By Ephraim Oseji & Emmanuel Okogba

The advent of digital technology has in no small measure given risen to many career paths that were not in existence in the recent past. With the new development, there has been a diversity of interests and perhaps, professionalism in the area of technological advancement. However, one name that rings a bell when you talk about digital technology in this new age is Hannah Edia. She’s one of the thought leaders working in the field of digital marketing. Edia is about working with tech startups and has successfully worked on implementing high level digital marketing campaigns for some of the fast growing startups in the country. She looks forward to designing more campaigns that will convert visitors into brand loyalists, having previously worked as the Marketing Manager at Crowdyvest. She’s also the author of the book, ‘Not So Expert.’ In this interview, she shares insights on how young people can start a career in tech and maximize the opportunities in the tech space to achieve their goals.

How did you start your career in tech?

I started my career in tech in 2015 as a technical writer. I also worked as an ad copywriter.

What was the turning point in your career? What are some of your biggest achievements? 

I have had quite a few turning points in my career so can’t point to one. However, I would say, hosting Maximize Summit, self-publishing a book titled, Not So Expert, How to Confidently Launch when You are Not an Expert or Have A-List Clients from a 360-degree Perspective and leading the marketing team at Crowdyvest, are good moments that I absolutely treasure. I also love contributing to ongoing discussions in the field of technology, mentoring others, and speaking when I get the chance.

As for some of my biggest achievements, I hosted Nigeria’s first virtual summit, Maximize Summit where I interviewed 21 speakers from 7 countries including Sonia Thompson, Davies Okeowo, Rotimi Ogunyemi, Nicola G, Daryl Weber, Former Global branding Director for Coca-Cola, Femi Longe, Co-founder of CCHub, and Renee Warren, Co-founder and CEO of Onboardly.

Over the years, one of the biggest complaints I heard was, I want to start freelancing or I want to start a digital marketing agency but I don’t know how to go about it and buying coaching packages was very expensive. This was why I ultimately decided to host the summit.

Accessing each of the speakers will cost $1,000 above and some don’t even offer coaching or courses but by bringing them together in this summit, my attendees could pick their brain and learn from them.

These speakers were able to share advanced business strategies for digital marketing professionals, freelancers, and product owners to launch and grow their online business while avoiding costly mistakes. I was also able to secure over $11,000 in free gifts including a full enterprise accounting package, PR course, one-on-one coaching sessions and so on.   

Not So Expert is a book I wrote to encourage young people who are interested in starting a side hustle or online business but feel like they don’t have enough experience under their belt. I started freelancing in 2014 and that gave me the opportunity to learn so much about pitching new clients, how to put together a marketing campaign, how to create content that converts, how to pitch clients and more so I decided to put all my experience together and the result of that is this book which I am incredibly proud of.

The next phase of growth for me after learning digital marketing was understanding how global brands work, which led me to pursue a Masters degree in Marketing with Brand Management. 

We have seen a wave of young people rushing to learn how to code in order to start a career in tech even when they have no solid interest in that part. What would you say to them? 

I think that’s a mistake. There are several paths to starting a career in tech, dare I say, even easier paths than learning how to code, so if coding is not your thing, I strongly advise you to reconsider that option.

However, there are several paths for those seeking a career in tech. I am a digital marketer that has worked mostly with tech startups across different sectors which has defined my career path as a tech professional. Even as a digital marketer, there are different specializations such as Email marketing specialists, SEO specialists, and Sales Funnel specialists.

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There are also other careers in tech that don’t involve coding including Data Analytics, Product Design, UI/UX Development, Project Management, Technical Writing, Cloud solutions specialist and many more. It’s an inexhaustive list. You can also become involved in tech using the skills and qualifications you already have. For instance, we have product managers, operations specialists, accountants, lawyers who are in tech because they work with tech startups.

For those who want to switch career paths within tech, how would you ask them to go about it?

Is it possible to continue with your qualification and instead look for a tech startup that you can impact? That would be the best place to start. However, if you would like to change job titles or be in an active technical role, it’s best you start out by investing your time watching videos on YouTube to see what the roles entail. This will give you a good understanding of both technical and non-technical roles and which you are most interested in. If you would like to go a step further, you can take a course on Udacity and there are similar programs you can also sign up for. There are free code camps, Google courses and mentors on social media who would be willing to take you under their wings. You can also start an internship program to get your foot in the door once you complete these courses. 

What are some challenges you can expect?

There are several challenges that you can expect depending on your role. It can be frustrating trying to switch career paths especially when you are not earning an income yet. Once you complete your training program, you also have to learn how to secure clients or get a role at a tech startup. Finally, continually pushing yourself to learn can be a challenge when you are learning all by yourself. I strongly advise that you join a community that can encourage, inspire and connect you to new opportunities that can be explored.

What are the opportunities in tech in 2022?

I think this is one sector where supply outweighs demand. It doesn’t matter what level you are in your tech journey, there is always an opportunity you can take advantage of. There has been more than a 10X increase in VC investment across Africa according to the State of Tech in Africa 2021 report from AfriArena and the growth is not slowing down any time soon. In fact, I fully expect it to go up as new technologies launch, so whatever your role is, whether that is a digital marketer or a web developer or someone who works in tech, provided you can add value, there are so many opportunities you can take advantage of. Also, launching a business in tech is also one sector that has a low barrier of entry unlike launching a physical product. You really can put together a team where you bounce off each other’s strengths and build a credible product from there. The opportunities are limitless and I am really excited. There is so much to come in this industry and I can’t wait to see the role I play in it.

What should you consider before accepting any position?

It’s important to know the vision of the company you want to work with. After all, you will be spending an average of 40 hours if you decide to take the role. If this is your first role, you may jump at it without any considerations, however, by the time you gain some experience, you will understand how important it is to always do a background check before accepting any role.You need to know the vision for the company and ask yourself, are you willing to key into this? Do you care about the problem they are trying to solve? How much impact will your role have in the company? Is the role commensurate with the salary? Can you negotiate for equity? These are all important questions that you should ask. Before your final interview, write down a list of 5 questions you would like them to answer because the interview is about you as much as it is about them.

Is there a growth plan you recommend?

Personally I enjoy working with startups and I will not trade my experience for anything, but a disadvantage is that one team member can wear so many hats. So you can be the digital marketing with the KPI of adding a certain revenue to the company’s bottom line. At the same time though, you are responsible for setting up ads, creating content, outreach, project management while reporting to management at the same time. While this can be good for your career, it can also lead to a lot of stress.

Also, another disadvantage is, sometimes there is no set career path so you need to forge a plan for yourself, discuss your growth and career path with your line manager. If you are just getting started, you will learn a lot from working with a startup, however, working with an established tech company also has its perks, just make sure to communicate your expectations.

How do you think the government can play a role in moving technology forward in the country?

The government can play a role by being proactive. It is obvious that new ideas are being launched daily, some of which are not currently regulated. However, there are discussions worldwide on new technologies in deep tech, impact tech, blockchain technology and NFTs are currently trending. The government needs to start looking for ways to collaborate with the founders of these startups in terms of policy, training and research.

Any book recommendations?

I would recommend Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist and Russell Brunson’s DotCom Secrets. 

Who are your role models?

When it comes to marketing in general, I would definitely say Seth Godin, however, when it comes to digital marketing for tech companies, I would say Neil Patel. I am also inspired by the impact that Ire Aderinokun, Ose Osundeko, Femi Longe and many more are having in the tech space.

Future Goals

I would like to mentor young professionals who are interested in tech and business and in the future, build something awesome.

Vanguard News Nigeria