Hello!
We had a conversation with Jumoke Abdulazeez, a former learner in our UI/UX Design course and now a product designer at Seamfix. What is interesting about this conversation is that even though her journey in tech did not start off smoothly, she forged ahead and was able to achieve success. It’s the determination for us! 😌
Here’s how the chat went. Enjoy!
Can you tell us your first memory of tech?
My knowledge of tech started in 2016. My brother was already into Backend Development at the time and my cousin who studied Computer Science had a bit of knowledge in Frontend Development as well.
I’d usually come back home to my brother facing a black screen with texts colored in green and red and I always wondered how he managed to understand them. He’d always tell me that it was easy. It didn’t look easy to me, at all. My conclusion was that some people are specially created for it.
So how did Stutern get into the picture?
So my plan after I finished my NYSC was to go for my Master’s Program. While I was waiting for that to pan out, I enrolled in a fashion designing school and began training. Sometime after, my brother reached out to me and told me about how ladies are now getting into tech and there was somewhere I could learn one of these tech skills in Abuja. After much persuasion from him, I decided to go for it. I gave in — not because I was interested but because I had just concluded my NYSC and was willing to try out anything.
I applied for the program but I didn’t get in. I tried out another program and that also did not work out. With all of that in motion, I had already started working on myself. I started learning how to code with CSS, python and I had a brother who helped put me through because he had better knowledge of these things.
I finally got the opportunity at Stutern, so I went for it and applied.
How was your journey at Stutern?
When I wanted to apply, I noticed that the course I wanted to go for was “UI/UX and Frontend”. I didn’t know what the UI/UX part was about but I still went for it because Frontend was included.
What I had in mind on the first day was that I was going to improve my coding skills but the class started with the tutor telling us we were not coding. I was lost because I had always thought that anything regarding tech is coding. I had no idea that there were other areas in tech. That particular moment changed my mindset, totally.
I needed that push and foundation to begin my journey and Stutern gave me that.
Is there any link between what you studied in school and what you do now?
I studied Human Anatomy in school but I don’t think there’s a lot of difference between that and UI/UX Design. I studied the human body in school and now I’m studying psychology and still satisfying humans.
What is it like for you career-wise?
The beginning of the journey was honestly challenging because not all companies were willing to hire someone with little experience. After a while, I landed my first freelance job. It wasn’t easy for me to deliver but I pulled through in the end. I continued developing my skills and presently I work at Seamfix as a Product Designer.
Do you have any view on the Tech industry here in Nigeria, since you’re an insider?
I’m glad that the tech industry in Nigeria is picking up. There has been an improvement within the last few years due to the lockdown. Although there were negative effects on the country, it honestly did push a lot of businesses into the tech space. It has exposed companies and made them see that a lot of things can be done with tech. It also helped create a lot of job opportunities for tech talents. At the same time, there’s still room for improvement.
How is it navigating the tech space as a woman?
I’ve never experienced gender discrimination in the tech industry but I believe that it’s a limiting mindset to think that you can’t get into the tech space because you’re a female. You have to be aware that it doesn’t really matter what your gender is because companies right now are only looking for competent people. If society thinks that females can’t get into tech, you shouldn’t feel that way. People can’t bring you down except you bring yourself down.
Do you have anything to say to people who plan to kick-start their career in tech?
There’s the saying that goes: “People develop their passion”. Sometimes, passion is not enough. You have to be certain that you can do it. You should also seek the right knowledge. For instance, I never knew that tech was beyond writing codes until I got into the program. There are various areas in the tech industry, so it’s best to explore those areas and know what works for you.
