Apr 1, 2021
Before my first hello world by Olayemi Olorunsola
……my journey into Tech
Hi guys, my name is Olayemi Olorunsola and I am an engineering geologist transitioning into Tech. I would like to share my experience with you.
My childhood experience
My first experience in the tech world as a child was seeing my dad prepare documents for his boss using a typewriter. He also encouraged me to type and I was rewarded if I could get my “asdf:lkj” without mistakes. My interest grew when he got his first PC, as I saw him changing fonts, inserting pictures, symbols and printing out “beautiful” documents.
My curiosity got a better part of me when I was given a group assignment in secondary school and I told my group members I would handle the typing and printing…. and I DID. I made all the text on the cover page very bold. I showed it to my dad who was very impressed but he complained about wasting his toner… Hahaha. I had to drop this idea of trying out “stuff” on his PC and stop nosing around his workspace.
University days
Research and fieldwork were basic requirements to graduate in the geology department. These activities helped me to develop skills like teamwork, communication, asking questions, building relationships with the indigenes, adapting to new environments.
School to Work
I put in for my graduate studies and I started volunteering to develop my skills as a geologist. I later got a job as an intern with an engineering geology firm, a role that later evolved into being a field supervisor and — I was also opportune to handle meetings with stakeholders, resolve conflicts and negotiate with contractors.
Sometimes you need a break.
The lockdown made me self-reflect. I had to choose between going for my PhD or switching my career. The joy of exploring my creative side, doing what I love, having a balanced work and personal life, be part of a fast-changing and innovative workforce, outweighs the fear of starting all over and losing my income for a while. I knew I had to make the career change but I don’t know how to go about it. I reached out to a couple of friends in the Tech field and some sites and books were recommended for me to get started. I knew that I wanted extra help and the boot camp idea was birthed.
2021 Boot camp.
My search for the best Boot camp in Nigeria led me to Univelcity. I enrolled for the full-stack option. Lectures started on the 18th of January with Product design. This class brought out the creative part because I have been amazed at what I have been able to design so far. I also love UX research, empathizing with people, understanding their pain point, understanding business goal which includes balancing customers’ satisfaction and profit-making because I can relate to it as a geologist managing different teams, resolving conflicts, preparing reports, negotiating with clients, and contractors to get the best deal without compromising the quality of work.
I am also making progress with my front-end web development class, learning HTML and CSS at the moment. The feeling that I will soon be able to code all design is inspiring enough to keep learning. Still a lot to learn and I am taking it one step at a time.
