Turning a hobby into a career.
Did you hear my recent podcast with the queen of voice, Keri Roberts? If not, check it out on Inside Voice where I discussed all things VoiceTech Recruitment.
I’ve had some lovely feedback from the podcast, so I thought it would be useful to go into some more detail around how to turn your hobby into a career. For all of you cool cats and kittens who’ve shown an interest 😏.
So, first things first - this doesn’t just apply to developers. You may be a creative genius, good with words, musical wizard, speech expert, or from a completely different world altogether. Whatever your experience, anyone with a passion and love for voice technology can get involved.
I’ve spoken with people from all sorts of backgrounds and learned that many entered the VoiceTech space because it used to be a hobby. Or maybe, you were just intrigued by the possibilities. Perhaps, you use your smart speaker on a daily basis and want to have an impact on the market.
Whatever your entry point, here are my top tips for newbies: ⬇️
#1 – Familiarity is 🔑.
If you’re not doing this already - use voice skills!
Explore different skills - games, utilities, fitness, shopping - the list goes on. Try and take the time to notice how the conversation flows. Think about how your voice assistant is reacting to your responses.
What do you like about this? What don’t you like?
By doing this, you’ll start to recognise and understand how they work, what value they add (or don’t), the brand’s intentions for creating these, and how your personable and professional skills can transfer into this world of technology.
#2 – Become a developer.
No, not literally. But there are many amazing platforms for you technical whizzes, and even for non-techies to build your own voice skill.
Assuming you’re not a developer, you may be thinking why would I do that? Simply put, it’s because - by going through the process - you’ll start to understand first-hand, the core principles that are involved.
You may decide not to pursue a career as a developer afterwards, but at least you’ll have knowledge around the core components: such as intents, utterances, slots, etc. These are all vital parts of voice application.
#3 – Mingle
Mingle, but keep your distance (that’s all we can do now, right? And Zoom helps loads). There are plenty of experts willing to share their knowledge and expertise. So, talk to them and make yourself known.
LinkedIn is a great way to network, as is good ol’ Twitter, as well as specialist communities like: Women in Voice, Voice Lunch, and a bunch of Slack channels. Basically, voice tech is a busy community with lots going on!
You’ll be surprised how open people are to talking and networking. After all, we’re all in the same boat and learning this voice malarkey together!
#4 – Skill’up 💥
There are resources galore, available to anyone who takes the time to try and find them.
Whether you want to know what makes a banging voice application, or you’re looking for tips on how to design for a screenless application. There are a wide variety of courses, webinars, and podcasts to get your teeth into. You can do this in the comfort of your own home, too (not that you have any other choice RN!)
Some of the resources I’ve personally used are The Voice Course (click the link for an exclusive discount 🤑)– which touches on all things strategy and design, and is perfect for anyone with either a technical or non-technical background.
I also regularly listen to podcasts such as Inside Voice, VUX World, as well as joining in on webinars, reading blogs - basically, anything I can get my hands on!
Ultimately, the more you immerse yourself in this industry, the quicker you’ll pick things up. Take the opportunity to add your own bit of value to the community. Voice is new, so there’s no “right way” to do things, or established best practice - it’s very much trial and error. That means, people from all different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives can shape and evolve the voice ecosystem - and you’ll get to leave your mark ✅.