“How I Transitioned from Mass Communication to a Thriving Tech Career through the Women Techsters Fellowship”

My name is Helen Agbo. I’m from Benue State, Nigeria, and a Mass Communication graduate of Benue State University. I’ve always been passionate about tech but didn’t consider pursuing it as a career until after my NYSC with no job, which got me thinking about how to improve myself and my earning power.

After my NYSC, I couldn’t get a good-paying job, so I decided to upskill to make myself more employable and transition to tech which offers more opportunities. I’ve not looked back, since. Living the good life has fuelled my passion to be and do better.

I chose Product Design because I believed I could smoothly transfer the skills I learned in school, as it entails knowing your users and solving their challenges. As a communicator, I was trained to communicate effectively, source information, conduct interviews, and seek the opinions of the masses, which I’ve employed in my user research to get to know my users better and communicate my ideas effectively with stakeholders.

As someone who is generally aesthetic and has a keen eye for details, interface design came naturally to me. I’m passionate about improving UX and design quality.

My tech journey has been marked by consistency, determination, and perseverance. My proudest moments are when my designs are implemented and users have a positive experience, often accompanied by encouraging feedback. These moments fuel my drive to continue pushing forward in this field.

Apart from the usual Nigerian factor of unstable electricity and network, I’ve encountered a notable challenge in putting my designs and myself out on social media. While I’m passionate about my work, I find it challenging to share it publicly. This has been a hurdle in showcasing my skills and connecting with a wider audience in the tech community.

I am still struggling with this, but with encouragement from my facilitator and mentor, I decided to start small by posting my ideas or designs at least once a month until I am comfortable posting more frequently.

When I decided to transition to Product Design, I searched for resources, enrolled in a boot camp, and looked for ways to improve myself. I still needed more knowledge and guidance. When my sister sent me the link to the Women Techsters Fellowship application she had seen on Twitter, I researched the organization and the training and decided to apply because it was just what I was looking for, and that was one of the best decisions I made in my career.

I had a wonderful experience, and still do, in the Women Techsters community. The classes were enjoyable, and my facilitator, Frances Aborigho, was so knowledgeable, approachable, and patient with us. She could explain complex concepts in very simple terms, and we could reach out to her anytime we needed guidance or had questions, which I still do.

I looked forward to the soft skills training every Friday. I also made many new friends and connections with amazing African women. It was generally a pleasing experience for me. The Women Techsters Fellowship training has been instrumental in propelling my career forward. The training has equipped me with invaluable skills and knowledge, enabling me to excel in my career.

I kicked off my career with an internship placement by Tech4Dev, and I was retained full-time. I work at Cenos Technology (smallchops.ng). My role entails designing the User Interface and Experience of the company’s websites and designing the User Interface and Experience of third-party projects awarded to the company.

The encouragement and tips from my mentor and the alumni community have equipped me with ways to navigate through my journey. The Tech-Girls drive and the career week were some of my highlights of the training.

Moving on, I aim to continue learning, growing, creating innovative solutions, and achieving excellence in this field.

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