Looking to embark on a dynamic technology-related career, but aren’t keen on learning how to code? We’ve got good news for you.
No-Code Tech Jobs
(in order of projected growth in skill demand*)
Digital technology is so deeply integrated into many industries and organizations today that there are tons of tech jobs that don’t require coding skills. Whether your interest and abilities tend toward communications, design, strategic thinking or something else non-technical, chances are there’s a job out there for you connected to technology.
Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of six in-demand tech-related roles and the UW Professional & Continuing Education (UWPCE) programs that can prepare you to land them.
6 Tech Jobs With No Coding Required
1. Content Strategist
A content strategist’s job is to tailor an organization’s content to meet business objectives. They orchestrate words, images and ideas to help create a seamless content experience for users and customers.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for content strategy skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 7%
Source: Lightcast
The role requires a combination of communication skills with strategic thinking and empathy for the target audience. Content strategists must be great storytellers who can also factor in essential messaging principles such as voice, emotional appeals and calls to action.
The Technical Side: Because we consume so much content today through digital channels like social media, blogs, websites and apps, a content strategist must have a firm grasp of technical tools and concepts. To land this type of role, you should be comfortable working with content management systems, markup languages and project management tools while deeply understanding search engine optimization (SEO), digital analytics and web accessibility.
What an Expert Says: “Content strategists focus on delivering the right content to the right people, in the right format,” says Carl Chatfield, an instructor for the UW Certificate in Storytelling & Content Strategy. “To accomplish this, content strategists must understand brand voice and tone, storytelling, SEO and analytics, content development, and research.
▸More About This Role: How to Become a Content Strategist
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2. Instructional Designer
Instructional designers are the experts behind the workplace training materials, online courses and other educational products that we all interact with at one point or another. These professionals use their knowledge of pedagogy (the theory and practice of learning) to create engaging content tailored to specific learning objectives.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for instructional design skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 9.3%
Source: Lightcast
The technology industry has embraced instructional design, particularly for designing interactive e-learning courses, developing user onboarding experiences and software training. In addition, the growth of educational technology has created many opportunities for instructional designers in tech-adjacent roles, such as developing curriculum materials for coding boot camps or resources for digital literacy initiatives.
The Technical Side: The good news is that you don’t need to know how to code for any of these tasks, although having good technical chops can always help (and some advanced roles at tech companies may require programming knowledge). For example, many instructional designers use specialized authoring tools (like Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate) that don't require coding but can benefit from a problem-solving mindset and understanding of UX principles.
What an Expert Says: “To be a successful instructional design professional, creativity and curiosity are essential,” says Sharmaine Regisford, a senior instructional designer at UW College of Education and instructor for the UW Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design. “Strong communication skills, analytical thinking and adaptability are also crucial, along with grit and an eye for detail.”
▸ More About This Role: How to Become an Instructional Designer
▸ Learn This: UW Certificate in E-Learning Instructional Design
3. Technical Writer
Once upon a time, technical writers were known mainly for help manuals — those printed guides that explained how to use tech devices, computer software, cars and other products. But over the last few decades, the role has diversified to cover a whole host of industries and types of writing, much of it delivered digitally.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for technical writing skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 13.1%
Source: Lightcast
If you’re looking to break into the tech-writing field, you should (of course) have strong writing skills; job listings will often call for degrees in English, communications, journalism and similar disciplines. But that’s just for starters.
The Technical Side: While programming skills can be an asset when working as a technical writer, they're not typically a core requirement. The level of technical knowledge you’ll need depends on the specific role and industry you’re exploring. While you likely won’t need to know how to author code, a solid understanding of HTML, XML or Markdown is often essential. You should also be comfortable working in content management systems and be able to learn documentation tools.
What an Expert Says: “Some students worry that they don’t know the specific technical tools mentioned in a job description,” says Chatfield, who is also an instructor for the UW Certificate in Professional Technical Writing. “I tell them not to worry. If you understand the syntactic and semantic rules of XML, you can transition between tools without too much trouble.”
▸ More About This Role: How to Become a Technical Writer
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4. Social Media Strategist
Social media may have started as a fun way to keep in touch and share photos and videos with your family and friends, but today, it’s also a vital marketing function. Enter the role of the social media strategist.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for social media skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 13.8%
Source: Lightcast
Just about any initiative, organization or business venture operating today — from the largest corporations to governments, small businesses, nonprofits and academic institutions — must develop and deploy a thoughtful social media strategy. Professionals with a solid understanding of how social media works — including the differences between the major platforms and what kinds of content succeed on each one — are in increasing demand.
The Technical Side: Social media strategists must be comfortable with technology. Beyond their knowledge of social platforms and different content types, these pros should be conversant with:
- Content-creation and design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, video editing software)
- Analytics and data tools to track content performance
- Social media management applications (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Sprinklr)
- SEO and other optimization strategies
What an Expert Says: “Those who want to work in social media should be curious and engaged in social trends and memes; they should find pop culture interesting and love connecting with individuals across different social platforms,” says Kelley Myers, director of social for the software company Autodesk and instructor for the new UW Specialization in Social Media Marketing. “They should also be well versed in measurement and insights, as great content works best with focused strategies that come from clear analytics.”
▸ Learn This:
5. Cybersecurity Analyst
As the July 2024 global computer systems outage illustrated, cybersecurity is a mission-critical function today. Jobs in this field continue multiplying as companies and governments staff up to repel cyberattacks and handle other security challenges.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for cybersecurity skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 14.2%
Source: Lightcast
The role of a cybersecurity analyst involves assessing potential risks, devising robust defense strategies and ensuring that an organization's data remains fortress-secure. They conduct audits, help run simulations and prepare response plans for cyber incidents of all sizes.
The Technical Side: If your goal is to work as a technical analyst in the information security field, you’ll likely need a degree in computer science or similar training. But if you’re more interested in the risk management or policy planning side of cybersecurity, you won’t be required to know how to code. Instead, you’ll need a solid grasp of the language of information security and a deep understanding of the types of cyber threats common today. You’ll also need strong communication, strategic and critical thinking skills.
What an Expert Says: “We are a nation that runs on data, and securing that data is a critical part of whether businesses succeed or not,” says Ginger Armbruster, chief privacy officer for the City of Seattle and instructor for the UW Certificate in Cybersecurity Risk Management. “We need people who can understand the security risks and translate that knowledge into action, and to translate it into business-speak for the decision makers.”
▸ More About This Role: How to Become a Cybersecurity Professional
▸ Learn This: UW Certificate in Cybersecurity Risk Management
6. UX Designer
UX (user experience) designers work at the intersection of technology and people. These professionals are responsible for how your favorite app, website or tech device operates and can greatly impact whether those products delight or frustrate you.
Projected Growth
Projected growth in demand for UX design skills (2024-2026, U.S.): 15.2%
Source: Lightcast
The role of a UX designer includes a wide variety of tasks, including:
- Gathering and analyzing research to understand user needs
- Developing sitemaps and other information architecture documents
- Creating wireframes and prototypes to visualize and test concepts
- Designing the user interface (UI) and working on visual design elements
- Generating design documentation and other guidelines
The Technical Side: The tech industry is one of the biggest sources of UX design jobs. Although a UX designer’s strengths must include soft skills like communication, empathy, problem-solving and attention to detail, comfort with and understanding of technology are also crucial. The ability to learn and use industry-standard applications such as Figma, Sketch and Axure is key, as is a solid grasp of tech-industry terminology and some of the newer artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Midjourney and DALL-E.
What an Expert Says: “When I'm looking to hire designers, I look for a sense of curiosity and an awareness of the world, and being able to apply those to the work,” says David Kendall, a UX design principal at AT&T and instructor for the UW Certificate in UX & Visual Interface Design. “I also look for someone who can continuously learn and build skills, because that’s the nature of the design field.”
▸ More About This Role: How to Become a User Experience Designer
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