Tag: tech

Categories
Career advice

5 Networking Strategies Secrets You Never Knew

networking strategies for job seekers

In the tech industry, a strong network is your secret weapon. It unlocks hidden opportunities, offers insider knowledge of company cultures, and boosts your credibility. This guide provides tech job seekers with winning networking strategies to navigate the landscape and land their dream role.

1. Define Your Goals

Before diving headfirst into networking activities, take a moment to clarify your career objectives. Determine the type of roles you’re passionate about, the industries you’re targeting, and the unique skill set you bring. This clarity will act as a compass, guiding your networking efforts and ensuring you connect with the right people who can propel you forward.

  • Research companies that align with your interests and career goals. Understanding their work culture and values will help you tailor your outreach to individuals who share your vision. For example, if you’re passionate about building sustainable solutions, prioritise connecting with professionals and companies at the forefront of green tech.
  • Analyse your existing network. Consider former colleagues, professors, mentors, or even friends with connections within the tech industry. Reach out to them for informational interviews or to reconnect and explore potential leads. You’d be surprised at the hidden connections that can be unearthed through a friendly conversation.

2. Embrace Continuous Learning

The tech industry is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive, embrace continuous learning. Participate in online courses, attend webinars, or read industry publications to keep your skills up-to-date. Demonstrate your commitment to learning on your online profiles and during networking conversations. Highlighting your drive for continuous improvement positions you as a valuable asset for potential employers.

3. Optimize Your Online Presence

Polish your online presence across professional platforms like LinkedIn, GitHub, and even your website (if you have one). Ensure your profiles are up-to-date, highlighting relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. Don’t just list past roles; showcase the impact you made in each position. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.

  • Engage in industry-related discussions. Join relevant online groups and forums specific to your field. Participate in thoughtful discussions, share insightful articles, and actively contribute to the community. This not only establishes you as a thought leader but also exposes you to potential employers who might be lurking on the forum, seeking talented individuals.
  • Consider creating original content. If you have a knack for writing, consider starting a blog or creating informative videos on topics relevant to your field. This demonstrates your expertise and positions you as a valuable resource within the tech community.

4. Expand Your Horizon

Leverage tech events, conferences, and meetups to expand your network in person or virtually. These platforms provide invaluable opportunities to interact with industry professionals, recruiters, and potential employers.

Prepare a concise and impactful elevator pitch. Introduce yourself and your career aspirations. Practice beforehand to ensure it’s clear, engaging, and leaves a lasting impression. Don’t hesitate to initiate conversations with attendees, but remember to be respectful of their time. Ask insightful questions about their work, express genuine interest, and leave a business card or connect on LinkedIn afterwards.

Many conferences offer workshops or career development sessions. Actively participate in these events to gain valuable insights and connect with like-minded individuals.

5. Tap into Existing Connections

Don’t underestimate the power of your existing network. Tap into alumni networks, industry associations, and professional organisations related to your field. Attend alumni events, networking events or career fairs, join online groups, and reach out to fellow graduates for networking opportunities. Leverage your existing network to seek referrals for job opportunities. Reach out to former colleagues, mentors, and friends who may have connections within your target companies.

Networking is a two-way street. Look for opportunities to offer value to your connections, whether it’s sharing relevant resources, providing introductions, or offering your expertise on a specific technical challenge. Building mutually beneficial relationships strengthens your network and increases your credibility within the industry.

Remember, people are more likely to help those who are willing to help them in return. As you build meaningful connections and establish yourself within the industry, watch as doors open to exciting new possibilities in your tech journey.

Categories
General How-Tos Software Tech

Creating Custom React Hooks – Oyinkansola Odunsi

If you’re not new to React, you probably know about or have used hooks like useState and useEffect before. However, do you know that you can create your own hook? Yes, you heard that right! And this is what this article is about. 

Also, if you’re a newbie to JavaScript library, I’ve got you covered! I’ll bring you up to speed on the existing React hooks, and help you understand how to create yours. Let’s dive right in.

WHAT ARE REACT HOOKS?

The React library is commonly used because it’s easy to handle. One of this library’s excellent functionalities is React hooks. In simple terms, React hooks are JavaScript functions that allow you to access state and other React features without writing a class. 

These functions can also used to isolate the reusable parts of functional components. Additionally, they are identified by the word use, followed by the superpowers they possess like DebugValue, Effect, Callback, and LayoutEffect. 

THE EXISTING REACT HOOKS

The latest React version (version 18) has 15 built-in hooks that you can use. The most commonly used hooks are useState, useEffect, and useContext. Here is a list and a summary of all the existing React hooks:

  1. useCallback: Returns a memoized (stored to avoid repeated computation) callback function so that the child component that depends on the function will not re-render unnecessarily. The function will only be recreated if one of its dependencies changes.  
  2. useContext: After creating a context, useContext allows you to use a value in the context further down in your functional components. So, you don’t have to manually pass props down your component tree. 
  3. useDebugValue: Helps you label the output of your custom hooks so you can easily understand their state and monitor their behaviour in React DevTools.
  4. useDeferredValue: Useful for prioritizing the responsiveness of your user interface by deferring long-running operations that might affect the performance of your application.
  5. useEffect: This hook handles side effects in your functional components. Side effects include fetching data, setting up event listeners, and DOM manipulation. 
  6. useId: Helps you generate unique IDs across your React application.
  7. useImperativeHandle: Allows you to specify the properties of a component that should be exposed when using refs.
  8. useInsertionEffect: This makes it easy for you to execute a function after a component has been added to the DOM.
  9. useLayoutEffect: It works similarly to useEffect, but it’s synchronous. You can use it to make changes on your DOM immediately when it’s updated, and before the browser displays content on a user’s screen. 
  10. useMemo: It is used to memoize the result of expensive computations to avoid unnecessary recalculations.
  11. useReducer: Instead of using useState you can use useReducer to handle more complex state logic within a functional component.
  12. useRef: Helps you create mutable references that you can access across multiple renders of a functional component. 
  13. useState: Allows you to manage the state within a functional component.
  14. useSyncExternalStore: This hook allows you to read and subscribe to an external data store.
  15. useTransition: Helps you manage asynchronous updates to a React application’s UI.

WHY DO WE NEED CUSTOM HOOKS?

Don’t get me wrong, this article is not to say that the in-build React hooks are not sufficient. React has all these powerful hooks that will serve you well. Nonetheless, I can’t deny the reality that custom hooks can greatly improve the readability and overall quality of your code.

Let’s open up this fact a little bit by highlighting why you might need a custom hook:

  • It makes logic reusable.
  • It allows you to use other hooks provided by React.
  • You can easily separate your logic from your UI.
  • You can break down complex stateful logic into simple chunks of code that are easy to maintain.
  • You can test specific parts of your stateful logic because custom hooks can be debugged in isolation.

TIPS FOR CREATING CUSTOM REACT HOOKS

Here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure your custom hooks are flexible, reusable, and easy to understand.

  • Follow the naming convention by starting with use.
  • Repeated/reusable logic within your components should be your custom hooks candidates.
  • Feel free to use the built-in React hooks where necessary.
  • Make sure a hook is focused on one responsibility instead of multiple functions.
  • Your hooks should have value or functions that components can use.
  • Ensure your hooks can accept parameters so you can easily customize their behaviour.
  • Test your hooks in different scenarios to ensure they are performing as expected. You can use tools like Jest and/or the React Testing Library.
  • Document your hook and succinctly explain its function.

CREATING YOUR FIRST CUSTOM HOOK

Step 1: Define Your Hook

Let’s create a custom React hook that would allow our application toggle between light and dark mode (our reusable logic). To begin, we create a JavaScript file to define our hook.

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function useDarkMode() {
  const [isDarkMode, setIsDarkMode] = useState(false);
  useEffect(() => {
    const body = document.body;
    if (isDarkMode) {
      body.classList.add('dark-mode');
    } else {
      body.classList.remove('dark-mode');
    }
  }, [isDarkMode]);
const toggleDarkMode = () => {
    setIsDarkMode(prevMode => !prevMode);
  };
  return [isDarkMode, toggleDarkMode]:
}
export default useDarkMode;

Step 2: Use Your Custom Hook

Now, we can use our custom hook in our React component.

import React from 'react';
import useDarkMode from './useDarkMode';
function App() {
  const [isDarkMode, toggleDarkMode] = useDarkMode();
  return (
    <div className="App">
      <button onClick={toggleDarkMode}>
        Toggle Dark Mode
      </button>
      <div className={isDarkMode ? 'dark-mode' : 'light-mode'}>
        {isDarkMode ? 'Dark Mode' : 'Light Mode'}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}
export default App;

Step 3: Test Your Hook

To carry out the test, you’ll have to install the Jest and the React Testing Library using:

npm install --save-dev @testing-library/react @testing-library/jest-dom jest

Then, we’ll create a test file for our custom hook. Let’s call it useDarkMode.test.js.

We’ll proceed to use the renderHook and act utilities in our React Testing Library to test our hook.

import { renderHook, act } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
import useDarkMode from './useDarkMode';


describe('useDarkMode', () => {
  test('should toggle dark mode correctly', () => {
    const { result } = renderHook(() => useDarkMode());
    // Initial state should be light mode (isDarkMode: false)
    expect(result.current[0]).toBe(false);
    expect(document.body.classList.contains('dark-mode')).toBe(false);
    // Toggle to dark mode
    act(() => {
      result.current[1](); // toggleDarkMode
    });
    expect(result.current[0]).toBe(true);
    expect(document.body.classList.contains('dark-mode')).toBe(true);
    // Toggle back to light mode
    act(() => {
      result.current[1](); // toggleDarkMode
    });
    expect(result.current[0]).toBe(false);
    expect(document.body.classList.contains('dark-mode')).toBe(false);
  });
});

Next, add Jest to your package.json file as follows, then run npm test to confirm that the useDarkMode hook is running as expected:

"scripts": {
  "test": "jest"
}

Step 4: Document Your Custom Hook

Document how your custom hook works and include details like its parameters and return values.

CREATING A DATA FETCHING CUSTOM HOOK

Now that you have an idea of how to create a custom React hook, let’s build another common custom hook (a data fetching hook) to further reinforce our knowledge. Shall we?

Step 1: Create the hook.

We’ll call it useFetch.js. This custom hook is commonly used to allow several components to fetch data from an API.

import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';


function useFetch(url) {
  const [data, setData] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [error, setError] = useState(null);


  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchData = async () => {
      setLoading(true);
      try {
        const response = await fetch(url);
        if (!response.ok) {
          throw new Error('Network response was not ok');
        }
        const data = await response.json();
        setData(data);
      } catch (error) {
        setError(error);
  } finally {
        setLoading(false);
      }
    };
    fetchData();
  }, [url]);


  return { data, loading, error };
}
export default useFetch;

Step 2: Use your new hook in a component.

import React from 'react';
import useFetch from './useFetch';
function App() {
  const { data, loading, error } = useFetch('https://api.google.com/data');
  if (loading) return <div>Loading...</div>;
  if (error) return <div>Error: {error.message}</div>;
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Data:</h1>
      <pre>{JSON.stringify(data, null, 2)}</pre>
    </div>
  );
}
export default App;

Step 3: Test and document your custom hook.

import { renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
import useFetch from './useFetch';
// Mock the fetch function
global.fetch = jest.fn(() =>
  Promise.resolve({
    ok: true,
    json: () => Promise.resolve({ data: 'mocked data' }),
  })
);
describe('useFetch', () => {
  afterEach(() => {
    fetch.mockClear();
  });
  it('should return data after fetch', async () => {
    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() => useFetch('https://api.example.com/data'));
    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(true);
    await waitForNextUpdate();
    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
    expect(result.current.data).toEqual({ data: 'mocked data' });
    expect(result.current.error).toBe(null);
  });
  it('should return an error if fetch fails', async () => {
    fetch.mockImplementationOnce(() =>
      Promise.reject(new Error('Fetch failed'))
    );
    const { result, waitForNextUpdate } = renderHook(() => useFetch('https://api.example.com/data'));
    await waitForNextUpdate();
    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
    expect(result.current.error).toBe('Fetch failed');
    expect(result.current.data).toBe(null);
  });
});

GET STARTED TODAY

By leveraging the power of custom hooks, you’ll be able to write simple,  maintainable and readable codes. And trust me, once you get started, you are locked in by the ease these functions bring to your programming journey.

Categories
Best practices General Software Tech

How To Improve Your Website Accessibilty – Victoria Nduka

Have you ever noticed ramps beside staircases at building entrances, like the one in the image below? These ramps aren’t for aesthetics. They were designed to allow disabled individuals access to the building. Buildings with walkways structured like this are considered “accessible”, because they accommodate everyone, ensuring no one is left out.

Nowadays, a lot of interactions happen online. You can shop for groceries from the comfort of your home and get it delivered to you before the day is gone. Just like in physical spaces, our digital world needs to be accessible too. Digital accessibility means making sure websites and apps can be used by everyone.

WHAT IS WEB ACCESSIBILITY?

Web accessibility means designing and developing websites and apps to suit individuals of all kinds (disabled and abled). It ensures that users can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your digital content without experiencing challenges that may prevent users from accessing the information or services they need.

To understand how relevant web accessibility is in the digital world, let’s consider its importance:

  1. Legal Requirements: In countries like Israel and the United States of America, some laws and regulations require websites to be accessible. One of such law is the ADA (Americans with Disabilities) complaint law. Not complying with these regulations can lead to legal sanctions.
  2. Better User Experience: When navigation is easy to run through, text is readable, and the user interface is smooth, visitors to the site will have a user experience.
  3. SEO Benefits: Websites designed with accessibility in mind perform better in search engine rankings. Using descriptive text for images (alt text) and organizing content with appropriate heading levels help search engines understand and index your site more effectively.

ACCESSING YOUR CURRENT WEBSITE ACCESSIBILTY

Before making changes to your website’s accessibility, it’s important to
assess its current state. Here are some steps you can take to evaluate the accessibility of your website:

Step 1: Conduct an Accessibility Audit

You can use various tools and techniques to identify accessibility barriers and areas for improvement. Consider the following:

●Automated Tools: Use automated accessibility testing tools like WAVE, Axe, or Lighthouse to scan your website for common accessibility issues. These tools identify issues such as missing alt text, colour contrast problems, and keyboard navigation issues
● Manual Testing: While automated tools can catch many accessibility issues, some issues require manual testing. Manual testing involves simulating how users with disabilities might interact with your website and identifying any usability barriers they might encounter.
● User Testing: You can take your audit a step further by conducting usability testing with individuals who have disabilities. Gather first-hand feedback on their experience using your website. This can provide valuable insights into real-world accessibility issues that automated tools may no

Step 2: Review Accessibility Guidelines

Familiarize yourself with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the W3C. These guidelines provide a comprehensive set of criteria for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Reviewing the WCAG can help you understand the
specific requirements and best practices for accessibility. Then you can determine in what areas your website is falling short.

Step 3: Identify Priority Areas

Once you’ve completed your accessibility audit and reviewed the WCAG, prioritize the accessibility issues you’ve identified. Focus on addressing critical issues that impact the largest number of users or present significant barriers to access. Consider factors such as the severity of the issue, frequency of occurrence, and the potential impact on users.

Step 4: Create an Accessibility Action Plan

Based on your assessment and prioritization, develop a comprehensive accessibility action plan outlining the steps you’ll take to address accessibility issues on your website. Set clear goals, timelines, and responsibilities for implementing accessibility improvements. Your action plan should be flexible and adaptable to accommodate new insights and changes in priorities.

Step 5: Monitor and Iterate

Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Once you’ve implemented accessibility improvements, continue to monitor your website regularly for new accessibility issues and feedback from users. Iterate on your accessibility action plan based on new insights and evolving accessibility requirements.

PRINCIPLES OF WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY

The foundation of web accessibility lies in four key principles developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in a set of guidelines known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These principles, often abbreviated as POUR, form the framework for creating accessible digital experiences. Let’s explore each principle in detail:

  1. Perceivable (P): Perceivable means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented. In other words, the content must be available to at least one of their senses (sight, hearing, touch) so that
    they can access and understand it. Consequently, users with visual impairments, for example, must be able to access web content through other senses or enhanced visual means.
  2. Operable (O): Operable means that users must be able to navigate and interact with the interface. Users may use different ways to interact, like using a keyboard or talking to the device. So, no matter how a user wants to use the website or app, it should work smoothly and be easy to use.
  3. Understandable (U): Understandable means that users should easily understand what they see on the website or app and know how to use it. It requires using clear language and making sure things work in a way
    that users expect without feeling lost or frustrated.
  4. Robust (R): Robust means that your web content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their choice of devices. This includes users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, screen magnifiers, or voice recognition software. The robust principle also guarantees that content will remain accessible as technologies evolve.

IMPROVING YOUR WEBSITE USING THE P.O.U.R PRINCIPLE

Now that you’ve assessed your website’s current accessibility status, it’s time to take action to improve it. Let’s explore how you can apply the POUR principles we have discussed earlier to improve the accessibility of your website.

Perceivable (P)

  1. Text Alternatives: Images and multimedia should have text descriptions (alt text) that screen readers can read aloud. Avoid generic descriptions like “Image01.jpg” and write clear, concise text that describes the content of the image. For instance, an image of a dog
    would have an alt text like “Golden Retriever playing in the park.”
  2. Colour Contrast: People with visual impairments may struggle to distinguish between text and background colours if the contrast is poor. Use a colour contrast checker to ensure your text is readable against the background.
  3. Captions: Videos should have captions so that users who are deaf or hard of hearing can read what is being said.
  4. Transcripts: Audio content should have transcripts that provide a written version of the spoken material.

Operable (O)

  1. Keyboard Accessibility: People with motor impairments may have difficulty using a mouse or other pointing device to interact with a website. Ensure your website allows users to navigate through all interactive elements (menus, buttons, links, forms) using just the keyboard. Users should also be able to navigate through the entire site using the Tab key to move forward and Shift+Tab to move backwards.
  2. Seizure Prevention: Be mindful of content that flashes rapidly (more than three times per second) as it can trigger seizures in users with photosensitive epilepsy. Instead, consider using animations without rapid flashing or provide a warning along with the option to pause or stop them.
  3. Navigation Aids: Provide clear and consistent navigation options to help users find content. Use a consistent layout for navigation menus across all pages.

Understandable (U)

  1. Readable Text: Use clear and simple language. Break up text into manageable chunks with headings, lists, and other formatting. Avoid jargon and use short, straightforward sentences.
  2. Predictable Navigation: Ensure that navigation is consistent and predictable. Avoid sudden changes in context. Links should clearly state their destination and buttons should indicate their action.
  3. Input Assistance: Provide help and suggestions for form inputs. Show clear error messages and instructions. Use placeholder text and instructions within forms to guide users.

Robust (R)

  1. Standards Compliance: Use valid, semantic HTML and follow web standards to ensure compatibility with different browsers and assistive technologies. Use proper HTML5 elements and attributes.
  2. Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) Landmarks: Use ARIA landmarks to improve navigation for users with screen readers. Mark up sections of the page using ARIA roles like role=”banner”, role=”navigation”, and role=”main”.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Congratulations on taking the first steps towards enhancing the accessibility of your website! Improving the accessibility of your website is not just a good thing, it’s simply the right thing to do. Remember that improving your website accessibility is a journey, not a destination. As your
website grows and evolves, revisit these principles and make sure new content adheres to accessibility best practices.

Categories
Best practices Coaches General Hackathon

Tips For Winning A Hackathon Challenge

Hackathons are tools that drive creativity and innovation by tackling challenges to provide solutions. In a hackathon competition,  individuals with similar interests collaborate to deliver a solution to an existing or predicted problem. The hackathon organizers, sponsors, or partners usually outline the challenges and the judges decide the winners after the presented solutions, provided criteria and guidelines are met. It is an opportunity for creatives and innovative minds to leverage communication, teamwork, and presentation skills to solve problems and challenges quickly.

HOW HACKATHONS WORK

Hackathons are carried out online, onsite, or hybrid depending on the sponsor. When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill in 2020 and different country-specific restrictions and measures were put in place, most hackathons were organized virtually. But in recent times, there has been a gradual return to fully onsite hackathons. 

The various technologies, tools, and challenges that participants can use and work on are announced 1–2 days before the hackathon begins. Partners and sponsors introduce the challenges to all participants including important information regarding the competition even if you don’t understand the challenge to work before coming, the explanations will dig deeper into them for you, so listen carefully.

Eventaully, each hackathon submission is judged by a metric to determine the winning team or solution. The success metric is measured differently depending on the organizers, judges, or themes. Common metrics used include quality of prototypes, minimum viable product(MVP) development, website functionality, improvement in engagement scores, reduction in implementation time, and Participation metrics.

TYPES OF HACKATHONS

Hackathons come in many forms and depend on the objective, goal, or sponsors. They all fall into one of the types listed below:

Niche/Theme Based: Niche or theme-based hackathons are specially crafted by single or multiple sponsors to provide solutions to challenges by using a specified or company-created tool and resource such as API. Common theme-based hackathons include Finance, Healthcare, Diversity, and Open Source. For instance,  Digital Healthcare is a hackathon focused on driving solutions to the healthcare sector. The required outcome could be to create a web application, video game, or anything significant.

Custom Hackathons: A hackathon is custom if it addresses solutions to problems by leveraging a language, framework, or profile. For instance, a hackathon that uses a programming language such as Java, Python, or Ruby on Rails to solve a problem. In this type of hackathon, how you use the programming language is preferred above what you can build. For profile-based hackathons, this involve student-only or female-only hackathons that accept only people in those categories as participants to work on challenges or topics to claim a reward.

MISTAKES YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE DURING A HACKATHON

To succeed in a hackathon there are mistakes you should avoid. These mistakes are not bound to first-timers or amateurs alone but also applicable to experienced hackathon participants and previous winners of one or more hackathons.

  • Avoid changing teammates along the way or quickly selecting teammates based on their appearances, stickers on laptops, or gadgets. Doing this may jeopardize your team’s strength and efficiency since the competition is constrained by time.
  • Avoid using tools that you and your teammates are not familiar with. Hackathons are good places to learn new tools but do not try to build using a new tool without understanding the basics of that tool, it might not end well.
  • Avoid trying to build a solution that is too complex to be done within the stipulated time. You’d be requiring too much from your teammates.
  • Avoid allotting unreasonable time frames for the accomplishment of major product milestones.
  • Avoid working alone. Seek support from teammates, mentors, or sponsors when you have to.
  • Avoid imposing your opinions and thoughts on your teammates without considering other alternatives from their perspective.
  • Avoid prioritizing aesthetics over functionality.
  • The hackathon rules are very important and must be adhered to if you don’t want your team to be disqualified. Familiarize yourself with the hackathon’s rules and fundamental problem statements.
  • Do not repeat an already existing solution by modifying some features to wow the judges.

HOW TO WIN AN HACKATHON

Here are 10 tips for first timers, and experienced hackathon participants to ace any hackathon competition with ease

  • Have a complete team: Diverse your team skills and abilities to include developers, UI/UX designers, product/project managers, marketers, and those with social skills.
  • Teamwork is the key: Teamwork is important for winning a hackathon. Listen to the opinions of your teammates, appreciate their contributions and ideas, and be open generally to a variety of ways to achieve the same goal.
  • Apply empathy: Be kind enough to understand your teammates, and discover their strengths and weaknesses to coordinate your team, delegate properly and motivate each other.
  • Build only key components within the given time: Focus on building the key features the solution needs and distribute the most important features to your teammates, ensuring each team member knows what is to be built individually.
  • Focus on the hackathon 100%: Hackathons are filled with distractions demanding your attention. You must stay fixed on the solution you are building.
  • Appreciate the uniqueness of your solution: If you have a novel solution that you can pull off with the hackathon time frame then go for it and pay less attention to what other teams are building. Some might just be reinventing the wheel when there is no need.
  • Prepare your presentation: Invest ample time to work on your presentation, including your demo, and make it as simple and interactive as possible. Your presentation is the second most important part of the hackathon, after your solution. Highlight the problem statement, key features, and why you made the product, how it works, and how it solves the problems of the end users”. 
  • Document all the ideas: Write down the ideas, concepts, and complaints of each team member during the brainstorming session and use the Prioritization Matrix to pick between what is important and needed, important and not needed for the product.
  • Gather some information: Gather basic knowledge of your sponsors, judges, and audience to help you customize your presentation and demo to fit their needs. Use social media sites like LinkedIn, X, and Pinterest or strike up conversations at the hackathon during lunch or Q&A sessions.

WHERE TO FIND HACKATHON RESOURCES

If you have been having a hard time searching for hackathons, here are some resources for you to explore.

  • DevPost: DevPost is an epicenter for hackathons. It is stocked up with different types and categories of hackathons by level, length, theme, location, and status. You will also find guides, tricks, and tips for organizers and participants in hackathons.
  • NaijaHacks:  NaijaHacks is a go-to spot for all things on hackathons. It offers guides on team formation, mentors, prizes, and workshops. It also has tutorials broken down into sectors including Blockchain, VR/AR, Machine Learning,  Mobile/Web Development, Hardware, Miscellaneous, and an introduction to Git for beginners.
  • DoraHacks: This is the hub for Web3 hackathons, it features ongoing and upcoming hackathons to browse and participate in. Individuals and communities can also use their platform to host hackathons
  • Hackathons International: Hackathons International is a global organization that provides problem-solving strategies, toolkits, and resources for participants and organizers to host/successfully participate in hackathons globally.
  • GitHub: GitHub is a repository of hackathon projects and resources including tutorials, templates, code from past hackathons, and tools to help you practice your skills, and provide key tips to winning projects.  It is a good source of inspiration and insight into successful hackathon approaches. Typing “hackathon projects” into the search box on GitHub will return a curated list of hackathon resources.
  • Stack Overflow: If you are encountering a coding roadblock, this is your centre for solution. Stack Overflow is an online Q&A forum for experienced and beginner developers. It contains several solutions to common problems. Whatever you are struggle with, someone else has faced it before and shared a solution on the platform.  
  • API Docs: Application Programming Interface description documents include, tutorials, references, and examples that show and explain to developers what is possible with your API and how to use it. This depends on the hackathon theme or your project idea, you can leverage APIs from various platforms. Ensure to always refer to the official documentation for specific instructions and usage examples to be sure. You can check out Spotify documentation Spotify Web Documentation.

WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN A HACKATHON

Immediate Recruitment: Many participants in hackathons got jobs only by participating. Companies organize most hackathons to provide solutions to an existing problem or desire to launch a new product to target a market. The solution you build can come in handy, which can ultimately lead to you being recruited to continue the development of the solution.

Find out more: Due to the practical nature of hackathons, it provides a unique opportunity for beginners, intermediate, and experts to gain more experience and insights into a particular tool, application, or technology. For example, a participant may have theoretical knowledge of a programming language but may have yet to have the chance to apply it in a real-world project. By participating in a hackathon focused on that language, they can learn new techniques, best practices, and shortcuts from their peers.

Opportunity to Network: Hackathons attract a diverse group of participants, including students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and industry experts. Through team collaboration, workshops, and networking sessions, participants can forge valuable connections with people who share similar interests or work in related fields.

Build Technical and Problem-Solving Skills: Hackathons present participants with time-sensitive challenges that require innovative solutions. These challenges often span across a wide range of domains, from software development and data analysis to hardware prototyping and social impact projects. By tackling these challenges, participants can enhance their ability to think creatively, break down complex problems into manageable tasks, and adapt to unexpected obstacles.

Grow Your Social Skills: Hackathons foster a collaborative environment where participants must effectively communicate and work together to achieve their goals. Team members may come from different backgrounds, disciplines, or even countries, requiring them to bridge cultural and language barriers. Through brainstorming sessions, code reviews, and project presentations, participants can improve their verbal and written communication skills, as well as their ability to give and receive constructive feedback.

Launch a Career: Hackathons are real-world opportunities to meet your first and long-term mentors, business partners, and angel investors.  A hackathon is an opportunity to build a solution to a challenge that enables you to spot a market that is open to exploit creating a new career role for you.

Strengthen your Resume: Hackathon participation is highly regarded by employers as it demonstrates a candidate’s practical skills, creativity, and passion for learning. Including hackathon projects on a resume can showcase a candidate’s ability to work under pressure, collaborate with others, and deliver results within a limited timeframe. Moreover, winning a hackathon competition can further validate a candidate’s abilities and differentiate them from other job applicants.

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General

Choosing A Career Path In Tech

With countless opportunities awaiting exploration, it’s essential to equip yourself with the knowledge and insights needed to chart a course toward a rewarding tech career. Whether you’re a seasoned professional seeking a new challenge or a newcomer eager to make your mark, this comprehensive guide will illuminate the path to success in the dynamic world of technology.

Discovering Your Tech Passion

Before diving in, ask yourself:

  1. Do I prefer hands-on technical work, creative design, or strategic thinking?
  2. Do I thrive in collaborative teams or enjoy independent work?
  3.  Am I drawn to specific industries like healthcare, finance, or gaming?
  4. What excites me about technology?

By answering these questions, you can align your career trajectory with your personal aspirations.

Career Pathways Available In Technology

  1. Software Development – If you love building websites, databases, and collaborating with a team, you should consider software development. Software development is in two phases: the frontend development and backend development. With an experience in software development you rank up to become one of the most in-demand skilled professionals in the world.
  2. Data Science and Analytics – Do you love numbers, arithmetic, or solving general problems? The field of data analytics offers boundless opportunities for those with a knack for numbers and a passion for problem-solving.
  3. Cybersecurity – With cyberattacks on the rise, organisations are seeking skilled experts to fortify their defences and protect sensitive data from malicious actors. You can decide to be a cybersecurity professional to safeguard the digital realm against cyber threats and vulnerabilities as a cybersecurity professional.
  4. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – If you fascinated about how algorithms work and evolve with data inputs, you should consider Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
  5. Cloud Computing – If you’re an architect, engineer, or strategist, there’s ample room for growth in this burgeoning field. In cloud computing, you can build scalable infrastructure and on-demand services power the digital economy.
  6. UI/UX Design – Are you very creative? You can craft seamless user experiences and captivating interfaces as a UI/UX designer. From wireframes to prototypes, your creativity and attention to detail will shape the digital experiences of tomorrow.

After Choosing A Path, What’s Next?

No matter which tech path you choose, building a robust toolkit of skills and experiences is essential for success. Consider:

  1. Pursuing internships, co-op placements, or freelance projects to gain hands-on experience.
  2. Contributing to open-source projects to showcase your skills and collaborate with like-minded individuals.
  3. Seeking out mentorship and networking opportunities to glean insights and advice from seasoned professionals.

By continually honing your skills and expanding your network, you’ll be well-equipped to thrive in the competitive landscape of tech.

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Career advice Tech

Benefits of Working Remotely.

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The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 necessitated a change in work structures around the world. This development led to a shift in organizational attention, to the immense potential of a system that could accommodate millions of people working independently from different locations to achieve organizational goals.

Remote Work – Brief History 

Remote workers did not just appear from anywhere. The practice of working from any location other than an office is as old as man and the internet.

History shows that the practice of working in offices and factories originated just after world war 1 – the industrial revolution, long after man had revolutionized the systems of trade and business.

Despite the increase in office culture over the years, remote jobs and the practice of remote work have remained relevant, co-existing side-by-side with office practice for the completion of unfinished tasks after work hours.

Remote working has always been an integral part of our work culture even though it hadn’t been given widespread acceptance as we now have it. From the usage of staff-only servers where information is passed from superior to subordinate; to online staff meetings and social media conferencing, in one way or another, we all have done remotely what ought to be done within the confines of an office.

This article discusses the advantages of working from home, as well as how working from home, can enhance global living standards. It goes on to explain how a “work from home” policy might help an organisation’s output.

Why Remote Work?

Working from home has the following advantages:

  • Improved Employee Productivity
  • Reduction in Operational Cost
  • Improved Market Penetration
  • High Staff Retention Ratio
  • Better Work-Life Balance

Improved Employee Productivity

An analysis of efficiency on remote work was carried out in March 2021 by Jose Maria Barrero of the autonomous Institute of Technology, Mexico, and Steven .J. Davis of Chicago booth. The statistical results showed that, as of March 2021, a year after the coronavirus pandemic, 60% of America’s working population worked remotely and were said to be more productive working from home.

Employees who work from home are generally more productive than those who add an office to their workspace. This is so because the freedom to establish their work hours allows employees to work when they are most productive, rather than the usual 9 to 5 hours.

Remote work eliminates the stress that comes with having to pick the right outfit for work, and most importantly, commuting. With an almost weightless gadget like a P.C (personal computer) and an internet connection, loads of work can quickly be done – a clear definition of Productivity.

“Remote work allows individuals to figure when they’re most relaxed and within the most efficient state of mind, leading to increased productivity”.

Reduced Operational Costs

Operational costs are the expenses that a company incurs in order to stay in business. Organisations invest a lot of money every year to keep their offices in good shape – from repairs to replacements to upgrades, keeping an office is pricey for what it is worth.

Working from home helps to keep these expenses to a bare minimum. Remote working focuses on worker output and work flexibility rather than amassing operational expenditures. Because these people work remotely and report online, it allows a firm to choose a more flexible headquarters that doesn’t have to be as large to suit a large number of employees.

Working from home saves money on rent and reduces the need for multiple branch offices across the country. It reduces business overhead costs like electricity tariffs and office building insurance. As a result, working remotely reduces unneeded costs from an organisation’s total revenue, increasing the amount of profit available at the end of the fiscal year.

“Remote work focuses on worker production and job flexibility rather than operational expenditures“.

Improved Market Penetration

Simply said, market penetration refers to the level to which a company’s product offering is valued, purchased, and consumed by the local population.

Remember that working remotely allows a company to save money on operations. A lower operational cost corresponds to a lower manufacturing cost. With lower production costs, businesses can concentrate on producing high-quality goods and selling them at lower prices, making the product more appealing to the general public (Ceteris paribus and vis-à-vis, the lower the price, the higher the demand).

Working remotely also assists with market penetration through unconscious online marketing activities. Employees are sometimes unaware of the process, hence the term “unconscious.”

The frequent use of the internet to search, send, and receive data causes the internet to save certain keywords related to a company’s product offering, so that whenever a random user performs a search query using any of the keywords, the product offering is listed as one of the possible results, keeping the product in front of potential customers at all times. This is unintentional and so extremely cheap.

“With a lowered cost of production, businesses may specialise in producing quality items and selling for lower prices, making the merchandise more appealing within the broader market”.

Higher Employee Retention

Rapid employee turnover rate in an organisation reflects managerial incompetence and bad working conditions. Employees are more likely to stay with a company if they believe the company is committed to their personal development.

Working from home reduces the likelihood of employee turnover in the first two years of employment. This is because employees who work remotely have greater control of their time, feel more trusted and valued, enjoy their remuneration which does not have to get spent on commuting to long-distance offices, can share the workload through different time zones in the day, place more value on teammates and receive all the incentives they deserve at the right time- an effect of increased profit.

Remote workers are 13 per cent more likely than on-site workers to stay in their current jobs for the next five years or longer.

“Employees who work from home have more control over their time, feel more trusted and revered, and luxuriate in their salary because they’re not required to commute to long-distance workplaces”.

Better Work-Life Balance

One quotation that makes employees want to quit their jobs and start their own firm, which seems like achieving their ambitions, is “A pay-check is the bribe you get for choosing not to pursue your dreams.”

Working remotely allows you to make a paycheck while working for a business and pursuing your passions at the same time, dear employee. Working from home allows you to spend more time with your family while still being able to attend work on a daily basis.

With remote employment, a father no longer has to miss his son’s basketball game due to a long work day, and a mother no longer has to miss her daughter’s eighteenth birthday due to an important business trip. Remote work engenders profitability and happiness, a clear win-win situation.

“Working remotely, dear employee, allows you to earn a paycheck while working for an organisation and pursuing your dream at an equivalent time“.

Remote Work and The Nigerian Transport Dilemma 

Nigerians who don’t own cars understand that jumping from shuttle to shuttle while trying to make your way to work every morning is enough reason to have a bad day.

Chances are that, when you finally make it to the office after surviving the many dramas that come with public transportation, you are already demotivated and not as productive as you ought to be.

Like this wasn’t enough, there is now the trouble of a galloping cost of transportation. It is funny how the cost of public transportation is almost equivalent to half your paycheck at the end of the month.

But these can be averted simply by changing work structures that enable employees conveniently sit in their primary location, yet deliver as much work as they’d normally do in the office – Remote Working

Conclusion

The benefits of working remotely far outweigh its disadvantages. The prevalence of the internet and breakthroughs in communication technology have added to the advantages of remote work.

Every business in the 21st century is beginning to not only go digital but work remotely. Remote work is no longer a pipe dream; it is now a reality that we must accept.

Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more about remote working and how it’s altering the narrative in corporate structures.

We’d also want to hear from you in the comments.

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General Tech For Good Techrity Programmes Volunteers Writers

Tech for Good 2022

Showcasing Tech Innovations for Social Good in Africa

The Tech for Good (T4G) is an annual conference that aims to showcase the impact of using Technology for Social Good in Africa.

The second edition of the just concluded Tech for Good conference was held on the 29th of October 2022 at the Rivers State ICT, Techcreek.

Purpose of Tech for Good

There is a lot of negative information being spread out there concerning Tech and its use in Africa. We created Tech for Good to solve this problem.

To understand more about the purpose of the Tech for Good conference, check out the first edition – Tech for Good 2021.

Highlights from the event

Tech for Good 2.0 was so loaded and full of impact, reporting over 250 persons in attendance, 5 speakers, 6 Social impact orgs, and over 20 people including organizations and startups awarded during the Tech for Good Awards.

Speaker Lineup

This year’s conference featured some seasoned speakers, such as;

  • Mr. Bruce Lucas – Founder and CEO of Olotusquare spoke on “The Journey so Far: Social Impact, Challenges of Tech in Africa”.
  • Davio White, a brand and product designer spoke on Designing for Social Impact
  • Umasoye Igwe, a creative writer and advocate for indigenous languages spoke on “How Tech is revolutionizing indigenous languages for Africans”
  • Sokaribo Senibo, a Software Developer spoke on “Leveraging Tech for Good: Veritable Use cases”
  • Tosin Emmanuel, founder of Blockchain Uniport spoke on “Blockchain Technology as a medium for Social impact in Africa”

Social Impact Project Showcase

The social impact project showcase aims to showcase projects and products built for social good in Africa.

Social impact projects like InformHER, was present to showcase their projects and products

  • InformHer

InformHer helps to empower young girls with the information needed to make decisions about their bodies and sex-related issues while making sure that they embrace their femininity

You can follow @helixgade on Social media to learn more.

Social Impact Orgs

Organizations and companies working tirelessly to ensure the vision of building Tech for Good were not left out, these organizations were invited to tell their Social Impact Story. The aim is to showcase the works of these companies and organizations in Tech.

Some organizations present include:

  • Accelerate Hub

Accelerate Innovation Hub is a technology incubation hub that focuses on facilitating student development in the area of technology and tech entrepreneurship. We aim to create a community that prompts collaboration, ideation, innovation, and synergy for student tech enthusiasts. 

You can follow @acceleratehubng on Social media or visit their website: http://acceleratehub.co/ 

Accelerate Hub – WInner of Social Impact Organization (Non profit) 2022 receiving its award
  • Code Ambassadors

Code Ambassadors Lab is an EdTech Start-up that inspires and equips children between the ages of 5-17 with tech(coding, robotics, Artificial intelligence, etc.), problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. We have trained over 3000 children and are partnered with over 10 organizations and schools within four years. 

The vision is to raise young tech founders in Africa who will leverage technology to solve problems.

You can follow @codeambassadors on Social media or visit their website: https://codeambassadors.org/

  • Technoville NG

Technoville innovation Nigeria is a leading technology organization aimed at social impact and innovative technology solutions. With a vision to “Ignite Curiosity”, it is committed to providing an environment where technology and innovative skills are attainable and curiosity is applauded.

Technoville was founded in 2018, by passionate young people who believe that technology can transform individuals and nations.

You can follow @technovillehq on Social media or visit their website: https://technovillehq.com/

Technoville Nigeria Team
  • Extend Africa

Extend Africa is a community for the immersive tech ecosystem in Africa.

We believe that with this platform, we can strategically project the works of extended reality creators in Africa to the world. We are also certain that through this platform, more people will find use cases of extended reality in ways that will immensely improve their lives.

You can follow @extendafrica on Social media or visit their website: https://extend.africa/

Gospel Ononwi – founder of Extend Africa
  • Blockchain Uniport

Blockchain Uniport is committed to bridging the gap between the student community and their knowledge of Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Technology in general.

We are determined to build a community force of well-informed students who are equipped for the future of technology.

You can follow @blockchainuniport on Social media.

Tosin Emmanuel – Founder of Blockchain Uniport

Panel Session

The panel session brought together techies doing social impact work to tell their Tech for Good story;

Panelist session – Joy Nwaiwu, Wisdom Nwokocha, Philip Atimor, Godwin Jimmy, Somkene Mamah, Sokaribo Senibo, Solomon Eseme, Smith Nwokocha

Tech for Good Awards

The Tech for Good Social Impact Awards honors individuals, startups, non-profits, and volunteers who use their platforms to better their community and the global community at large. 

The following is the list of the awardees and nominees for the Tech for Good social impact awards.

Social Impact Icon 2022 (Green Category)

  • Louis Whyte Jonah – Accelerate Hub (nominated)
  • Wisdom Nwokocha – Mentorship (A)
  • Pepple Richard – Technoville (Award)
  • Godwin Jimmy Akpabio – Accelerate Hub, NFTikets (Award)
  • Philip Chukwunonso Obiorah – Co Lead, GDG Cloud, Port Harcourt (Award)
  • Faith Pueneh – Mentorship (nominated)

Social Impact Icon 2022 (Veteran Category)

  • Bruce Lucas – Olotu Square (Award winner)
  • Gino Osahon – GDG Cloud PH (Award winner)

Social Impact (Non-Profit)

  • Accelerate Hub (Award winner)
  • Code Ambassadors (nominated)
  • Harvoxx Tech Hub (nominated)

Startup for Good

  • Mently (Award winner)
  • NFTikets (Award winner)
  • Dantown (Award winner)
  • Bankable Wisdom(nominated)
  • Acend (nominated)

Volunteer of the year awards

  • Jennifer Etegbeke
  • Temitayo Alebiosu
  • Faith Agugoesi
  • Caleb Duff

Our Star Girl

Deborah Folorunsho, a student and member of Code Ambassadors showcased her project at this year’s Tech for Good conference. 

Deborah is a 14-year-old girl who built an app to help addicts recover from their addictions.

She was also featured on Guardian news recently in an article where she talked about her project in detail.

You can read more about her solution on the Guardian News.

Important Links

For more inquiries about the Tech for Good conference, send us a Hi to hello@techrity.org

Thanks for reading!!

Categories
Career advice General Mentorship Tech Tech For Good

When She Leads: Women in Leadership and Technology Roles in Africa

lady speaking at a tech event

Spread across history are the many contributions of women and the woman folk to development and civilization. In today’s world, women have become major players in almost every important sector of the world, leadership, and technology inclusive. The role of women as key players in leadership and technological advancement becomes even more pronounced as the world advances towards complete dependence on technology. 
This article seeks to beam the spotlight on the many women who are working tirelessly to contribute effectively to technological advancement in Africa. It further highlights the importance of women in Leadership roles.

Women In Leadership Roles

Leadership has never been gender-dependent. It’s the qualities inherent or cultivated by an individual that determines their success as leaders. Let’s take a look at some of the women who have chosen to challenge the status quo wherever they find themselves, who fight for a more equal future, and who have helped shape history!

  1. Ngozi Okonji Iweala – Development Economist

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian- American economist and international development expert who has served since March 1, 2021, as Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She is the first woman and the first African to hold the office. She sits on the boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, and the African Risk Capacity(ARC). Previously, Okonjo-Iweala spent a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, scaling the ranks to the number two position of managing director, operations (2007-2011).
She also served two terms as finance minister of Nigeria (2003-2006, 2011- 2015) under President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan, respectively. She was the first woman to serve as the country’s finance minister, the first woman to serve in that office twice, and the only finance minister to have served under two different presidents. Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja, and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution.
Since 2019, Okonjo-Iweala has been part of UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education. Since 2019, she has also been serving on the High-Level Council on Leadership and Management for Development of the Aspen Management Partnership for Health (AMP Health).
Okonjo-Iweala Okonjo has received numerous recognitions and awards. She has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World leaders (Fortune, 2015), the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014), the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012). She was listed among 73 “brilliant” business influencers in the world by Conde Nast International.
 Okonjo-Iweala has received honorary degrees from 14 universities worldwide, including some from the most prestigious colleges: -University of Pennsylvania (2013) -Yale University (2015) -Amherst College (2009) -Trinity College, Dublin (2007) -Colby College (2007) 

  1. Graca Machel – Politician and Humanitarian

Graca Machel is a prominent Mozambican woman who, for decades, has worked for women’s rights, education, and peace. Despite a long career as a feminist leader, she is best known for her two marriages, initially to Mozambique’s first president Samora Machel, and later to Nelson Mandela, when he was president of South Africa. 
Graca Machel is an international advocate for women’s and children’s rights and was made an honorary British Dame by Queen Elizabeth Il in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.
Graca Machel is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. As a panel member, she facilitates coalition building to leverage and broker knowledge and convenes decision-makers to influence policy for lasting change in Africa. She was chancellor of the University of Cape Town between 1999 and 2019. Graca Machel received the 1992 Africa Prize, awarded annually to an individual who has contributed to the goal of eliminating hunger in Africa by the year 2000.
Machel received the 1992 Africa Prize, awarded annually to an individual who has contributed to the goal of eliminating hunger in Africa by the year 2000. Following her retirement from the Mozambique ministry, Machel was appointed as the expert in charge of producing the groundbreaking United Nations report on the impact of armed conflict on children.
On 17 January 2016, she was announced by UNESCO as a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.
Ms. Machel is a current member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights that she co-founded with her husband, former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

  1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Novelist and Feminist Campaigner

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in 1977 to a middle-class Igbo family in Enugu, Nigeria. Her mother became the first female registrar at the University of Nigeria, while her father was a professor of statistics there. Pressured by social and familial expectations, Adichie ‘did what I was supposed to do’ and began to study medicine at the University of Nigeria. 
After a year and a half, she decided to pursue her ambitions as a writer, dropped out of medical school, and took up a communication scholarship in the US. Chimamanda has bagged nothing less than 15 honourary doctorate degrees from respected universities around the world. Adichie’s three novels all focus on contemporary Nigerian culture, its political turbulence, and at times, how it can intersect with the West. She published Purple Hibiscus in 2003, Half of a Yellow Sun in 2006, and Americanah in 2013.
Her novels and wider writings are the best windows into Adichie’s incisive and emotive imagination. She has delivered several impressive talks that get to the heart of their subject. They broadly encompass race and gender and our tendency to accept what we are taught without recognizing ingrained prejudice.
Her 2009 lecture, The Danger of a Single Story, is a brilliant discussion of race, but her argument is cleverly applicable across many broader contexts. In this lecture, her discussion of US perceptions of Mexicans as the ‘abject immigrant’ during the early 2000s, could just as easily be transferred to our current hysteria about Syrian refugees entering Europe.
Adichie’s 2013 lecture We Should All Be Feminists discusses the damaging paradigms of femininity and masculinity. We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, “You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful otherwise, you would threaten the man.”
Adichie argues that Feminism should not be an ‘elite little cult’ but a party ‘full of different feminisms.’ It is an important message to take to heart – we are imperfect. We are attempting to unlearn what we have unconsciously learned and simultaneously discover new ways of seeing.

  1. Daphne Nkosi – Executive Chairperson at Kalagadi Manganese Pty Ltd

Daphne Nkosi is the executive chairman of Kalagadi Manganese Pty Ltd, which is the first African- woman-founded and predominantly African-women-led mining company in the world. Daphne Nkosi’s formidable drive as a business powerhouse, social worker, political activist, and women’s rights campaigner, has its roots in the impoverished rural environment and staunchly patriarchal society of her birth.
In 2015, the Africa Female Business Leader of the Year was awarded to her The international title was presented to her at the 2015 African Business Awards held in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Daphne is committed to the people of South Africa and uses every available resource to enrich the lives of the average South African. She is responsible for the creation of more than 30 000 jobs in the Northern Cape and will go down in history as the mother of the largest mining venture.

Importance Of Women In Leadership and Technology roles

It’s no secret that women are highly underrepresented in the tech industry. But have you ever considered the great benefits of a gender-inclusive team in your organization? Read further to learn more about the importance of women in the tech industry and the value they can bring to organizations that employ them.

  1. Diversity of Thought

Collaboration between team members of different backgrounds, genders, and races can open a world of creativity and innovation, work efficiency, better communication, and increased team success.
Men and Women see things from different perspectives so having a diverse team can lead to an input of unique ideas which will enable better problem-solving skills and eventually boost performance level!
Having a diverse team also means having the capabilities to understand the pain points of all members of a target demographic and, this aids in proferring the best solutions.

  1. Mentors and Role Models

Imagine facing a gender-based issue at your workplace and not having a mentor of the same gender to talk to at the end of the day!😔😔
Having a female mentor that helps you as a woman in tech is very beneficial. It causes a ripple effect because the more women mentor other women, the more it encourages them to come into the tech space and thrive! 

On 8th March 2021, First Check Africa introduced #ChooseToChallenge with a focus on highlighting the 30 Nigerian Women in Tech challenging the Status Quo. Read about them here.
Conclusion: There are more women in leadership and technology who are breaking ancient ideologies, it is of utmost importance that we see them as allies than as threats. The tech space is vast enough to accommodate people from every work of life, gender, and race. Women in technology and leadership positions is a yes in the 21st century given the pace at which technology evolves daily. From little children to teen girls, to nursing mothers and aged women, tech and leadership should become dominant.  

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Build4SocialGood General Mentorship Tech

Using Your Tech Skills for Social Good: The Role Of Mentoring

You’ve probably been advised to find a mentor in your chosen area, someone with whom you can speak and who can provide you with excellent advice and assistance as you embark on your chosen career path. But have you ever pondered over the benefits of having a mentor? And the reason to have one if you don’t already? 

This article discusses the importance of having a mentor and the benefits of having one.

Why You Should Have A Mentor?

A mentor is a person or friend who acts as an advisor or coach to a less experienced person and guides them through a learning process using their professional knowledge.
When it comes to breaking into the tech sector, having a mentor is crucial – whether you’re learning to code or looking for your first (or next) job.
Here are seven reasons why you should seek out a mentor:

  1. Learning from their experiences: Your mentor can help advise you or warn you if you’re going to make the same mistakes they did, saving you time, money, and other valuable resources.

    Think of them as your guide. 
  1. Shortcut to Best Practices: It’s fantastic when someone can tell you about their tried-and-true best practices. You will learn much more quickly and efficiently this way.

    So mentors help you apply methods that work straight away. 😎
  1. Source Inspiration: It’s awesome to have someone you look up to as your mentor because hearing their stories and experiences motivates and inspires you even more which makes you more ambitious and excited to be doing what you are doing

    This makes you more ambitious and excited to be doing what you are doing.
  1. Learning to ask the right questions: Good mentors ask probing questions to get you to reflect on the process you’re going through, whether it’s learning to code or advancing your career. But, surprise, surprise! Many times, you are the only one who can respond to these inquiries.

    And Learning how to ask yourself those types of questions is very important.
  1. Accountability: Mentors can be super helpful in your career journey by keeping you accountable and making sure you are sticking to your goals and, keeping up with the learning process.
  1. Objective Feedback: A mentor sees you as you are (without being biased) and, they can give you honest and objective feedback, which makes you better.
  1. Networking: A mentor can help you become better at networking and improve your professional and communication skills. They can also expand your horizons by introducing you to the right people in their network and, this is super valuable.

Why It’s A Win-Win for Both The Mentor and Mentee?

Yup! That’s correct. Mentors gain from sharing their expertise with mentees as well. Most of our attention is focused on people who are being mentored, but what are the benefits for mentors? Why should they devote their time to assisting others in honing their abilities? Let’s have a look at some of them:

  1. Builds soft skills: Mentoring allows you to expand your soft skills. It requires you to put yourself in your mentees’ shoes, which in turn, will help to build soft skills like empathy, leadership skills, effective communication, and collaboration skills.
  1. Continuous learning: Mentorship allows you to keep on learning and growing in your field. The more you share knowledge with your mentees, the more you reinforce that knowledge.
  1. Builds confidence: Consistently sharing your knowledge with someone else can improve your self-confidence. The more you teach your mentees and help them with the challenges they face, the more confident you’ll be.
  1. Establish strong connections: Mentoring is another opportunity for you to build great relationships with individuals from different backgrounds.

Three (3) Ways to Become A Great Mentor.

  1. Good listener: A great mentor should demonstrate active listening skills. Active listening helps you identify issues and find better solutions to the problems your mentee might be facing. Having good listening skills will help you to guide your mentee in the right direction.
  1. Constructive feedback: What better way to help your mentee than giving helpful feedback and actionable suggestions! But remember that there is always a way to deliver criticism without breaking your mentee’s confidence. Educate them, not tear them down. 🤝
  1. Willingness to share knowledge: Great mentors are always willing to share what they know. As a mentor, you understand what it felt like starting your career so this motivates you to pay it forward through mentorship.

Yes! You’ve made it all the way to the end of this article. I’m confident you now know what a mentor is and the advantages of having one!
If you want to be a part of a structured mentorship program designed to help you succeed in your chosen career path in the tech industry, Visit: Techrity Mentorship Program
Thanks for reading!

Categories
Best practices General How-Tos Tech

How to Conduct User Research as a Newbie Designer

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

As a new designer in the design field, it can be quite a daunting task when you want to conduct user research, be it for a personal project or a client’s work. 

User Research is a broad topic, which cannot be covered in one article. In this article, I will walk you through what user research is, the purpose of user research, the processes to be followed when carrying out user research, and also the importance of user research.

What is User Research?

User Research can be plainly said to be trying to understand how a user would feel and what they might go through when using a product or service. This answers so many questions such as: 

  • What will be the first thing that comes to the user’s mind?
  • What will be the next step a user will take?
  • Will the user have trouble navigating the product?
  • Will the user be willing to pay for the service? 
  • What will make the user satisfied and not complain, or at least, have the barest complaints?

These and many more questions, depending on the type of product or service, are answered when carrying out user research.

What is the Purpose of Conducting User Research?

Simply put, the purpose of conducting user research is to help you understand the problem you’re trying to solve; telling you who your users are, how they will use your product or service, and most importantly, what they need from you. You are offering them a service so it is only wise you know what they want and how they want it or expect it to be.

What Processes Should be Followed?

When Conducting user research, a conventional process is followed. Although, most people would want to go the extra mile. Here are five (5) processes I follow: 

  1. Identify the problem 
  2. Create solutions
  3. Carry out feedback and surveys
  4. Evaluate the feedback and surveys
  5. Recreate

When you are carrying out user research, the processes above are meant to be followed. As a good user researcher, the identification of the problem you intend to solve should be the first thing. If you can’t identify any problem(s), then you can not proffer any solution. When you identify the problem(s), you create solutions. It could be a product you want to build, or a service to render or anything. Carrying surveys and getting feedback from people (users) about the solution you created is vital. Without people using your product or service, you wouldn’t know if you created a solution. Working on the feedback gotten is also very important because you don’t know the minds of everyone and you have to provide what they (users) are okay with. This is a repeated process, hence the need to always check the service you are offering or listen to the users using that service.

Importance of User Research

Many benefits come with conducting proper user research.

  • Customers Satisfaction: When you conduct proper user research for a product or service and build it according to the research findings, based on what the users want, you satisfy them in ways that you can’t fathom. You will gain their trust because the product/service is tailored to their needs.
  • Product/Service Usage: If a customer or user is satisfied with a service that you provided them, they are more likely to make more use of it. Hence, the product/service will not just be dormant but will be used for what it is created for.
  • Revenue Generation: When there is continuous use of your product, you get more profit, if it’s a paid service. The more people use it, the more money you generate.
  • Awareness: When a user makes use of your product/service and is satisfied with it, they go on to tell the next person. There’s this feeling of having tasted something good, you can’t keep it to yourself.

Conclusively, user research is just a way of knowing and understanding what your target users need to know the best possible way to create the best products with a great user experience and they are carried out using various methods.


Carrying out research makes you better!

As a User Researcher, you feel I have not covered the processes involved, please, do well to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback and suggestions.


Visit: https://techrity.org and join the community to join other user researchers and designers.

Thank you.