My name is Nyerovwo. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology but I am now building a career in product management, thanks to Ingressive For Good. I used to work as a health and safety officer at an oil and gas company in Nigeria. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the company started laying off staff and it made me worried. I didn’t like that I worked in an industry that could be easily affected by a pandemic. Unfortunately, I lost my job too.
Looking back, I think losing my job is a blessing in disguise because it led me to look for opportunities online. When there’s a setback, I don’t wallow for long, I always make an effort to move forward quickly.
I started looking for opportunities. I did some research and found out about tech so I decided to explore. I started interacting with people in the tech space on Twitter to get information about the opportunities and how I could stay relevant while building a successful career. In the process, I found out about Ingressive For Good. At the time, application for the 1000 Women In Design was on so I applied to learn brand design because I have strong organizational and administrative skills, and I thought it’d be a good fit for me. While taking the course, I realized I wasn’t passionate about it so I dropped out. I had a goal in mind- get into tech! I wasn’t giving up so I got back to finding my own path.
I knew I wasn’t interested in coding so it helped me be specific. I did some more research and found out about product management. I read about it and immediately knew I wanted to be a product manager!
Fortunately, Ingressive For Good announced the I4GxEntryLevel scholarship program to learn product management and I jumped on it. I applied and got in.
The program was very intense but I was determined and gave my best. I still remember one of the difficult tasks I struggled with. We were asked to create an MVP. Our tutors had mentioned that although it wasn’t compulsory it was going to be a good addition to our portfolio, so I decided to do it. I watched videos about the task and tried it out on Figma. I spent a lot of time figuring it out but I’m glad I succeeded and now I get to refer to it during job interviews. Even though the program was intense, I enjoyed the Entry Level program.
After the program, I got a job as a product management intern! The skills I have learnt from the course has been helpful. I also love the I4G community, being a part of the I4G alumni community has been really helpful. Although I am a silent participant, I have benefited from insights that others have shared.
I love how the I4G team keeps people from different tech career paths together in one community, and attends to us patiently. I also love the kindness that reflects in how they respond to complaints and questions from us. I remember reading a tweet where someone was rude and Blessing Abeng responded so kindly. It made a good impression. I also find the content shared on social media helpful as I build my career.
I look forward to more opportunities from what is shared on the I4G alumni group. The practical training will complement the theoretical knowledge in a significant way.
I would encourage those who want to build careers in product management to join the I4G community and actively participate in relevant discussions relating to your field. This has been a game changer for me.
I can confidently say it’s possible to get into tech regardless of your academic background. You just need to be focused on the goals you have. Be committed and work hard towards those goals.