Starting A Career In Tech

Kindly introduce yourself and You can chip in a fun fact we all don’t know about.

I am a Software Engineer at Turntabl. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology. I code in Java and Python. I love to design as well as mentioned so I manage all the designs for my side works.

Fun fact: Any question to me concerning food, the answer is Yes

Software Engineer at Turntabl

Has software engineering always been your career goal?

Not always. I wanted to be a Medical Doctor when I was younger but as the Universe will have it I fell out of love with it and in love with coding. I love to create and implement stuff with code.

Why, when, and how did you decide you wanted to be a software engineer?

As I love to create and implement stuff with code as earlier mentioned, I signed up for meetups, boot camps, hackathons, any tech-related meeting I could come across.

I was introduced to programming practically when I attended a Developers In Vogue meetup(One of my very first tech meetups). I saw that I came alive anytime I was behind my PC solving a problem with code, nothing else could excite me that much. That is when I decided to pursue it as a career.

How do you thrive to stay relevant in a male-dominated area?

I seek to know the stuff that makes me valuable to my team and also make my voice heard. I used to be this shy and timid lady who was always scared to even ask questions. That made me lose more than gain. So I advised myself If I wanted to make it I had to literally "man up" and go in for what I want.

So I decided to speak up more, ask my questions. I understood that if you don't ask, the answer will always be no.

It has also worked for me to have allies. People who have worked with me and would vouch for me in a room, when I am not present.

How do you manage your work-life balance?

I don't know if I am managing it as yet now that I work from home, things tend to overlap. But one thing that has helped me draw a line is the time schedule. I have my time scheduled from when I wake up. I also have my home office nicely set apart from my actual home. In the sense that I don't work from my bed. I wake up, freshen up, pick up my laptop and breakfast then move to the table and chair set up as my office. I work a 9-5 and that is what I strive to stick to so my work doesn't eat up my whole life. Thus I set apart some me time after work. A time for me to breathe and reflect.

What career paths can one explore in tech?

Technology is evolving and so are the career paths it extends. There are numerous careers one can have in Technology. From Software Engineering to Data Science, Cyber Security, Game developer, Mobile App Developer, UX Designer, and many more.

Which one is your favorite?

Definitely Data Science but the maths dier.....

Can you tell us about a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted at work, such as a project that failed?

I don't really have failed projects. Just projects that are pending completion lol. If I were to have a project that failed, I would learn from why it didn't go as planned and not repeat that in my future projects

How do you keep your technology skills current?

I take time out of my day to study. Dorothy a year ago will wait to learn on the job, which didn't work for me. I was expected to deliver on the go. Not spend time learning before delivering.

So now I take a lot of online courses from Udemy, Coursera, and quite recently JetBrains Academy. I keep around me people who are experts in whatever framework or language I am studying at the moment to serve as guides. Google is my bestie now.

Which framework do you enjoy working with?

Angular. I like how far it's come and the improvements being done.

How do I know my current job is holding back my full potential?

When you learn close to nothing at the end of each day and in the long run when it is getting you no closer to your career goal.

How do you cope when your personal goals are very far from what your company requires you to do and how many hours/mins per day will you dedicate to your personal goals in a day.?

I believe in as much as you do your work you should take time out to nurture your goals.

So be it on weekends or after work. Make time to put plans in place to advance your personal goals.

Depending on your dedication and consistency 1-2 hours a day could be a start.

I will say to believe in yourself that you can make it in the field. It may be male-dominated but that hasn't stopped many many ladies. So I'll encourage them to take a bold step and start something today.

I would encourage our ladies to get on board the Technology train. As it is the future. It grows every day so you will never get bored. You will learn something new every time.

Thanks to Dorothy for her precious time and insightful session.