The saying “everything has a reason” might be arguable, but for now I would explain why I ventured into tech- design to be precise.

It all started with the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the world at large. I was just starting a masters program when the pandemic hit full time in Nigeria. Everything went on lockdown and I found myself at home trying to make the most of the free time. I was among the youngsters that kept taking online courses and trying to learn new skills so as to emerge “strong” after the pandemic. In my search for skills, I signed up for MIT COVID-19 Hackathon and joined a team set to provide a solution to healthcare with technology. I actually joined as a creative writer but I got drawn to the designs of the team, and also the tool- Figma.

Inquisitive as I was (and still am), after the hackathon, I decided to explore this tool called Figma on my own- I had no prior knowledge about it or design- and I started by replicating the twitter app design. Very funny, I felt proud of myself after replicating the twitter app and that was when I made the decision to change my career path and venture into User Interface and User Experience Design (UI/UX).

From my short story, it can be deduced that I journeyed into tech because I developed interest in design. But beyond that, here are a few more reasons why I chose tech:

• The tech industry is a flexible one.

  Unlike the trend of most professions, the tech industry does not conform to the typical 9-5 mentality. Prior to the pandemic, tech jobs were going remote as workers didn’t have to be physically present in the office.

• Creativity and Problem Solving

Tech is a creative industry- it is all about innovation and problem solving. The real value of knowledge gained is to apply it to solve real life problems and I love creativity and problem solving. That’s the reason I chose UI/UX Design as my specialty in tech.

• Good Income

  Research has shown that the tech industry is among the top ten industries with good pay. Technology is of vital importance to mankind and the need for tech skills are on the rise every day.

My journey in tech has been an awesome one. Though it has it challenges, I know I am in the right place.