Global Courant
My Pivot Journal is a Ventures Africa weekly series documenting people’s career transitions from one industry to another, especially to technology.
Victoria’s decision to change careers came after spending hours commuting through the streets of Lagos for a low-income job. What she didn’t see coming was that her newly decided career in customer service would inadvertently lead to an interest in design. After two years of deciding what to do with her new interest, she found her way in technology. Here’s Victoria Johnson’s pivot diary.
How it started
I studied Estate Management at Covenant University. After graduating, it was difficult to find my way in the job market. I had to take some licensing exams at estate management body institutions if I wanted to have value and get a good paying job in the industry. This was challenging as I had financial constraints at the time. So for every real estate job I got, it was either as an intern or as a grocery agent. I eventually got one, but it was stressful. I had to go from Ojodu Berger, where I lived, to work, to Epe, which is a journey of almost 2 hours. I thought estate management was going to be a struggle before I could figure things out. So I considered a new career.
My first attempt at a new career was in customer service. I applied for customer service jobs and was required to complete online training. I even applied for a master’s degree in business administration at the University of the People, an online university. My first job in customer service was with an IT company. I was the customer service representative for their e-bulk SMS product. It was an interesting phase in my life, because that’s how I came into contact with technology.
Revelation
As a customer service representative, I had to deal with different types of customers. As I attended to customers, I realized that some of their challenges with the product were not related to customer service; they were technical issues. Many customers could not find their way on the platform. I have contacted my boss to discuss this. What I didn’t know was that my boss had been observing me. One day he called me for a meeting. He commissioned me to write and express how I thought an ideal customer experience should be when using a bulk SMS product. After the first assignment he introduced me to Figma. It was the first time I knew about Figma. But with no resources and just a blank canvas, he told me to design something on Figma.
Victoria Alli Johnson
Transition
The first thing I did when my boss introduced me to Figma was Google What is Fima? It lead me to the Figma YouTube channel. I spent a lot of time exploring the Figma YouTube channel. They have amazingly easy to understand tutorials that will help any beginner understand how to navigate Figma. It is one of my favorite channels to visit to this day.
My boss kept giving me assignments until I got better at using Figma. Then he introduced me to front-end development, using standard HTML and CSS. He gave me an API snippet to study. I had to use that API snippet to solve a customer’s problem with their e-bulk SMS product. Looking back, I think taking those basic code courses helped me better understand user interface design. It was all jargon to me at first, but I got through it by asking lots of questions, a skill that has been my saving grace. Finally I figured it out and solved the problem. The following year, I sent that API statement to each customer as a suggestion for a solution. Even if it had nothing to do with their problem, the first thing I would tell them to try was me. It was all I knew, and I was proud of it.
For the next two years I juggled learning HTML and CSS, learning how API works and how computers respond to various prompts and commands. I spent a lot of time on YouTube, joined Slack communities like UX masterydabbled in Photoshop and became interested in designing brand logos. You would think that after that experience I would go straight into product design. But no, it actually took me two years to figure out I wanted to do product design. I was introduced to Figma in 2018, but didn’t really start my tech journey until things became clearer for me in 2021. I wanted to understand this new world and make an informed career move. I knew once I started there was no going back. And while I had inadvertently had all these people explore the tech space, I didn’t know about people taking tech courses and structured learning experiences.
It was in 2021, I had my first structured learning experience. I stumbled on the Zuri internship program on Twitter. I applied for the product design course and got in. At Zuri, we were given a lot of resources and platforms that we could pull resources from, such as Udemy, CourseraAnd Share skills. One of the courses that caught my eye was the Google UX design course. There I learned the different frameworks in design. It was exciting. It had taken me 2 years to confirm my interest in technology, so when I started the Zuri internship, I had to make the most of it. After the Zuri training I registered at Pixels design school. Pixels design school helped me build my portfolio as a product design beginner. One thing that has helped my entire transition is asking questions. Once my curiosity was aroused, I asked many questions. My siblings are in the tech space – one of my brothers is a creative designer and the other is a front-end developer. They also had a lot of friends in the tech room. So I took advantage of their experience by asking all possible questions.
How are you
I am a product designer One ID technologya digital one ID card solution that allows users to save ID card documents for better data security and privacy, as well as 1-click access to companies and services. I will be working directly with the co-founders, CTO, product managers and chief engineers. I am currently the sole product designer at the startup. This means I have to take care of both product design needs and content needs. My day usually starts with a to-do list because it can be stressful to do so many things. I learned how to prioritize my tasks based on timeline and importance.
I like what I do. Watching a product I designed come to life. Last year, One ID tech launched its first product. And my highlight of the launch was seeing comments like, “Wow, who designed this? The interface is really nice.” Two weeks ago we won a pitch competition and my boss kept saying that the panelists were very impressed with the pitch deck design, which I also designed, so even though there are times when I face setbacks when I see I’m doing something right, I keep going.
Career Hack
Invest in structured learning.
Spontaneity in your learning process is a nice flex to have. However, it is not measurable. Structured learning helps you know how far you’ve come and what depth you have. Instead of piling on subjects you might not finish, it’s more productive to invest in structured learning. there are several free and paid programs. This should not be confused with boot camps that last two to six weeks. Structured learning platforms give you access to mentors and coaches from whom you can learn. The tech space is more competitive than ever and the bar has been raised. So you can’t just rely on courses and expect to be a seasoned designer within two years.
