Diverting Into Tech: A Discussion With Rianat Abbas
Our ‘Diverting Into Tech’ series aims to aid people who want to make the big switch to tech from an unrelated background. We discussed with Rianat Abbas, who made the change about two years ago and have detailed it in this writeup.
Rianat is a Product Designer at Enkoded Technologies who also doubles as a Front-end Developer at Farmkonnect Nigeria.
Rianat’s Story
Rianat wanted a career that would fit her personality as an introvert, so she switched from Educational Management to Tech in 2019. She started by taking a course in Front-end Development. After a while of Front-End Development, she interned at a firm. Her company was searching for a UI/UX designer, and the search lasted for a while. Before this period, Rianat had met a designer whose work she admired greatly. She then decided to add UI/UX design to her skill set and developed a great interest in it.
Being an introvert, Rianat was scared to ask for help when she needed it. She didn’t reach out to people because she was unsure of what their reaction would be. It went on for a while and wasn’t aiding her growth.
Reach out for help when you need it; there’s always someone willing to help.
How she scaled
Despite being unmotivated and not surrounded by encouraging people, Rianat persevered and kept her eyes on her goal. She had a solid interest that kept her going on tough days; she constantly reminded herself why she began this journey. She did not let the people around her discourage her, and she studied and practised constantly.
On days when it gets hard, remember your why.
Fortunately, Rianat met a friend on Twitter who helped her. She got introduced to She Code Africa along the line and got accustomed to a community of learners, and learnt how to ask for help. She joined the UI/UX cohort and developed her skills. According to her, SCA is a big part of her success story.
Rianat’s word to you
- Do not allow the fact that you do not have a computer science background to stop you from becoming a techie if you want to do.
- Always put your stuff out. Celebrate your wins and share your progress. That way, you can get comments from people, know where to improve and make amends.
Read other interviews in this “diverting into tech” series: Lola Salehu & Wuraola Oyewusi.
