“The Women Techsters Bootcamp program was a game changer for me” — Calista Ohama

My name is Calista Ohama, and I am a product manager who transitioned from the audit space. I currently live in Enugu, and although I am originally from Enugu State, I grew up in Cross River State. I am the first child in a family of six. I graduated from Enugu State University, from the Department of Cooperative Economics and Management, Faculty of Management Sciences.

After graduation, I pursued a career in accounting and finance, as it has always been my passion. Despite offering an entirely different course at the university, I aimed to enter KPMG after my service year but unfortunately did not make it at the final stage. I then settled for a private firm.

My transition into technology is funny, as I was going through a tough phase in my life, and I needed something new to bring a feeling of fulfillment for me. I decided to explore tech courses on Coursera in January 2023 and one random day, I received an email notification about the available scholarships, including the Women Techsters Bootcamp training, I applied and that became a game changer for me.

I found out about the Women Techsters Fellowship when I participated in the Women Techsters Bootcamp program cohort 2.0 and I made up my mind to do everything possible to get into the fellowship program. My experience both at the Women Techsters Bootcamp and fellowship was amazing and rigorous. I acquired great technical skills and soft skills. I appreciate my Facilitators Divine and Oz for putting me through during both programs.

Managing my time was a major challenge as I was always trying to hustle my daily bread and it stressed me a lot. Another issue I had to deal with was poor internet connection and power supply that made me sad most times but because of my determination to succeed I kept on going.

My participation in the Women Techsters Programs has helped me make great progress in my career and significantly improved my skills and exposed me to better opportunities in the industry. The training has shaped me and exposed me to the tech industry in ways I never imagined.

I plan to maximize the knowledge I have learnt from the training by applying it in my current role as a Product Manager in a Fintech company based in Lagos. I also run a fashion design business, which I started as a side hustle the year I began working in audit. Thankfully, it has grown into a well-operating business. Additionally, I am partnering with my former audit company to launch a startup — an accounting software that addresses challenges faced by public sectors in Africa.

I look forward to a lifetime of giving back to the society, I have begun hosting virtual programs on WhatsApp and Google meet to help professionals who intend to transition into tech. I also plan to continue going for community outreaches to expose people to the numerous opportunities available in tech.

My advice to women looking to transition into tech is, “Be determined, it’s not going to be easy, but it is worth it. Never forget why you chose to transition or pursue a career in tech.”

Thank you so much Tech4Dev for the opportunity. I am so grateful for the privilege.