My Pivot Journal is a Ventures Africa weekly series documenting people’s career transitions from one industry to another, especially to tech.
Flourish Nwoko did not set out to work in tech, but she’s become part of the rapidly growing sector. Like many of her peers, she traversed the valley of career options before passion knighted her a tech sis. Flourish has tried her hands on a number of things, including working as an IT assistant and a private tutor, before becoming a product designer.
Here’s UI/ UX designer Flourish Nwoko’s story on becoming a tech sis.
How it started
Flourish is a graduate of Geography Education from the University of Benin. She has always loved Fine and Applied Art, but the Nigerian education system forced her to go against her interest. “I applied for Fine and Applied Art. I have always been a fan of anything art and design. I don’t know what metrics made them select Geography Education for me. I did not want to waste any time, so I went with it,” she said. She worked as an IT support at a bank for eight months after graduating in 2018 before participating in the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). “I think there was a strike during that period so working at a bank had nothing to do with passion,” she said. During her service year, she worked at the Ministry of Finance, and upon completion of the programme, “I applied for jobs, but none was forthcoming. I started private tutorial part-time and did it for a year before the whole tech journey started,” she stated.
Epiphany
COVID struck while she was working as a private tutor. There was a restriction of movement, and she had so much time to spend indoors. During this period, she explored an appropriate career path to tread by asking questions and perusing the internet. “I was no longer tutoring, so I began researching a proper job path that would enable me to work my way up the ladder,” Flourish said.
Identifying the subsector she wanted to focus on was made easier with the assistance of her brother, a web designer. “It can be challenging to figure these things out on your own. Through additional research, I was able to get in the field I’m in now – product design,” she said.
Product design aligns with her passion for the Arts. She enjoys designing things and is always fascinated by beautiful decorations. “Product design falls under Arts and Design when applying for a Master’s degree. This came up in my conversations with friends that were already in the tech space, and they said product design would be a good fit for me,” she said.
The transition
For Flourish, the lockdown was a blessing in disguise. She began online classes and took google courses to help broaden her horizon. She also found a personal tutor that taught her product design – UI/UX for four months. She then began to put her newfound knowledge into practice by working as a product design intern for three months.
Having friends in the tech space and her passion for design fuelled her journey seamlessly. Her only discomfort on the journey is working remotely and learning online. “I prefer working in an office space. I prefer face-to-face learning. It takes more brain-power to assimilate under remote/online learning,” she said.
As a product designer, Flourish’s current role entails designing the user interface and experience of mobile applications, websites, etcetera. She is also a quality control personnel. “I check for errors and ensure that products released are up to standard and that everything, from the design to the functionality of a product, is accurate.” After the product goes public, Flourish scouts feedback from users to know how best to improve the product. “In product design, you are taught that your primary focus should be on the user having the best possible experience while using your product,” she explained.
How it’s going
With just seven months under her belt, Flourish’s growth as a product designer is commendable. “When my productivity began to match the praise I was receiving, I knew I was on the right track. I felt really at ease being in an environment where my productivity is valued. It is one thing to be productive and not be happy with what you are doing. I have not gone a year, but the possibilities of being in tech are endless,” she said.
Career hack
Dedication and consistency. “Scaling through the rank of the industry depends on your dedication and consistency. So much can be achieved in a year, and the amount of energy put in got me to this particular point,” she said.
