Professionals from other industries can successfully transition to tech careers if they acquire the right skills and leverage their existing experience, according to the co-founder of TEMSI Africa, Ore Badmus.
According to Badmus, transitioning to tech requires a strategic approach as professionals need to identify the skills they want to acquire and focus on a specific area.
The technology expert made this disclosure with The PUNCH while sharing her inspiring story of how she successfully transitioned from a career in education to tech marketing.
admus, who began her professional journey as a drama teacher, reflected on the challenges she faced in the education sector, particularly the financial constraints.
“Teachers don’t get paid a lot,” she said. “I had side streams of income, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more for myself but wasn’t sure where to turn.”
Her turning point came in late 2020 when a friend tagged her in a Twitter post by the CEO of Ulesson, an education technology platform.
The tech industry is facing a skills shortage, with many companies struggling to find qualified professionals to fill open positions.
Meanwhile, the position for a creative lead perfectly matched her skills, and Badmus felt an immediate pull to the opportunity.
“The job description felt like it was written for me. It was exactly what I had been doing in the classroom, but this time I would be doing it in a tech environment,” she explained.
After connecting with the CEO, who sent her the job description directly, Badmus secured an interview.
Within days, she received an offer letter—six times the salary she earned as a teacher. However, the offer required her to relocate to Abuja, which marked the beginning of her transition into the tech world.
“The decision to move was not easy, but it felt like a huge opportunity for growth,” Badmus shared. “I packed my bags and moved to Abuja to join Ulesson as one of three creative leads.”
In her new role, she was responsible for infusing storytelling and creativity into the educational content, helping to design video lessons for the platform.
Despite the excitement of her new position, her time at Ulesson was cut short when she was laid off just six months into the role.
However, Badmus was undeterred. “It was a setback, but it wasn’t the end,” she said. “I knew my transferable skills could help me in another area of tech. I moved into tech marketing at TEMSI, where I applied my creative experience in a new capacity.”
Her journey underscores the importance of identifying transferable skills when making a career shift, especially when entering a new industry like tech.
“Sometimes, you don’t realise the value of your own skills until someone else points it out,” Badmus remarked. “For me, that person was someone who saw potential in me and helped me connect the dots.”
Badmus emphasised that transitioning into tech requires resilience and the ability to embrace uncertainty. “It’s a huge shift, but it’s also an opportunity to grow,” she explained.