I am going to thank Mark Essien for his help and guidance in my programming career and that which he helped me achieve is what I am going to pass to you.

Today I make close to 3000$ (1.2million Naira) and even more per month off my programming skills and that is because I implemented my programming career choice wisely.

Want to know what I am?

I have two distinct careers all categorized in one major career path. I am a backend developer where I handle website back ends, databases and processes. But I didn't study computer science.

I studied Petroleum Engineering, which takes me to data analysis and Machine Learning. In school, I helped people carry out their projects and dissertations. I had to work with data analysis during quantitative research to evaluate data and create insights, I used statistical tools like Microsoft Excel, SPSS and STATA.

I came across project topics that involved artificial intelligence because schools and tertiary institutions were focusing on research and studies to meet up with global trends. I learnt how to use MATLAB to carry out data analysis using Artificial Neural Network, I was doing this just to be paid 50,000 Naira per project but little did I know I was building a very lucrative skill sub-consciously.

Trackback to 2018 when I graduated, I decided to venture into a PLAN B career while I wait for an oil company to employ me and that is how I decided to learn website development and become a freelance web designer.

I like money na, My Name is Emeka, E suppose dey my blood. I asked around for the most lucrative track in web development to join, and I was advised to learn backend programming. I started learning C#, and PHP but trust me, It was not funny. I decided to try a little front end. It was so easy, I guess my front end career was made in 1 month, so I decided to go back to the back end track as I needed something challenging.

I sourced youtube and fell in love with tutors like Traversy Media and DevED, but I am most grateful to the HNG Internship as that was the platform where my career took a spike.

I was advised to begin my backend career by learning the ALMIGHTY PYTHON.

Guys, I must admit, Programming is hard and not for everybody, but you see Python, you would enjoy learning it. The syntax, semantics and framework are so easy, everything about it is fluid, I call it a programming language for the Lazy Winners, not per see though, but what I mean in essence is that it is very smooth and easy to grasp.

In three months, I became good in Python and my backend career kickstarted fully. But that is not the end...

Do you know that with my knowledge in Python, I was able to revive my petroleum engineering career? I used the knowledge in python to learn data science and machine learning and it allowed me to apply technical functionalities to solving oil and gas problems in Nigeria. I was able to use my knowledge in Python and data science to analyze big data to predict in-situ stresses in a geologic formation, predict the prices of crude oil in the next 5 years and also, to predict the rate of penetration of drilling bits in a Niger Delta formation.

Imagine what this knowledge of python can be used to achieve in your own personal field. No career or course is useless so far I am concerned, I believe with Python, your IT and programming prowess is optimized, consequently, you can help companies and firms, as well as start-ups; analyze several parameters that constitute to the success of their business, draw actionable Insights and get paid for such services.

Look at me now, I am a backend developer during the weekends and a Data scientist during the weekdays, and I achieved this feat all with Python due to Mark Essien's HNG Internship guidance.

I want to advise you to lookup Python tutorials online and begin your career to success. You can check out my Video on how to set up a virtual Python environment on youtube. Just a short 10 minutes harmless but valuable video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU0-SHaxWSU

I also did a particular video during the same time of the upload for those that are front-end inclined on CSS Flexbox vs CSS grid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGbgYkdmBBI