The assumption today is that if you are not a blockchain engineer, QA Tester, or Full Stack developer, you don’t have a seat in the future.
Almost every conversation today is centred on “I am building a tech product.” Even if you are not building anything, merely talking about it makes you look like a serious person.
The numerous tech programmes and tech talent migration opportunities littered everywhere are fuelling the fear of missing out. According to the Tech Nation Visa Report 2021, Nigeria had one of the highest number of applicants for the UK Global Tech Talent Visa, ranking third in the world.
Peer pressure is making many people delve blindly into a ‘greener’ pasture. In reality, everything looks greener on the other side when you do not wet your pasture.
The world is becoming digitalised. However, without a defined goal, you may not understand the differences between transitioning into a tech career and using tech tools to scale within your chosen career.
There is tech in everything. Modern farmers make use of drone technology, hydroponics and automated irrigation to boost their production. Uchechi Iweala performs spinal surgeries using a robot.
HR personnel can learn HR technologies to automate processes like recruitment, payroll and employee engagement. IBM artificial intelligence technology helps with employee retention by being able to detect with 95 per cent accuracy which employees are planning to quit their jobs.
Technology is reshaping the fashion industry. Computer-Aided-Design software can be used to improve fashion designs. Modern-day fashion designers can maximise tech tools to identify the right clothing material and colour for every design.
Knowing how to use relevant tech tools to scale your career or business will help you to become more efficient and profitable. You do not necessarily have to transition into software development or cloud engineering to know how to use these online platforms and software applications.
There are factors you must consider before joining the bandwagon of tech bros. Firstly, the tech industry is not a get-rich-quick industry. It appears like the world is compelling everyone to transition into a tech career if they want to be successful quickly. When you compare the six-figure salaries earned by some tech bros to other professions, it may seem like the tech industry is a get-rich-quick industry.
When you look at most under-thirties in the tech space already enjoying a decent life, you may almost give in to the temptation to transition into a tech career. The tech industry has been glamorised and overblown. Whoever told you that a tech career is the fastest way to ‘blow’ told you a big lie.
This is how the average Nigerian tech bro thinks: build a product, find investors, feature in newspapers and start living your dream life. The instant cash-out mentality makes the average tech bro think that investors are Father Christmases.
Secondly, tech companies fail too. According to a report by Startup Genome, nine out of every 10 start-ups fail. Do you think tech companies are excluded? CB Insights database reported that 70 per cent of tech companies fail usually around 20 months after first raising financing. There are four stages every successful tech innovation goes through; the making process, the testing process, the launching process, and the commercialisation process.
Most tech bros often get stuck in the commercialisation process. How to take their products to the market is usually the challenge. What is the benefit of building an amazing tech product that no one is using? This is why there are too many tech products on the Google Play Store that are merely filling up space.
Thirdly, from trenches to tech is difficult. A report published by Tunga showed that compared to California with a population of 39 million and 630,0000 developers, there are only 114,536 software developers in Nigeria — a country with 200 million people and a 35 per cent unemployment rate.
In a country with half of its population living in poverty, you have to genuinely evaluate your reality before you transition into a tech career. Not everyone may succeed in this transition because going from trenches to tech is going to be difficult.
A 2022 report by Speedtest Global Index showed that Nigeria’s internet speed is still among the world’s slowest. Compared to the United Arab Emirates with 258mbps, Nigeria has a 20.97mbps download speed. Having a good laptop, monthly data subscriptions for internet access and a constant power supply are some of the obstacles you may face in the trenches. These can open the door to frustration.
Be flexible with your career goals. If you fall in this ‘sapademic’ category, you do not need to shovel a tech career down your throat. The cost of learning these tech skills is not cheap. Can you afford it? Passion cannot pay your bills. Hunger can be a big distraction. If you are broke, you need a job that can cater for your immediate needs.
Transitioning into a tech career can be your long-term goal. Former Nollywood Actress, Bukky Wright, transitioned into a tech career at age 44. She currently works as a Senior IT Auditor in the US. If you have all the needed resources and financial support to transition into a tech career, don’t hesitate. Grab the opportunity now.
Fourthly, your tech skill is not enough. Do you know that it takes only 15 per cent of your technical skills to build a successful tech career? It means you can have the best tech skills in the world and still fail in the field.
Research carried out by Harvard University revealed that 85 per cent of what makes any successful business or career are soft skills. One of the secrets to the success of the Paystack Company is the management skills and growth culture.
Steve Jobs was not a part of the technical team of Apple company. He was more involved in strategic planning and marketing. To be successful in the tech industry (and any other industry), don’t just build competence in technical skills, acquire soft skills too.
More so, if you have the best skills but you cannot sell yourself excellently, you will struggle to go beyond average. There is a difference between having the skill and knowing the business of the skill. Being skilful alone will never make you money. You must master the business of the skill also.
Fifthly, no industry is superior to another. A world dominated by engineers and developers is synonymous with a football team comprised of only left-footers. Tech companies can’t exist in isolation. Today’s technologies are incredibly intuitive and tech bros need the diverse services, backgrounds, and skills of non-tech people to know what to build and why to build them.
The tech clime is broad and has multiple entry points and specialisations. If you want to transition into a tech career, you do not necessarily have to learn how to code. Marketing, Writing or Project Management can be your entry point into the tech industry.
Every tech company needs accountants and lawyers. Be that person. You are not irrelevant. Don’t let anyone intimidate you.
Sixthly, Stay in your lane and grow there. Stay in your area of strength and evolve there. Every profession is lucrative as long as you are doing it right and in a favourable environment.
Take whatever life has given to you and become whatever you want to be. The fast-rising Ololade Asake is smiling to the bank daily in his music career. Chukwuemeka Ejekwu (Mr Funny – Oga Sabinus) makes an average of N10 million every month as a Content Creator. Asisat Oshoala earns about $1 million per year playing for FC Barcelona.
You don’t have to transition into a tech career to be wealthy. You don’t have to build a tech product to be successful. There are multiple ways to make money and build a successful career across all disciplines. Know what you want and hold on to it.
Seventhly, there is a trend period for every sector. The future is dynamic and there is a hype season for every sector. The agricultural sector experienced its economic boom period. The contribution of the oil sector to Nigeria’s GDP used to be the highest. Some time ago, it was Medicine and Banking. Now, it’s the time for techies.
It’s a rat race and no one can accurately predict what the next trend may be. In a matter of time, there may be a shift again. Follow your dream. Don’t jump into tech because it’s trending or because of a thought leader’s tilt. Don’t be distracted by the noise.
- Ndimele, a personal finance coach and author, writes from Ibadan
