#SCAIWD2021: My Spontaneous Career Growth In One Year — Ruth Ikegah
As part of our women’s day event, we had Ruth Ikegah tell us about her spontaneous, incredible, and impressive career growth in one year.
Ruth Ikegah is a back-end developer, technical writer, public speaker, open-source enthusiast, and a Github star. She functions in quite many tech roles and even outside tech. When she’s not all involved in tech, she is actively volunteering.
The Timeline of Ruth’s Journey
Ruth finished her undergraduate program in Microbiology in December 2019. Before then, she was already surrounded by friends who were techies and had begun pitching the idea of tech to her. While considering it and wondering if she could fit in, Ruth spoke to her friend-Peace Ojemeh-who is a product designer.
In 2020, while writing her new year resolutions, she included “begin a tech career.” She then transitioned from practising Microbiology to tech in March.
How did she start?
- Research: She wanted to learn data science, and she found out that she needed to learn Python as a first step. She would go to a hub in Port-Harcourt to make use of the internet and self-learn Python. She attended a women-only tech event where Ada Nduka Oyom spoke virtually. Ada shared her story, one that intrigued Ruth. She particularly learned about the essence of public learning during Ada’s session. She began tweeting about her learning and progress in tech. She followed people who were actively involved in tech for motivation and guidance.
- Leveraging on opportunities: In the past year, Ruth has made the best use of opportunities that came her way. She enrolled in the She Code Africa Mentorship Cohort 2 while sharing her progress on social media. She shot shots at opportunities even when she didn’t think she qualified and never held back.
Lessons From Her Journey
- Failure is inevitable, but don’t stop: Ruth applied for the Outreachy Program last year; in her own words, “I gave it my all.” She had a lot of help in the application stage and dedicated her whole time, but she didn’t get in. She has gotten several rejection emails but don’t let them stop her. You’ll get a lot of rejection emails, but they shouldn’t hinder you from pressing further.
Failure is inevitable, but don’t stop.
2. Be dedicated and consistently follow your path: When she got into the mentorship program, Ruth told herself she would publish a technical blogpost per week. Sticking to this and being consistent with it helped her, not only in the track she was participating in but also in technical writing.
3. Seize opportunities: In Ruth’s words, “GRAB THEM! Once I meet 50% of the requirements to apply for a job, I shoot. The worst thing that can happen is getting a rejection mail. Opportunity is 20% given and 80% taken.”
4. Put and promote yourself out there: Public learning helps to give you the push you need. Even if you’re just beginning and may not have the perfect picture yet, put it out there that you’re taking a step. You could get mentorship offers, referrals, and training opportunities because you put yourself out.
5. Show up, help others, collaborate, and engage: Being a beginner does not make you less qualified to provide value. Engage in conversations, push yourself, offer to help people, and refer others for opportunities. Try to carry other people along.
6. Take breaks and live life; burnout is real.
Irrespective of the level you are at right now, take charge of your tech career. Like Ruth, you are in control of your career and can crush goals that you set for yourself. Suppose you’re looking to begin a tech career and are quite unsure about it. In that case, hopefully, Ruth’s story inspires you to start and assures you that you can achieve a lot, as long as you put your mind to it.
Find Ruth’s slides here.
Watch her session here.
