In our “Staying Ahead of the Curve: Tech Talk Series,” we’ve had the privilege of sitting down with Toluwalase Akande, a software developer with over 6 years of experience in software development, who has a non-tech background. This interview reveals his journey into tech, what sparked his interest in software development, how his career has evolved over the years, the key milestones that shaped his career, how he maintains a work-life balance, what he does to continue developing his skills in a rapidly changing tech landscape, what advice he would give to someone just starting their tech career and his future ambitions. Join us as dive into the insights shared by our technogeek guest.

[1.] Can you share a bit about your background and what initially sparked your interest in software development?

I was studying physiology in school and I had the belief that there were no jobs for physiology graduates in Nigeria so I knew I wouldn’t be doing anything related to physiology after I graduated but I didn’t know what I would be doing next. So, in my final year, two of my friends who had been learning how to code for some time introduced me to Android development and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to learn it. Especially since I didn’t know what I would be doing after school. That’s how my journey in software development started.

[2.] How has your career in tech evolved over the years?

I started with Android development using Java and then later moved on to web development. I learned HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Then I learned React and NodeJs which I made use of in my first job. Over the years I learned more JavaScript frameworks and now I just learn about anything I need to get the job done including Python recently.

[3.] What key milestones or projects have played a significant role in shaping your career?

My first milestone was my first job. I got a lambda scholarship but at the same time, I got an offer to work on a service listing platform. So I went with building the service listing platform where I got to learn a lot about NodeJs(Express) and React. The knowledge from that got me my next job and, in that job, I got to learn how to work very well with other developers and good code practices and all that I still apply today. Another milestone was when I was hired to use a NodeJs framework I had never used before (NestJs). I was going to be the main backend engineer and I didn’t know how to use the framework. The employer knew this but assured me that I could learn on the job which I did very fast. This made me realize the most important thing in tech isn’t even the knowledge of how to code but the ability to learn anything and think well.

[4 ] What are some valuable lessons you've learned through your experiences in the tech industry?

It’s better to deliver good work late than deliver bad work early. It is vital to take one’s time to write good and resilient code because it will save you time in the future. Also, no one can effectively teach you how to code if you are not determined to learn it yourself, people can only show you the ropes. Most of your knowledge will be the one you look for yourself.

[5.] How do you continue to develop your skills in a rapidly changing tech landscape?

I just learn anything I need to learn to get the job done. What I have realized is that once you already have a solid foundation it’s quite easy to learn about anything especially when you are still young.

[6.] Are there any emerging technologies or trends that particularly excite you?

Well, I would say that Artificial intelligence and the Internet of things excite me because they make life easier. I like to not bother about certain things and have a machine or someone else take care of them while I focus on productive things.

[7.] Maintaining a work-life balance can be challenging in the tech world. How do you manage it?

I would say that maintaining a strict work schedule has helped me maintain a work-life balance. I do nothing more than 8 hours of work a day unless work deadlines require me to extend that which rarely happens in my current job. Also, I don’t take on too many projects at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed and tempted to work long hours. I understand that this might be hard to do at the beginning of one’s career. There was a time I used to work about 12-16 hours daily. I don’t regret it because I learned a lot and made a lot of money but I didn’t do it for long.

[8.] What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey in tech?

They should pick a skill that’s in high demand, learn it, and build a project or two if it’s a skill you can build with. While you learn, keep trying to get internships and also talk about your skills where it matters (mostly Twitter), which gets a lot of people in the door these days. Once you are in, you can focus on building actual skills that will keep getting you jobs.

[9.] Where do you see the tech industry heading in the next five to ten years?

I see Artificial intelligence making jobs easier. It’s not going to take any jobs but it will make software development easier.

[10.] What are your future goals and aspirations within the tech field?

Probably be a front-end lead in a big organization. I seem to have a thing for good user experience.

We hope you’ve been able to gain great insight into how you can come from a non-tech journey and have a fulfilling tech career. Keep an eye out for future interviews as we continue our mission to help you stay ahead of the tech curve. Your tech adventure awaits!