flows
- Collaborate with designers and developers to create intuitive, user-friendly software
The best part of this position is that to get hired as a UX Designer at FAANG+ companies, besides not requiring a technical degree, you also do not need any Design degree to prove your ability.
Google launched its professional certificate on Coursera in 2021 to help candidates prepare for a career in UX design and land a job at FAANG companies. You can check out the course here — Google UX Design Professional Certificate.
5. Financial Analyst
FAANG companies require folks who can manage their finances after an amazing year of profitable businesses. 💵 Tech companies require professionals who can help them make the right financial and investment decisions. Financial Analyst positions are in-demand in tech companies these days. So, MBAs looking to enter FAANG+ companies, this could be your catch! 🎯
Working as a financial analyst at FAANG+ companies can be fun, exciting, demanding, and impactful. They generally have opportunities to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to assist them in making the right financial decisions. This means they would have to deal with lots and lots of numbers and Excel spreadsheets, but it is a skill that can be mastered by practise without requiring a technical domain degree.
The responsibilities of a Financial Analyst generally look like:
- Examine a company’s financial data to determine its value
- Own key financial processes and business reviews, including annual budget, forecast, and monthly close analyses
- Provide actionable business insights and influence resource allocation decisions through risks and opportunities analysis
- Build and maintain models to identify important cost drivers; forecast spend leveraging operational and financial metrics
- Initiate and drive deep-dive analysis to enable decision making and execution for critical business initiatives
These are only some examples out of all the non-technical roles in tech. So if you are a business or non-tech domain candidate, FAANG companies could still be excellent places for you to kickstart your career. 🚀
But, How to Get your Foot in the Door? 🧐
Here are a few tips to help you navigate your way into non-technical jobs in FAANG+ companies.
- Start Learning Something you’re Interested In 📝
As you noticed, most FAANG+ companies do not necessarily require a technical degree to hire for non-technical jobs. This means the field is open for you! Identify an area you’re interested in and start learning. Enrol in courses like those launched by Google and build the required skill set. Even as a self-taught professional, you have the chance of making it to FAANG! - Don’t be Afraid of Tech! 🖥
Although you don’t require coding or programming skills for a non-tech role, it is always good to know about tech since you’ll be working in the industry. Start small by spending a few minutes each day to learn more about the industry. This will help you stand out from the rest of the candidates in your interview and help you succeed in your role. - Cold Message Professionals 📧
A fantastic way to learn more about the job is to speak to someone who does the job. Connect with professionals on LinkedIn who work in the positions you’re targeting at your dream company and get to know the ins and outs of the role better. You’ll be amazed at how many strangers would be willing to help you! - You could also connect and seek guidance from our FAANG+ mentors at FAANGPath. Visit us today and identify a FAANG mentor who can help you and learn from their experiences.
- Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile
Last but never least, how can we forget your resume and LinkedIn profile? After putting in all the efforts, tailor your resume for the tech industry and showcase your skills and abilities to land an interview call. Optimize your resume, get a linkedIn makeover and start applying! 🚀
At FAANGPath, our experienced team helps talented people get hired at FAANG and other top tech companies. We provide a resume review, LinkedIn makeover, 1:1 mentorship, mock interview services for students and professionals. And you get these services now!
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