We had an amazing chat with one of our alumni, Anthony Oparah from our 0.7 cohort. He did a great job taking us through his time at Stutern and most importantly, his career journey as a UI/UX Designer. We hope you’re able to pick some important things as you read through. Enjoy!🎉
We’d like to know how it all started, tell me how you got to know about Stutern?
Before I found Stutern, I wasn’t exactly searching for a bootcamp. In 2019, I remember speaking to my friends about transitioning to the tech industry but I wasn’t sure of what area I wanted to get into. So, I decided to do my research on different areas in tech. On this particular day, it was my birthday actually, I got an email from Stutern.The summary of the email was a breakdown of the UI/UX Design course they had available and there were some videos linked to the email. I checked out these videos and the excitement and happiness from the people in the videos caught my attention. That made me go ahead with my research about Stutern. I also advanced to do research on what UI/UX Design entails and it looked like it would be exciting so I applied for it.
Quite Interesting, did you have a knowledge of UI/UX Design before you got into the program?
No I didn’t. To be honest, I didn’t know much about tech at the time, all I knew was that there were people called Developers. I was working as a Geotechnical Engineer for the Lagos State Materials Testing Lab so tech was a bit new to me. I heard about UI/UX Design for the first time from the email Stutern sent me and proceeded to do my research on it.
Nice, so how was your job as a Geotechnical Engineer?
It was very stressful and I didn’t see myself growing a lot in that space. My job was basically to test the strength of metals and the soil. I wasn’t interested in it but I kept going because I had to make money. It was also what I studied in school.
Before getting into the Program, what did you hope to achieve?
In the interview I had with a member of the Stutern team, I made her understand that the ultimate goal was to transition into tech and secure a tech job. So, I wanted to know what it would take for someone with zero knowledge about tech to get a job. She was very honest with me, she mentioned that it’s based on how much work you put into it. I’ve worked with stutern as a Teaching assistant and I noticed how some of the learners had the notion that once they are done with their training they’d immediately become A1 designers and start working with
companies like Apple right off the bat. It doesn’t work that way. You have to practice to get better. It ultimately takes you as an individual to level up your skills. As long as you work towards improving your portfolio, it should help boost the possibility of getting a great job.
While in the program, I noticed that the majority of learners who landed jobs even before the training was concluded, were those who put in extra work. I knew Stutern could only do their best with regards to getting me a job, so I made up my mind to put in the effort that would help me bag a great job.
Would you say Stutern met your expectations?
Of course, very much. One thing I liked about Stutern is that they brought in industry standard tutors. Stutern put me in the same space with tutors that put in a lot of work to help get you into the same space as them. My general expectation, which was getting a job, was met too. All my boxes were checked.
What was your learning journey like at Stutern?
My journey at Stutern was an eye-opener. Like I mentioned earlier, I had no knowledge about the tech space. When I got into the program, I met learners who were already ahead of me in their tech careers, so it was really interesting to learn a few things from them. It’s true that you learn from your Teaching Assistants and Tutors, but I believe you learn a lot more from your peers. It was an amazing experience for me because I got to learn from the most awesome and smartest set of people. That was the highlight of my journey at Stutern, the people I was in class with.
What was it like when you landed your first design role?
Just thinking about it now makes me feel that rush of excitement I felt when I first got the news. It really was amazing. I had the intention of getting a job before the end of the program and I was able to achieve that. It was an exciting experience.
What has it been like for you career-wise?
I know it’s cliche to say it has been interesting, but it honestly has. When I landed my first internship, I started the job thinking I already knew so much. Over time, I progressed and was given a first year role because the company was happy with my performance. I was later on given a full time role. Sometime after, the company brought in a Senior designer and an intern for me to work with. So, it was amazing knowing you’re able to give as well as receive, being the guy in the middle. After the senior designer left, I progressed to being the Lead designer on the team. It has been an interesting climb up the ladder. It’s funny how you never really see this growth because most designers have imposter syndrome where they believe you’re not doing very well and so many other people are doing better things. If only you can take a step back and see how far you have come, you’d know that you’re doing considerably well.
Can you share a word of encouragement to people who would like to get into tech as well as our current learners?
To those looking to get into the tech industry, my advice will be to join as early as possible. Go with the area that is easy for you to handle. Some people find coding easy while some others find design easy. Just go with it and try to get better too. For those who are already in the industry, keep practicing and keep learning. If you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, be confident and keep trying to improve yourself. You’ll get better.
A beautiful read, yes? It really is a delight seeing how much Anthony has grown in his design career. How he went from being an intern to a Lead designer. He currently works as a Product Design Associate at FSDH Group. Remember Anthony said to start as soon as possible 😁. Let’s get on this journey! Hurry up and visit www.stutern.com to apply.
