₦airaland Forum

Female legal practitioners in tech.

Having been in the legal profession for over a decade, I started to feel stuck, discontent and itching for more. I knew I wanted to transition into the Tech Industry but struggled with the thought of seeming to abandon Law. Leaving the comfort of the familiar and ‘Tech’ seemed like a whole different world from Law.

Unlike people that switched careers because they didn’t enjoy their previous field, I actually enjoyed being a Lawyer, I am good at it, I loved the “prestige and power” that came with being a lawyer but still, I wanted more and I could not shake that feeling.

For over 5years, I dreamt, researched and explored different avenues to aid this transition. You see, I was not a tech nerd, I wasn’t spending my time as a kid playing with computers like my brothers. My nose was always buried deep in a book. Where there was no new book, I was probably reading the back of the cereal box, I just wanted to learn.

The Transition Into Tech
After agreeing with myself that I needed to change my career, then I needed to answer the “How” question. I had no immediate desire to go back to the university to study a STEM course. I wanted a way to transition into tech as quickly and cost effective as possible. My research skill from being a lawyer became very useful. I found and took as many online courses as I could to become familiar with shortlisted career options in the tech industry, then IT Business Analysis caught my interest. with the knowledge that I needed to know more.

I did immerse myself into everything Business Analysis and when I realised I needed more professional knowledge, Heels and Tech was where I went to. Signing up for a 6 weeks intense Business Analysis course, I learnt the rudiments of being a Business Analyst and got to work on a project utilising all the knowledge I had gathered. The project went from requirement gathering to prototype designing, creating User stories, acceptance criteria, user test cases and using software. Tools I didn’t even know existed a month prior. The lawyer was indeed becoming a tech girl.

The Journey
This journey was by no means an easy task, but I was having the time of my life. From collaborating on Jira, to creating process flows on Lucid chart and prototyping on Figma. I had several moments I would look at my work and be awed at the things I was creating, the way I could interpret business requirements into understandable development tasks to match a software with tools, designs and concepts that would have seemed like gibberish to me only a few weeks ago.

It was at these moments when I was becoming a Business Analyst, from Eliciting information from Stakeholders to understand Business Values, to analysing pain points and collaborating with the scrum team, I did come to the realisation and acceptance that I didn’t leave Law to become a Tech girl, I am a Lawyer, always will be and the skills I had developed in my decade long journey is why I found asking the right questions easy during Elicitation exercises, and why I had developed good listening ears. My transferrable Lawyer skills are indeed paving my way in this new field and I am grateful for it.

Conclusion
So, if you are out there and thinking of starting a career in Tech, I hope this article can demystify it for you. Take that step, make that research, take the course, ask questions, keep probing. Know that Tech is for anyone who chooses it and not just the “Tech Nerd”. There is something in it for everyone and I’m rooting for you to find yours.

[quote author=Damysa post=107371056]Am ready to start the training, when can I start [/quot
You can contact us on via WhatsApp on this number +2348182421832

WHO IS A BUSINESS ANALYST?

A Business Analyst is a consultant that transforms requirement from the Business to the Technology team.

Do you know that Business Analysts with just 1-4 years experience earn above two million naira on an average, yearly? So as a beginner you can also earn big. Let’s quickly redefine who a Business Analyst is, before we get down to the important skills needed to be one. A Business Analyst is a connect-the-dot person between the non-technical and the technical

What Skills Do I Need To Be A Business Analyst?

Do you know that Business Analysts with just 1-4 years experience earn above two million naira on an average, yearly? So as a beginner you can also earn big.
Let’s quickly redefine who a Business Analyst is, before we get down to the important skills needed to be one.
A Business Analyst is a connect-the-dot person between the non-technical and the technical team of a business. Also we can call them the techies most loved by business owners around the world.
Any organization that wants to improve its efficiency, reduce cost, and of course, generate more revenue will need a business analyst.
So what skills do you need to develop to be a business analyst? In this blog post, I’ll tell you all you need to know about that. Let’s get started!
Top 5 Roles of a Business Analyst in Effectively Running an Organization
Here are the top 5 roles of a Business Analyst
1. Proffering Effective and Realistic Solutions to Business
As a business analyst, one of your responsibilities is to find solutions to the problems facing the company. Not just any type of solution but one that would suit the policies of the company.
2. Team Support
It is important to also work with other members of the team. The financial reporting and IT teams in particular to establish initiatives and strategies to improve importing and to optimize costs.
3. Multitasking
Part of their job description is to be able to handle two or more projects at a time. They must also be able to deliver in time
4. Conducting Research
This role is very important because data collected during this research process would be analyzed using data analysis software. Results from this analysis are further interpreted to create business models.
5. To Bridge the Gap between IT and Business
They do this by using data analytics to assess processes, determine requirements and deliver data-driven recommendations and reports to executives and stakeholders
Required Hard and Soft Skills for a Business Analyst
Peculiar to business analysts, there are certain skills needed. However, you do not have to be an expert in all of the skills listed below. Let us categorize the skills into hard and soft skills.
Hard Skills
Hard skills are specific abilities or capabilities, that an individual can possess and demonstrate in a measured way.
• Ability to make research
• Ability to make detailed and organized documentation
• Ability to analyze data accurately
• Ability to solve problems
• Computer literacy
• The basic software and programming language knowledge such as SPSS or STATA, Python and R)
Soft Skills
• Effective communication skills.
• Creativity
• Listening ability
• Negotiation skills
• Critical and strategic thinking
• Technical report writing skill
• Decision making and Problem-solving skills
Business Analysts in the Tech Industry
The tech industry is big. However, individuals make use of technology in their various career paths. People make use of Tech in Fashion, Engineering, Finance, E-commerce, and several others
The Fintech Companies e.g Interswitch, flutter wave, etc, E-commerce Companies e.g Jumia, Google, Microsoft, Engineering Outsourcing Tech Companies e.g Andela. The needs of these companies differ, and this comes with extra specific roles for their business analysts.
For instance, Fintech companies need their business analysts to take up the following responsibilities;
• Oversee cash management/reconciliation, financial reporting, and balance sheet management.
• Coordinate work relating to both internal and external audits in the periodic review of the company financial records.
• Monitor and reconcile receivables accounts. Monitor all outstanding balances and engage processors for collections.
• Ensure that company financial records, under responsibility, are maintained in compliance with company policies.
• Establish accounting operational strategies by working with the engineering team, identifying requirement gaps, automating processes, and implementing updates to internal tools.
Skills required
• Very proficient in MS Excel
• Have strong knowledge of internal controls and financial reporting
• Have accounting experience.
E-commerce companies expect their business analysts to;
• Find ways to attract quality customers, maximize the value of existing ones and maintain market dominance.
• Remain current on industry trends concerning business intelligence capabilities.
• Conduct thorough data analysis, help design and implement analytics programs, generate reports, and collaborate with various teams to ensure we are optimizing our resources and maximizing our market share
Skills required
• Ability to combine strong analytical skills with sound business knowledge.
• Good appreciation of project management
• Data Analysis with excellent Excel skills.
Engineering Outsourcing Company Business Analysts fit into the following roles;
• Business Intelligence tooling and infrastructure as well as thoughtful analysis
• The mandate and scope of the team is essentially unlimited and ranges from business metrics to analyses that ultimately become productized
• Support business teams with reporting and dashboard
• Identify and analyze trends and develop potential solutions
Skills required
• Ability to bring ideas to life and convey information in a way that’s very easy to understand.
• Expertise in using adobe suite production tools( or similar tools for infographic, photo, video, and audio)
• Ability to communicate ideas and test their efficacy with an analytical mindset.
Step by Step Guide to Acquiring the Required Skills
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can acquire the relevant skills needed to become a professional business analyst:
• Get started with a beginner friendly business analysis course that equips you with all the knowledge and skills needed to excel in this field and even land jobs right after.
• Develop your soft skills such as communication and organizational skills
• Be ready to learn always
• Apply for internship roles for experience purpose
Conclusion
I hope this article has been able to give you enough insight and information on who a business analyst is, how to become a business analyst, and what to expect when you eventually land a job.
I would like to emphasize those skills. You don’t have to be an expert to land the job. All you need is basic knowledge and training continues on the job.
Oh you thought I am done? No I am not. This is not just an article that would leave you hanging. We don’t just talk, We train too. Are you asking if you need any prior knowledge before you can be part of the training? No you don’t. Just come with your learning ability and our experts at heels and tech will take it up from there.

Fear is no no in this game Did you know that the Fear of Technology is called Technophobia.

Don't tell me you are on this table.

If you desire a better work-life balance or a remote office anywhere in the world, then you need to address the elephant in the room called FEAR. Also, getting a tech Job is your best bet.

How to overcome Fear.

1. Face it...You see, the earlier you realize fear is just an emotion..just like Love, happiness, grief..the better you get used to it.
Guess what, the most powerful people in the world also have their own fears..but they make that decision fearfully.

There is this quote that says . "Keep your fear to yourself, share your courage with others"

2. Get excited about learning and make sure you devote time, energy and money to it(oh yes, set a budget aside for your personal development)

3. Forget your age...I made a post recently about a woman learning how to code in her 50s...a follower commented and said, even at my old age, you mean I can still transition into this thing...Of course, mama you can.

4. Make new friends...Yes, friends of a feather flock together...If you have been an event manager for years, it's understandable you must have made friends in that circle...but now that you want to transition, you need to intentionally make friends outside of your circle so that you can rub minds and also encourage each other on this journey.

I hope you found this tip useful..Do you have a technology tale to share �...Please reach out.

I studied Economics as my Bachelors degree My first ever Internship after I graduated was in tech( ecommerce)..I left to serve for a year as a teacher...then fortunately again, got a job in another ecommerce tech company.

In this company which was about 6/7 years, I learnt how to use technological tools, developed my digital marketing skills , build website, code( trust me, I don't enjoy this bit) but my boss insisted. Learnt graphics designing..basically, I interfaced daily with a lot of stakeholders and learnt on the journey.

After I left this company, I got a job in a multinational tech company where I saw enterprise tech tools.. You see, the tools used in big companies are different. What a Gtbank can afford will be different from what a one man business can use. I learnt how to use Oracle, Sap, Microsoft tools.

Thereafter, I left to start my business...which I leveraged tech tools for. Mainly digital marketing.

I have always loved technology and all thanks to the person who gave me a chance..and guess what, my hubs is a tech guru.

I'm in another phase of my life where I'm learning another aspect of tech and I have decided to not only carry you along, but also ensure you learn and become better as a result.

If I can do it..So you can.
Let's go.

This page was borne out of the desire to:

1. Transfer all the skills and knowledge I have about Technology to you...Yes, you.��

2. To combat that fear women usually have when it comes to technology.

3. Encourage women increase their paychecks.

You see, Tech is mainly known as Male dominated while the women take the backseat.

Don't get me wrong, there are women in technology field but they are few.

When you mention tech..it makes some people shiver...and I'm here to demystify that myth on this page.

As a wife and a mother, I know how difficult it must be for you to want to navigate around all this...but trust me to ensure that every step of the journey will be seamless and easy.

Are you one of the people who is has been curious about how apps are built without having to code.
guess what, you can definitely build an application by yourself without coding knowledge.
If you're interested in learning how apps are built with Zero code, You should not miss afford to miss it.

Gbemisola Tobi (BUBBLE DEVELOPER) will share his expertise on build an app from scratch using bubble.

Topic: How To Build An App From Scratch Using Bubble

Date: October 22nd, 2021

Time:5pm

This webinar will be both educational and entertaining.

The link has been released ��������

You don't want to miss this webinar trust me.

Click on the link below to register.

https://heelsandtech.com/how-to-build-an-app-from-scratch-with-bubble-webinar-registration/

Don't forget to check your spam emails or promotional and move the mail you receive from us spam or promotional to primary so that you can receive our emails.

Hurry and register before it closes.

You don't want to miss out on this one.