Like any other sector, the tech industry has its fair share of ups and downs. It’s not a bed of roses, and as time goes on, the challenges can become overwhelming. In a candid conversation with The Stack Journal, Powei, a data analyst, shared her insights on the realities of being in the tech field and the obstacles she faced.
Can you Introduce yourself?
My name is Powei. I graduated from the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun in Warri, Delta, with a degree in chemical engineering.
How did you get into the Tech Industry?
During my SIWES internship in 400 level, I figured I didn’t want to work in oil and gas based on my IT experience, so I thought of other realistic options for a chemical engineering student in Nigeria. Another solid option for me would have been the Food Industry or Pharmaceuticals, but I didn’t want to do that, so I had to think of something else I could do. Then I remembered I had dabbled in data analytics in 2020 during COVID-19, but I didn’t go far with it. With the ASUU strike looming again, I decided to give data another try and see where it goes since I was looking for other career options in any case, and I had just one more year in school before I faced the labour market. So, I started a data analytics course on Data Camp and found out I really enjoyed it. Yes, it took months and months, but I learnt most of what I know now from there. Although I currently work as a Business Development Personnel at a renewable energy company in Lagos, Nigeria, I’m still keen on pivoting into Data analytics.
What does a Data Analyst do?
Essentially, a data analyst works with data. They clean and transform data into a usable format and make inferences based on this data. They identify trends and patterns across this data, and based on that, they answer important business questions, forecast trends and help stakeholders make decisions based on the insight obtained from the data.
How have you been finding the tech industry?
I can’t say how I have been finding the industry, seeing as I’m not yet fully in the industry, and that is one of the challenges I have: Struggling to get into the industry and start working fully. I think it’s just the structure, like employers finding it challenging to employ new, freshly trained data analysts. I also don’t think there is as much market for them in Nigeria. Many businesses don’t know why they need data analysts or even need them full-time; most of the time, they just want to outsource them to more experienced hands. They don’t believe in investing in a data team, so there is not as much need for data analysts, and there are not enough opportunities to train new data analysts, so opportunities are pretty limited.
Essentially, I’m trying to say that there are fewer openings for data analysts, and competition is quite high for entry-level data analysts and interns.
Another challenge is location. Many companies that need data analysts are based in Lagos, so it is challenging to get recruited if you are not in Lagos.
What have these challenges taught you?
It has opened my eyes to learn some things about myself. I realised that if I have a passion for something, I can persevere, and I also know I wouldn’t persevere this much if it were something I didn’t enjoy. So, it gave me clarity, and I know this is the part I truly want to explore.
I think an interesting thing is that when I started getting a lot of NOs, I started questioning myself, ‘Was I doing the right thing?’ ‘What am I doing wrong?’ and then, I got two YESes at one point, which made me realise that I was definitely not doing anything wrong. I was unable to continue with one of them because it was in Lagos, and I was not based in Lagos at that time, while the second one was a short internship that really boosted my confidence.
How have you been coping? Do you have a coping mechanism?
I think my coping mechanism to deal with all of this is not to take NO too personally. I say to myself, “Nobody is saying No to Powei; they are just saying ‘We can’t have you right now’ or ‘Not this time’, and that’s not an insult to my personality or knowledge”. If anything, the NOs are a way of telling me that I’m putting myself out there, which is better than doing nothing, and I hope I get the breakthrough I need soon.
What would you suggest for women in the Tech Industry?
I think community because there are not many of us, so we need to rally around each other more. I would say throughout my learning journey, women held my hand and explained things to me. They taught me through everything and creating that kind of community is something I’m still actively working on now that I’m still trying to transition into tech fully. I want to build a strong community. I’m in a women-only group, and many people have reached out to me, and I reached out to a few people too. So yeah, the community will always be helpful.
When asked what advice she has for women who are struggling in the tech industry, Powei said she’d advise them to persevere because life rewards doggedness.
“Also, information overload is a thing, so streamline your focus and prioritise what truly matters.”