From First-Gen to First-Class: 5 Moves to Break Into Tech Successfully
Hola Amigos!
This week, I’m sharing a framework for landing job opportunities that align with your values in the tech industry. It’s the framework I wish I had known when I started my professional career in tech 10 years ago. I hope a younger version of me out there finds this post helpful for navigating career building with confidence and agility.
Moving alone to the U.S. at 16 meant that I had to learn a new language, culture, systems, and had to break through walls, ceilings, and paradigms to develop my career.
I have worked in many roles as a tech sales professional at amazing companies like Notion and Twilio. I have found these opportunities not because I had the perfect background, but because I learned how to own my story, build strategic relationships, and show up with the right mindset. My career has also allowed me to travel the world and help many people in my social circle.
If you're the first in your family to navigate college, corporate life, and build a career in tech, this post is for you. I could write a book about all the lessons, but I tried to make this post as concise as possible to help first-gens break into tech and thrive in their careers.
5 Moves to Break Into Tech Successfully
Breaking into tech isn’t about having the perfect resume, fancy internships, or the right connections from birth.
It’s about building your business case, owning your journey, and moving strategically.
Below are the five core moves first-gen professionals should master:
Self-Reflection: Aligning your career path with your unique strengths and the market needs.
Building Your Network of Champions: Opening doors through authentic connections.
Application Strategy: Crafting a compelling narrative that turns your story into an asset.
Interview Execution: Showing up with confidence, humility, and ownership.
Thriving in Your First 90 Days: Making sure you don't just get the job, but you grow in your career.
Let’s break it down step-by-step.
1. Self-Reflection: Find Your Ikigai
First-gen professionals bring grit, resilience, and fresh perspectives, but without clarity, it’s easy to drift into survival mode or victim mentality. It’s important to take ownership of your story, path and destiny.
Ikigai is a well-known concept from Okinawa, Japan, meaning "a life full of purpose and a reason for being.” In the western world, it has been adapted as a framework to help people find the intersection of their passions, interests, skills, and the market needs.
By discovering your Ikigai, you can gain clarity on a career path that aligns with your strengths, fuels your passion, and brings deeper meaning to your life.
You can ask yourself the questions below to find your Ikigai:
💛 What do you love?
🛠️ What are you good at?
🌎 What does the world need?
💰 What can you get paid for?
Reflect honestly. Combine the answers to your questions and they will help you gain clarity on how you can align your Ikigai with your next career move.
Your background may be different, but your skills, energy, and values are real, and they matter.
First-Gen Insight: Your story isn't a weakness. It's a competitive advantage. Companies need people who understand different perspectives, solve problems creatively, and build trust across diverse teams.
2. Build Your Network of Champions
If you are like me and you didn’t grow up with connections in tech and the business world, it’s easy to just follow the natural path of your social circle. I encourage you to reach out to people outside of your social circle to build your network of champions.
You have probably heard that we are the average of the top 5 people we surround ourselves with. I have found this to be so true! Your network is your net-worth.
The beauty of the digital age is that you can send cold-messages to the vast majority of professionals via LinkedIn.
The first-gen way to networking — we build the bridge while we’re crossing it.
Here's the approach to build your network of champions:
Identify companies and roles aligned with your Ikigai.
Reach out to team members and peers, not just recruiters. Send them personalized notes mentioning that you are highly respect their career path and would like to learn more about their experience.
Coordinate quick virtual coffees to connect. You can schedule the call to happen on Zoom, Google Meet, or over the phone. Ask them what works best for them and send them a calendar invite. Be proactive.
Prepare a list of questions to ask and also share about your story and career interests. Ask them for guidance on how to get the foot in the door at their company and ask if they’d be open to submitting an internal referral for you.
Follow up with the link to the role that you are interested in and with your resume, so they can submit your referral.
Don’t be transactional. Whether they refer you or not, be grateful for the connection because now you know a highly valuable person that you didn’t know before. Hopefully that person becomes your champion and you become theirs as you continue developing your career.
First-Gen Insight: Your courage to reach out is your superpower. You don’t need 100 coffee chats. You only need a few meaningful connections to build your network of champions.
3. Craft a Strong Application Narrative (Your 3 Why’s)
First-gen professionals often doubt if their story "fits." Here's the truth:
You don’t need to fit in a box. You should instead see your life as a big cargo ship of containers that are composed of boxes with different experiences, values, and life lessons. You are the captain of that cargo ship and you are navigating the world with value and confidence. You need to make your value and presence impossible to ignore.
Answer Your 3 Why’s to craft a narrative of why you want to join a specific company. They should all answer why you are the most valuable candidate to join the team next?
Why do I want to work for this company?
Why this specific team?
Why am I the best person for this role?
Use your answers to craft your application, cover letter, and interview talking points.
First-Gen Insight: Your hustle, adaptability, and perspective are assets. Don't apologize for your story — leverage it.
4. Crush Your Interviews with Confidence and Humility
Interviewing is a two-way conversation, not a test you have to "pass."
Show up like the future colleague they need:
Bring your 3 Why’s into your answers to keep your messaging consistent.
Research the team and company like you’re preparing to host a dinner party for your heroes and you want them to have the most memorable experience.
Ask curious questions, mirror, and label key points in conversation to build trust and rapport.
Demonstrate confidence in your values / experiences / skills.
Demonstrate humility in your career aspirations and your desire to grow and learn.
First-Gen Insight: You already have what many companies are desperate for: people who lead with empathy, strong worth ethic, initiative, and resilience.
5. Win the First 90 Days
Congratulations! Very soon you will be celebrating that you accepted a job offer. Your first 90 days on the job are so important to keep your job! Check out these pro tips to set yourself up for success!
Build relationships: Connect with your team members, manager, and key stakeholders across departments from day one.
Understand expectations: Clarify your role, responsibilities, and performance metrics with your manager.
Learn the company culture: Observe and adapt to the work environment, communication styles, and unwritten rules.
Set clear goals: Establish short-term and long-term objectives aligned with your team and company goals.
Listen and learn: Ask questions, seek feedback, and absorb as much information as possible about your role and the organization.
Deliver quick wins: Identify opportunities to make immediate positive impacts, no matter how small.
Create a 90-day plan: Outline your strategy for the first three months, including learning objectives and deliverables.
Seek out a mentor: Find someone experienced in the company who can guide you through your initial period.
Show initiative: Volunteer for projects or tasks that showcase your skills and enthusiasm.
Regularly check in: Schedule frequent meetings with your manager to discuss progress and receive feedback.
First-Gen Insight: Your career isn't just about fitting into a system—it’s about becoming a builder inside it.
Final Thoughts
First-gen professionals belong in tech.
Not because we’ve checked every box, but because we bring new solutions, new energy, and a new way of thinking.
Your path may look different.
Your story may be unconventional.
That’s exactly what makes you powerful.
Build your case. Own your story. Take the shot.
I promise you that the tech industry needs more pros like you.