How the Future Governor of CBN became a Tech Sis

This is about my journey into Tech from an Accounting background. Many of us have these stories to tell, and perhaps one day you will as well.😚

This isn’t one of those Aspire-to-Maguire stories…lol. This is the story of a lady who worked very hard to find her way. In any case, she is still working her way up.

If someone had told me that one day I would leave Accounting and pursue another career, I would have told them to shove it. Consider giving up all of your years in Senior Secondary and University studying Accounting, Economics, and Commerce, all the struggles and hard work to get a degree in Accounting. That’s a pretty tough decision to make. Growing up, I was very interested in accounting, and people wished for me to become the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which was my dream job. However, life happens, and dreams change. It’s perfectly normal for passion to shift. It is called Growth.

So let me tell you a little bit about myself and my journey thus far.

I didn’t wake up one day and decide to go into tech. You don’t go for something you know nothing about. Someone must inform you, invite you, teach you, or guide you. It must definitely come from somewhere. In my case, it was my best friend Amaechi Amarachi. After failing to secure an accounting internship at top firms like KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte, Amarachi decided to take computer lessons, where she learned about programming. Amarachi introduced me to programming when we returned for the final year, but I didn’t take it seriously because I didn’t have a laptop at the time. I was interested in getting my degree and a good job, most likely as an auditor or accountant. Amarachi encouraged me to create a Twitter account, which I did, but it was difficult for me to use, so I cached it. A few months later, we learned about a Google-sponsored Andela Learning Community Scholarship program. We made the decision to give it a shot.

A few days later…We got in.🤸

But I didn’t have a laptop. Lol…Problem no dey ever finish for this life. Amarachi suggested that we post a tweet and ask for help on Twitter, and it worked. That’s how I ended up with a MacBook.😆

Shutdown!!!.

Somebody say Graceeee. Never underestimate the power of social media.

I began learning to code, but it was too difficult for me to grasp, most likely because I didn’t push myself hard enough. I had to pull over along the way. By 2020, I had finished school, been convocated, and was awaiting NYSC. COVID-19 dropped a bomb, and everything, including NYSC, was put on hold. And so I ended up in my village doing absolutely nothing. 2020 was the most difficult year for me. And I believe the majority of people can attest to that. Thank you to my friends who were always keeping an eye on me. I decided to take social media seriously after having such a positive experience with Twitter. I began learning how to use LinkedIn, create content, discuss my ambitions and goals, connect with others, and network strategically. I knew I wanted to work for one of the world’s Big Four accounting firms. I began connecting with people who worked at the firms, asking questions, and learning more about them.

On October 6, 2020, a recruiter from KPMG contacted me via LinkedIn🥳.

That particular outreach provided me with the opportunity to complete my NYSC as an Audit Intern with KPMG Nigeria. During my service year, Tech called, but not programming this time. I’ve already gained a better understanding of the industry and the various career paths available. While working at KPMG, I began learning about Product Management, and LinkedIn became my go-to platform for networking and publicity. I began by connecting with people, taking courses, creating content, and putting myself out there, as is customary.

I was contacted exactly two weeks after my service year ended to work as a Product Manager for a startup. I started my job the next day after the interview. I finally made it into Tech.🎉 I started commuting from Lekki to Yaba every day for two months and got really sick towards the end of the year, most likely due to stress. When Christmas came, I decided to go home and see my family, not realizing that I would no longer have a job waiting for me in January.

On January 3, 2022, I received an email informing me that my position had been furloughed due to financial issues and organizational restructuring.😭

Is this a joke?

And boom... back to factory settings.

I expected to quickly find another job or have someone contact me as usual. I guess I forgot that life does not always work that way. Sometimes you will have to go through it, and I did go through it for months.

In the next issue, I’ll discuss some of the things I did and how I survived for five months without a job before landing a job as a Community Manager.

Keep an eye out.😉