FROM A TECH NOVICE TO A PRODUCT DESIGNER - OPEYEMI BALIKIS FATAI
Q: Could you tell us a little about yourself and where you are based?
I’m Fatai Balikis Opeyemi. I’m from Osun State currently based in Osogbo. I’m planning on relocating to Lagos, very soon. I studied Agriculture at the University of Ilorin.
Q: Could you outline your educational background in IT or related fields? Do you come from a technical background? If No, what did you study? How did you learn about tech?
I didn’t come from a technical background. The course I studied in school was not in any way tech related. I studied Agriculture. I learned about tech through one of my friends in NYSC. He put a call through just to check up on me but that led to a very serious conversation. 80% of the conversation we had was about tech. That piqued my curiosity. I began to read about web development but see who chickened out in a week. Coding looked so hard so I forfeited it for graphic design.
Q: What aspect of Tech are you into?
UI/UX Design
Q: What motivated you to pick up a career in tech?
Money was my motivation initially when I learned about how much people earn in tech. Who no like better thing? When I kick-started my UI/UX career, it became a thing of passion for me. I love to design, I love to solve problems and this became my motivation. Having a problem to solve motivates me; it gives me the room to showcase my ability.
Q: How has the journey been so far?
It wasn't easy. You should know what you're ready for before you start anything. I knew I was going to burn data so I was ready for it. There were days my data finished in the middle of working. I had sleepless nights several times that I became so lean. I'm still lean anyway. I told myself that I'm not going to stop this no matter what. I've started this and I've to see it to the end. There were days I doubted myself. I struggled with inconsistency in the first month of my training but this got better with time.
Q: What was your training experience with Vnicom Tech Hub like?
Vnicom Tech Hub eased and sped up my learning process. I must say it is a platform specifically ordained by God for me to be trained in. The 3 months learning experience I had in their bootcamp changed my story for the better. Everything I can design today was as a result of the training I had in the bootcamp. I was not just trained to design, I had access to a lot of helpful information online. I'm a proud product of this learning platform. The experience was tremendous. Shout out to My tutor Mr. Akinjide Stanley.
Q: What Top Tech companies are you aiming to work with in the long run?
Amazon or Apple
Q: What advice do you have for others that may be thinking of venturing into Tech?
My story is enough to motivate you. You don't need to have a background in Computer Science to learn any tech skill. Be trained in a learning platform, take an online course, watch YouTube videos. In whatever you do, consistency is key. If you're consistent, it takes you a shorter time to achieve your goals.
Q: What are your aspirations for your IT career in the future? Do you have any specific roles, projects or problems you want to solve?
I would love to hop on any project I have the opportunity to work on so I can unleash my problem solving skills.
Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to someone starting his/her journey in IT, what would it be, based on your experiences so far?
Don't stop doing what you have started. Be consistent. Leverage the power of collaboration. It's very essential.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? (If you haven't thought about it, feel free to say so. Now you have to do so after this exercise).
I see myself excelling In my career path, helping others to rise and making impacts in the life of people.
Q: What are you doing now? Have you secured an Internship or job offer from the skills you learned? If yes, where do you work?
I recently got a job in Pacer labs, a tech company in Lagos. I’m employed as a junior UI/UX designer. I didn’t even apply for the job. The CEO saw my design and asked that I send my resume and portfolio. I was interviewed the following week. I got the job the week that followed. Sept. 18th, 2023 was my first day at work.