So you want to enter tech? First of all, congratulations on choosing one of the ways to financial freedom and flexibility. Second, welcome to the club of people who are tired of hearing “there’s no money in your field.” The tech industry is calling your name, but you’re probably wondering, “How do I start when my degree is in English, Law, Adult Education, or literally anything but Computer Science?”
Zikoko’s Twitter Space last Tuesday brought together four women who are absolutely killing it in tech. We had Bukola Osuntuyi, Startup Operations Director & Founder, Business Backstage; Princess Akari, Product Manager, Founder of People in Product Community; Oluwaseye Adesina, Head of Content, Career Buddy; and Yarmirama Athama, Product Lead at Cowrywise. They shared the real gist of how they built their careers. Spoiler alert: none of them had it all figured out from day one.
Just Start, Abeg. Figure It Out Later
Listen, waiting until you’re “ready” to start your tech career is like waiting for Lagos traffic to clear before leaving your house. It’s never going to happen, so you might as well just start moving. The traditional “study for four years, graduate, apply for graduate trainee programs” route? That’s cute, but it’s not the only way.
In fact, some of the most successful people in tech started by just volunteering. Yes, working for free or close to it. Before you close this tab, hear us out. That first opportunity doesn’t need to come with a fat salary or even make sense to your parents. What it needs to do is get you in the door.
Whether it’s helping someone build a website, shadowing a professional (even if it means squatting beside their desk like your life depends on it), or taking on extra tasks at your current job that nobody asked you to do. See, these small moves add up. You’re not job hopping, you’re opportunity hopping, and there’s a difference.
You Don’t Need A Degree in Computer Science
Can we talk about the biggest lie ever? That you need a Computer Science degree to work in tech. It’s giving “you need to know somebody” energy, and we’re not here for it. Tech is not just coding. There’s Product management, Operations, Content Strategy, Community Building, UX Writing, and Digital Marketing —the list is longer than a Nigerian wedding reception.
And guess what? These roles need people who can think, communicate, research, tell stories, and solve problems. That English degree that your uncle said was useless? Perfect for content strategy. That political science background everyone laughed at? A great foundation for understanding user behaviour and product strategy.
The trick is figuring out which existing skills can transition to tech. Are you that friend who always knows how to explain complicated things simply? UX writing might be your calling. Do you love organising things and making sure projects don’t scatter? Operations should be your sweet spot.
The technical stuff, the tools, the platforms, the jargon, you can learn those through YouTube, online courses, and good old Google. But those soft skills you’ve been developing? Those are your secret weapons.
Stay Teachable or Stay Stagnant
One thing about tech? What you learned yesterday might be outdated tomorrow. So your willingness to keep learning is more important than your current skill set. Being teachable isn’t just a cute personality trait; it’s a survival skill. And being teachable doesn’t always look glamorous. Sometimes, it means admitting you don’t understand something when everyone else nods like they get it (PS: They probably don’t).
Sometimes, it means literally squatting on the floor during training because you’re that determined to catch every detail (yes, this happened to one of our speakers, and guess what? She’s now interviewing people for senior roles).
Pride will slow you down in this industry. The fear of looking inexperienced will keep you inexperienced. The people who grow fastest are the ones who care more about learning than looking smart. Choose your battle: the temporary discomfort of admitting you don’t know something, or the permanent discomfort of staying stuck in the same place.
Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat, It Gave Her a Tech Career
The most successful people in tech have one thing in common. They’re curious people. Not in the nosy “what’s happening in your relationship” way, but in the “how does this actually work?” way. This is the person who starts a blog and falls into the WordPress rabbit hole. The person who wants to understand why a button is placed in a specific position on an app.
The person who reads user reviews because they genuinely want to know what customers are thinking. If this sounds exhausting to you, tech might not be your calling, and that’s okay. But if you’re the type who gets excited about figuring things out, you’re already halfway there. That curiosity will lead you down paths you never expected.
You might start by playing around with Canva and end up discovering a passion for product design. You might begin by managing your friend’s Instagram page and realise you’re actually good at growth strategy. Let your curiosity guide you; it knows where you’re supposed to go.
Find People or Suffer Alone (Your Choice)
Nobody builds a successful career by themselves. If you think you’re going to just lock yourself away, learn everything from YouTube, and emerge as a fully formed tech professional, we have some bad news for you.
You need people. People who will tell you about job openings before they’re posted. People who will review your CV and tell you how you can make it better. People who will encourage you when you’re ready to give up and move back to your village. Whether it’s joining communities, connecting with people on LinkedIn (yes, LinkedIn is not just for posting motivational quotes), or finding a mentor, build your support system deliberately.
The truth is, everyone currently thriving in tech was once exactly where you are now: confused, unqualified, and lowkey panicking about the future. But they took that first step anyway. They volunteered, asked questions, tried things that didn’t work, and kept going. Your roadmap doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to exist. So, are you ready to start, or will you keep refreshing that job portal, hoping for a miracle?
The choice is yours. But just so you know, tech is waiting for you.
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