One-Year-in-Tech Review: In Between Chaos and Transformation
This might not be the most glamorous one-year-in-tech review you will read, but I promise you this piece goes beyond that for me. You can call it a heroic one. I was scared of writing this article. It got my heart pounding like it wanted to burst. But here goes nothing.
The word “techie” sounds cliché, but everybody will tag along if that is all there is to be a technical professional working in the tech industry. Unarguably, non-technical professionals also work in the tech industry.
It is an incredible thing to answer the “tech bro” call. But what happens after that? Are you genuinely solving any problems or contributing to the world’s problems?
However, is being a techie all about technical skills? As for me, there is a long-term goal to hit, and it will take years. But I need to learn “that” tech skill to launch into it.
So, I will answer three questions majorly:
· What skill did I decide to learn?
· How far have I gone?
· Where am I currently? And other questions.
But before we get into it, what made me decide to learn a tech skill?
What Informed Me of Learning a Tech Skill: 2021 & 2022 Reflection Moments
I can’t judge why people learn tech skills. But for me, I want to do something beyond writing. I want to do something that will align with my future goals and bring me the opportunities to become more, grow, expand and bloom.
Who Was Ridwan Before Embarking on a Tech Journey? | Content Writing
If you’ve known me for a while now, you would know I am a Content Writer. I became a full-time freelance content writer in the last quarter of 2020. Since then, I have worked with fantastic clients across the blockchain, health, eCommerce, marketing, and other niches. But my search to do things beyond writing intensified in 2021.
I am a talented writer. My writing skills are a gift. But I had to learn how to turn it into a source of income. My first attempt to make money through writing was the short story I published in 2018, Shadow. That was before traveling to Ibadan from Enugu to attend the #YECO2019 by Hon. Akin Alabi in January 2019.
So, What Changed?
Back in 2021 & 2022, I knew I wanted to do something more than writing. That resulted from some observations based on my belief in abundant opportunities. I am convinced that having a particular set of tech skills will add to my advantage and grant me a good pass within the space.
Most importantly, I want to merge my content writing and tech skills to expand my earning capacity. Who doesn’t want to make a lot of money?
After digging deep into available tech skills, I decided to take cloud engineering and cybersecurity paths. Those two fields speak to me from a place of abundance. There is a thing with cybersecurity for me. You will read about it later. But cloud engineering came through like an exciting part I want to have.
Cloud Engineering or Cybersecurity: The Alignment of Tech Skills and Opportunities
Cloud Engineering and Cybersecurity seem to be the buzzwords recently. Maybe not entirely worldwide, but the Nigerian tech ecosystem echoes those two skills as if someone were playing a loud song at the music carnival.
Or perhaps it was because those were my keywords. The algorithm can mess things up. Remember, Google spies on us, and they will start presenting ads related to the keywords you use often. Suddenly, it will look like everyone wants to become a Cloud/DevOps Engineer or a Cybersecurity professional.
Don’t ask the question, please.
Since you asked, yes, they pay well. But for me, it’s beyond that.
Being a front-end or back-end engineer was a talk-of-the-town thing within the tech ecosystem. UI/UX Design, Data Analysis, Data Science, Product Management and a few others came, and people tilted toward those. But for me, I want to do something different.
Maybe my experience as a freelance content writer influenced that. A freelancer deeply understands the concept of “fewer professionals, little competition and high pay” and “several providers, stiff competition and less pay.”
Cloud Engineering might feel like a new niche, but it has existed for a while. It just became more popular recently. It’s funny how we’ve been interacting with cloud infrastructures for a long time, but people were unaware. The existence and operations of the cloud infrastructure fascinate me. I want to know more. I want to learn more. I want to preach it.
I want to become a part of it. I want to work with it and add more value to businesses and individuals leveraging the cloud technology. The abundance of cloud technology and innovations that will exist in the coming years makes it exciting. It sounds intriguing, like the blockchain technology. They both exist but seem too abstract to admit that we use or can use them.
In the coming years, cloud adoption will shift from only big corporations leveraging it to having small and mid-businesses on board. This will require a lot of education on how businesses can leverage it. The adoption will increase demand for cloud expertise in solving business problems while enabling seamless operations. That’s where I, together with others, come in.
As for cybersecurity, let’s call it a childhood dream. It is a tech skill I have always admired as a kid. I have been reading about cybersecurity since my little days. I gave up a little when there was no clear path to it. Or I should say because of little information on my side. Information weren’t as abundant as they are today.
Cybersecurity is not only fascinating to me. It is a skill that has proven to be in demand over decades. Regardless of how much tech evolves, cybersecurity is in great demand because businesses want to protect their data and themselves from illicit hacking attempts. In between it all, I want to infuse my content writing skills into becoming a technical content writer in both spaces.
A sweet spot to occupy, right?
What First Step Did I Take Towards Learning a Tech Skill?
In September 2022, I started with a Twitter (now X) search. I am biased that the Twitter tech community seems friendlier than the LinkedIn tech community.
I searched for Nigerian profiles who are leaders in the tech ecosystem, specifically in Cloud/DevOps Engineering and Cybersecurity. I came across profiles of individuals such as Dr Ireti, Confidence Staveley, Xymbiz, HackSultan, DevTobz, Cybersechaven, Leo (Founder of CybersecHaven), Diary of Hackers, Bonnie and others.
I learned about AltSchool Africa after following and engaging HackSultan on Twitter. I enrolled when the application window opened in Dec 2022 and benefitted from DonJazzy’s 40% Scholarship. I got in with an 88% score on the application assessment. The congratulatory message landed in my email in Jan 2023, and the program began in March 2023.
Meanwhile, I was simultaneously keeping tabs on the profiles of cybersecurity leaders. I was engaging them, too, and looking for opportunities to learn directly from them. Dr. Ireti announced her yearly mentorship program for newbies and beginners in the field.
Engaging these top individuals was a great experience because I experimented with my networking skills and learned how to network better daily. One fantastic experience was when Dr. Ireti contacted me about the mentorship due to my genuine interest and enthusiasm for my engagement. She didn’t want me to miss it since I showed genuine interest. I got into the mentorship program, and we started the program immediately.
Found that Which to Treasure: Intersection of Cybersecurity and DevOps
As an individual, I was looking for a point connecting cybersecurity to cloud engineering. As we went down the lane, I learned from colleagues that I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I learned about Cloud Security and DevSecOps. I read and researched about both. Right there, I wanted to do it.
The Journey So Far: How Technical Have I Become?
A quick confession.
I used to think coding or programming was for some computer freaks or maths geniuses. That doesn’t mean that I can’t use the computer seamlessly, but going very technical seems like a badass thing. I thought it would involve some advanced knowledge of computers or mathematics. I was wrong.
AltSchool Africa handed me some cookies to enjoy my shay (tea). We began with HTML, and I wrote my first line of code. It was a happy moment. Learning the fundamentals was pertinent to the adventure.
Then, we learned CSS, JavaScript, GitHub, and a little system administration in the first semester. The first semester was more of a general knowledge, no specialization yet, and I was able to catch up. Learning new things that were believed to be complicated was exciting. But before we finished the first semester, life started handing me some “funny” battles.
Health or Tech Skill? | Fight to Stay Alive or Lose Your Money
Life has a way of telling you to hold on a little. It has its way of asking you to slow down with your goals. One moment, you have all preps ready for a new adventure. The next moment, life gently hands you a huge blow. I think mine happened in 2023, a prolonged health crisis. It’s funny how I was trying to recover from the 2022 ordeal.
AltSchool resumed in March. Mid of April, I had my first health issue. The first time, my heartbeat was near the flat line. For a moment, my friend (who was in the hospital with me) thought I was gone. But God said, “Not today, young man.” I got discharged and was recovering, and different health issues came up between April and June. For a moment, I became the doctor’s friend.
Between all of that, classes were ongoing, and LMS got updated weekly. Assignments were piling up, and the exam was fast approaching. Suddenly, my laptop stopped working — no prior signs of malfunctioning, no issues. It just stopped working. I did everything to bring it back up, but it wouldn’t come up. I was advised to get a new one.
Are you kidding me? In this economy?!
I got a new laptop in July and had to do a marathon learning/revision because the submission deadline was close. Studied for two weeks and submitted my first-semester project. Before the submission deadline, I have had another medical condition that would go on to be a colossal disturbance till December.
This time, it was an unsuspecting, tough one. I thought it resulted from the stress from long hours of sitting due to the marathon learning phase and/or previous health issues. Innocent me. LOL. I was about to go through a challenging medical phase that would test my faith, firmness and resolve about life.
The Newbie Superpower: What is Possible, Ridwan?
One thing that stood out was that I cleared the first and second semesters’ exams despite having different health conditions. By the time we resumed for the second semester, my condition had worsened. I went from a free bird to someone who couldn’t walk freely.
The painful part was that I couldn’t sit for more than 25 minutes except to change my position. It made learning difficult for me. I was getting drained to stay up firm mentally because I had to make money to foot my medical bills and also be on my toes for the classes. And I was juggling hospital and labs. Savings wiped.
At some points, I had to take a step back. Mind you, I was also going through Dr. Iretioluwa’s cybersecurity mentorship. Likewise, I got into Cloudrica to train for Cloud Security in under 12 weeks — all thanks to her.
You guessed right. The pain became unbearable, and hospital visits became routine. I had to send a withdrawal message. I left the program. It’s the same as the cybersecurity mentorship, too. One of those tough decisions I made last year which made me feel as though I wasn’t proud of myself.
But if there were one thing that I was proud of, it would be that I pulled off the first and second semesters’ exams and did well above pass mark. I had 84% in the first semester and 68% in the second. I missed some assignments in the second semester. However, it begs the question of how technical I have become with the skills I was trying to obtain.
Honestly, I am not proud of that. I feel like I know nothing and have to start all over.
Tech 1.0 | What’s Next?
Emmanuel Eboh once advised us to treat one’s failure like version 1.0 of that endeavor. Then, kickstart working on version 2.0 to make things work the second time.
Was that a failure? Maybe it wasn’t, perhaps it was. But where do we go from here?
We will be graduating from AltSchool Africa in weeks. But don’t congratulate me yet. No, I am not happy saying that. But the truth is the truth.
I couldn’t continue the learning phase due to the prolonged health crises. By the time I could settle and start recovering, it was towards the end of the year. The program was reaching its end. The struggle existed to stretch myself to catch up or compound the medical problem. I softly gave up and decided to let the third semester slide.
Here is it: I will try again and again for as long as I breathe and wake up to a bright morning. Nobody promises it will be easy, but I hope this documents how life can thwart one’s goals and plans.
Likewise, I hope to return to publishing the tech story 2.0 soon because I am willing to re-enroll and get into those programs. May God provide the funds for smooth sailing. I have a dream. I pray God fund it.
Let me leave you with this: 👇
I never knew my 2022 lessons were preparing me for another massive phase in 2023. Life and its funny cards.
Life will come at your real fast, faster than the speed of light. You will be scared and wouldn’t want to believe what’s happening to you. You will question if it was to be you. But you have to hold on tight. Hold yourself firmly. That’s the only way you can prevent yourself from being swayed.
