Many industries are going through a very difficult time during the current pandemic; we all are seeing businesses close down permanently due to revenue opportunity loss. According to one source, global unemployment was at 190 million pre-pandemic, and according to another report, COVID-19 is expected to eliminate an estimated 195 million additional jobs worldwide.
If you are one of the unfortunate members of the workforce that lost employment due to COVID, here’s why you should consider tech, specifically the Claris platform, as a career option:
1. Work From Home Opportunities
In most cases, you can work from home. I have been working from home for the last ten years. Currently, our company of 60+ employees is all 100% working from home.
2. Industry Strength
The industry overall is faring well during these hard times. Here are some articles for reference:
- An Apple business you may not know that’s poised to boom from coronavirus crisis
- Apple’s Claris says coronavirus is driving people to FileMaker
There is one caveat to this — most developers build applications for external businesses. If that business was hit hard during the pandemic, the developer(s) supporting that business could also be affected due to indirect work loss.
3. Resources for Independent Learning
There are ample available resources to teach yourself about the Claris platform. Every year Claris has a developer conference, and this year it’s virtual and FREE. This is a great opportunity to learn about the Claris platform and see if it might be a great fit for you. Don’t forget to register!
Claris has free introductory video series known as Claris Academy, where you can learn at your own pace.
There are also many great paid tutorials available, for example, on LinkedIn Learning and Richard Carlton Consulting.
4. Creative Opportunities with Room to Grow
I have been working in the Claris platform for over 13 years, and the best part about my job is that it’s fun and creative. FileMaker is considered a low-code platform, because it has an easy-to-learn drag-and-drop UI, allowing you to build something fast and with minimal effort.
On the other end of that spectrum, the Claris platform has tools that allow for complex features and integrations, so there’s a massive opportunity for growth within the platform. You’re always learning something new, and Claris releases new versions with new features annually.
5. Supportive Community
Claris has a large community that really wants to see each other succeed. Check out its highly-used forum where Claris users can ask questions about the platform. There are always several people willing to help you get past any roadblocks, no matter how big or small.
If you have a FileMaker-related question, search YouTube! Many experts in the field have created how-to videos to share step-by-step solutions to solving common, and not-so-common, obstacles.
The nonprofit Women Innovating Together has a mentorship program anyone can take advantage of to get one-on-one mentoring in the Claris platform. This program is open to all genders.
If you’d like to have your shot at a pro-bono project under the guidance of a more experienced developer, check out join::table. Here, developers at all levels can sign up to work on a pro-bono project for a non-profit in need. You can work with a team of developers who can guide you through the process of creating a Claris app.
Join Us!
If you have the time, interest, and a device with an internet connection, this is a great opportunity to dip your toe into the Claris platform and see if you’re ready to dive in!
