I never in my wildest dream imagined that I’ll be affiliated with the tech industry. But I guess that is one of the exciting features of life — it is unpredictable! I graduated with a first class in Economics from Covenant University and always thought I’d end up working in a consulting or core finance firm, but definitely not tech. However, when the opportunity to work as a business analyst at Korapay came I didn’t hesitate — not because I knew a lot about tech or was even very interested in it but out of sheer curiosity and not being willing to pass off what seemed like a great opportunity.
Coming into Korapay, I was really fascinated by the tech team — how the jargon (lol) on their screen steadily turn into usable products. I remember I used to ask a bunch of questions to anyone who would listen. This opened a whole new level of love for tech — one I didn’t know I had in me. I still don’t do the core tech — coding and the likes but interfacing daily with the techies has shown me that it is interesting as it is challenging. It requires a lot of logical and critical thinking and I like that.
As a business analyst at a Fintech, my day to day is characterized by analyzing and creating processes and systems that advance our sales and customer success efforts and working with the team to turn our technical solutions to revenue generated products. You see, as against popular opinion, you don’t have to know how to code to work in tech. I’m a woman in tech, I don’t code and I’m totally loving it!
Although the tech industry is currently dominated by men, I know in a few years, the gender gap will have reduced significantly if not eliminated. Being a female in a male-dominated industry can be pressurizing. There’s this urge to do better & to be seen and this makes us want to work twice as hard; to show we can do it, we are doing it and are killing it.
I’ve learned though, that the best way to forge ahead is to turn this ‘undue pressure’ into ‘motivation, a challenge’. Instead of me feeling pressurized, I choose to be challenged, to be motivated and inspired by all the men around me to be the best that I can be.
We don’t have to wait for the industry to be dominated by women or be balanced. We can make a difference even with our little number. And that’s what we are doing, MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
I personally believe that the future isn’t male and it isn’t female either. The future is everybody! If we can harness the strengths of both genders in this industry, there will be no limit to productivity; there would be no limit to what the tech industry will be like in a few years. In fact, no industry should be dominated by any gender. It should be dominated by everybody. We should have a balanced society true and true — a balanced society is a better society. The future is everybody.
Coming from my economics background and now working in Tech, I have come to realize that you can do anything you put your heart to. I’ve also learned that the day you stop learning, you start dying. There is always something new out there to learn. Never think you’ve gotten to the peak of learning.
Right now, I work in the business team but who knows, in the coming months — years, I might decide to try something new like programming, becoming a software engineer, a consultant, a financial analyst, a data analyst — I could be anything I want to be, at any time I choose — if only I put my heart to it and consistently make use of my now.
I am a Woman. I work in Tech. I believe there are no limits to what I can be and I believe that the future is everybody.
