🚀Entering Tech #29: How to leverage tech communities

Some trivia before we begin. Answers are at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Let’s be honest, finding the motivation to enter tech can be difficult. 

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, there has been an increase in the creation of tech courses and resources to help people get into the field. Now more than ever, there are numerous opportunities and assets, but as an aspiring techie, how do you find these resources, and the knowledge to properly use them?

Our answer is communities.

Since 2020, I’ve taken several courses: A Facebook Certified Community Manager course, a Digital Journalism Course on Reuters, a non-profit Funding Essentials course on Acumen and many more. The only reason I was able to complete them was because I had the support of community. 

In the Facebook course, I had my then-manager walk me through it. I also took the digital journalism course with all my coworkers at TechCabal. And with the Product Management for Small Newsrooms course I took in September last year, I had a community of like-minded people who also took the course.

Communities are easy to understand. They’re a group of like-minded people who are working towards the same or similar goals as you are. Communities will often include veterans who have walked a path you’re now considering, newbies who are looking for guidance, and even the occasional ITKs who do too much. 😒 

So how will communities help you in your tech journey?

Well, one of the most frequently asked questions we get on Ask A Techie is how people can find the motivation to start tech careers. 

Becoming a data analyst, a backend engineer, or a designer is no easy or short feat. It takes months of dedication and learning, and years of hard work and perseverance. Oftentimes, it can get lonely and monotonous, especially if you have other priorities. 

Tech communities are where you’ll get the support, motivation—and even the spitefulness 🙂 —you need to continue because let’s be honest, what’s a more powerful motivation for Africans than the possibility of parading one’s success before the enemy?

Here’s what you’ll get when you join a tech community: 

• Access to industry knowledge: Tech communities often have experts who have done it before. These folks are often ready to share their tips and tricks with everyone. For example, ConTech Africa—a no-code tech community—had an event a few weeks ago where Daniel Abayomi, a designer at Meta, shared with upcoming designers how he went from zero to many many zeros. 🤑

• Network: No, we’re not talking about the MTN or Airtel kind. We’re talking about the chance to have access to professionals who have this industry knowledge. Joining DataFestAfrica will allow you to speak with people like Olanrewaju Oyinbooke and David Abu who both work on data for Microsoft. Communities can also extend beyond the Slack channels to events like this Àsà Coterie event where designers got together to party. 

• Career development opportunities: This is probably the most important one because opportunities abound in tech communities. ConTech Africa, for example, has a Slack channel dedicated to job opportunities for its members. Within these tech communities, people also share other opportunities like scholarships, ebooks, grants, and even offers like CV revamps! 

• Accountability: Finally, there’s the chance to find other people who are also learning. Joining a tech community will keep you accountable because there are others like you to learn and grow with. It’s probably one of the only instances—other than buying crocs—where peer pressure works for good.

Starting next week, we’ll highlight the different African tech communities we’ve found and share their details and benefits. 

Don’t worry, we’re not selling you anything except the opportunity to find a village that will grow your tech career for free. 👌🏾

The Entering Tech Shorts

This edition of Entering starts with a question on if product marketers do the same thing door-to-door salesmen do. Martha Kingsmike, a product marketer at PiggyVest, tells all in one minute!

Watch the 1-minute YouTube Short here!