₦airaland Forum

DrLevi:
I was quite reluctant to reply to this post because the "which one pays the highest" sounded like greed and greedy people put me off.
But at least you want to hustle legally and earn money instead of crimes and vices and so that should be supported.

Anyway, to your question

Firstly; The highest paid are the Project managers and Tech Lead with decades of experience that work for Fortune 500 tech companies. Switching areas of specialising because one pays more might get you lesser pay as "Years of professional experience" is the golden criteria

Secondly: Since money is the goal, the question shouldn't even be the highest paying. It should be the quicker to getting a paying job. Lower barrier of entry. Because if you are told the highest paying but it take 3 years to get a junior role, can you be that patient?... Exactly

So my personal ranking from lowest barrier to highest:
QA tester
Product manager
UI/UX(product designer)
Web
DevOps/Cloud
Automation
Mobile/Desktop
Game development/3D
Video Editing
IoT and Embedded systems
Drivers

A lot of people might disagree with this list but it was made using certain criteria
1. Hardware requirement. If you don't have a beastly system just forget Mobile and Game/3D... You won't go anywhere(fast). By beastly I mean 16GB Ram, SSD and a good graphic card for Game/3D. Although I started as mobile dev with a 2gb RAM core2duo system, I can tell you it was hell till I got a better system as a gift.
The top 6 can be done on an average computer. So If you can't shell out 200k+ for a computer, your choice is already being made for you.

2. Getting a job: You see those last 2, I doubt there are many Nigerians that work on those full-time. Getting a local job would be hard or even not possible. Hardly will a foreign company send you their hardware to work with remotely and e fit take you years before your first gig
You're more likely to get a job as Web dev, Mobile dev, or UI/UX. Of course, the competition here is rising on a daily basis. So be ready to beat a lot of people to get a job

3. Naturally affinity. I know its about the money, but don't be that Airbender trying to waterbend when you're not the avatar(a genius). What I'm saying is, even if you want the highest paying, if it doesn't want you, it doesn't want you.
Someone who sucks at logic would suck as backend dev and will always be throttled by their inability. Remember, the best make the big bucks not the speciality
So choose an area that resonates with you and what you do best.
If you're a creative with an eye for colour, UI/UX and frontend is perfect
If you prefer logic and architecture, backend or mobile
Automation and processes? DevOps and Automation
Management? Product manager
Nothing will frustrate you in tech than being that fish that wants to climb a tree. Find the ocean and swim with the current

In summary,
how much do you have to invest in hardware?
how long can you patiently learn before the bucks starts flowing? else you find yourself like many devs I know switching stack with every breath they take
what am I good at?
Can I afford to fight off thousands of Nigerians, Indians, Pakistans in this field in a year time?.. Will frustration from rejection mails depress me?

Post the answers to theses questions and the stack chooses you not the other way round

Goodluck man

I will first say thank you for taking your time to give this comprehensive contribution.

I am good with Management

I am also a very good problem solver

I think outside the box a lot, I have a curious mindset and it constantly helps me to understand how things work.

I am the kind of person that does not just accept that this is how it is done, I always ask why it is done that way. If we do it this way, what will be the outcome? This mindset makes it very easy for me to understand things because I most times know why those things work that way.

When I used to work in the corporate world, I discovered something about a very reliable, widely used and trusted software. That discovery was never made by anyone before me. In fact, I don't think they have found a solution to that discovery ( it is a loophole).

TBH, my inquisitiveness, curious mindset was what led me to that discovery. I kept asking myself that what's the concept behind this technology. And in 24 hours of testing, I discovered a major loophole.

I hope you and other Seniors can make something out of my person and the way I am wired.

Thank you

cc: Seun
tensazangetsu20, Misterrobot, reactjs, hannania, Wisdomremz, Ejiod, mcemmy0z, studymore123, airsaylongcome, qtguru

Ejiod:
Blockchain(Solidity or Rust) and if possible ioT development

Boss, kindly expatiate. I ma a bloody novice in this tech thing. Thank you

Studymore123:
It's natural to feel that way but your past experience always matters. IT is collaborative, you need people from every field. That's why we're having great development. Those making great innovations are not those with decades of IT experience but those who bring in their expertise from other field and contribute technologically.
I got into tech, left for business, sales, construction, oil and gas, support services, research, volunteer services, humanities/health/social science, and gravitating back to tech. I try to learn from everything I did.
You have to analyze your circumstances, create an output from the several inputs and start your journey. No two individuals walk on the same path but we all have a destination. Your experience and maturity will help you to be disciplined and focused on your vision. I sincerely wish you the very best.

Thanks a million

airsaylongcome:
Lol! Exactly why I laughed when you asked for the highest paying most enviable role. Now you don confuse abi

Lol. Boss, no be say I confuse but I feel I wasted almost a decade of my life doing the wrong thing. I was very good at what I did, in fact, other staff members wanted to be like me. I was the example.

Unfortunately, I had to resign at a point and reality dawn on me that the job did not build as much value as someone like me would want. If I invested that number of years in a Tech field, I know how much value I would have added to myself.

That's why I want to go into Tech now but I don't want to do trial and error. I want you Seniors to guide me. And once I choose a particular field, I will give it all it takes and tell myself that there is no going back.

Hannania:
Data science is not a field that newbies would see progress in early on. Data Analyst role is different though. Other fields of tech are easily developed to job ready skills in a year.

Make research, check job portals and see the requirements. In this field, your ability to source info is the main skill.

I hear people say Data Science/Analysis. I never knew they could be separated as a career path. kindly expatiate on the differences.

There is this Thread "Chronicle of a Data Scientist/Data Analyst" by Ejiod. I have not gone through from page 1 to the end ( I'm still on page 25). I think he stated somewhere that one can begin to make money in the first year and then continue learning and getting better.

What can you tell me about that please? Thank you

airsaylongcome:
I used to be a huge proponent for Data Science but I have since reviewed that position. If you have streamlined your choices to Dev vs Data Science I would say pick Dev. You are more likely to find early success in Dev than in DS especially as success in DS requires higher requirements for entry-level. Often you will need a PhD to really hit it big in DS. This is my personal opinion and not necessarily a true reflection of the professions.

Also, I like to encourage people to look at other entry points such as Helpdesk and Technical support. These often are low hanging fruits that can get your foot in the door to start earning a decent income while you progress. There's currently a few Tech Support openings I have referred some people to as a gateway into tech. HotJar is currently looking for Tech Support folks and are offering €50k per annum for someone with good and verifiable knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Applied for the the opening for the fun of it and was dropped at the 2nd stage because I could not convincingly prove I have good knowledge of HTML/CSS/JS even though I could answer ALL of the questions they asked. This was because my work experience was not purely in HTML/CSS/JS.

I'm a bit of a generalist and I can understand their reluctance. I'm presently looking at an opening for a Canadian company that built an inventory management software. I'm an IT person but held a job deploying and managing a Warehouse Management System so I understand the challenges and problems but the company is a bit hesitant. And I understand why. Because my experience is a bit all over the place.

Hmmmm

airsaylongcome:
Don't get me wrong though, everyone must be driven by something. For some it's passion. For others, it's money. And everyone is right to choose whatever it is that drives them. Been driven by money is not in anyway a bad thing. My personal position is that for those driven by money, when the money leaves they will also leave tech. A lot of people dive into entertainment now because there's a lot of money there. And that's good. But the profession itself (whether it's music or Tech) is driven by those who have a passion for it irrespective of the monetary rewards. There was a time when the music scene was dominated by Ras Kimono and Evi Edna Ogoli. By Alex O, Alex Zito and Blackky. These guys barely made money the way today's entertainers earn millions. But they churned out track after track. LP after LP. Because it was what they had passion for. All of their hardwork is what today's entertainers are reaping from. It's the same in tech. A lot of folks who went into CS in Nigeria back in the day were seen as never-do-wells. As failures and at some point as Yahoo boys.

My point? Whatever it is that drives you is fine, don't just assume that it is the same thing that drives others in the same profession. I wish you all the best and God-speed as you consider a career change to tech. And I pray that you find financial success in that change

I totally understand your argument. I also noted that "most" NOT all are motivated by money. Like I said, I truly understand your view point and I appreciate your contribution. Thank you once again Senior.

Hello Seniors, thank you for the contributions so far. I really appreciate.

I am now thinking of choosing between Software Development and Data Science.

Kindly assist with the Pros and Cons

Please note that other Newbies will also benefit from your wealth of knowledge.

Thank you.

cc: Seun
tensazangetsu20, Misterrobot, reactjs, hannania, Wisdomremz, Ejiod, mcemmy0z, airsaylongcome

ReactJs:
Bro you need to reorient yourself with regards to how focused you are about the monetary benefits of a career path you've not even started. One of the things that drives people to get into "tech" is money no doubt but you're probably not going to stick around to make that money if that money is your only motivation because it might relatively take a while before you start seeing that money.

Another thing is nobody can really decide for you what aspect of tech to focus . you're going to have to do your own intensive research so as to know beforehand what you're actually getting yourself into.

Whatever aspect you later pick, you can now start finding people in that domain for more in-depth suggestions about how you should go about it. That way, you make it easier for everyone involved.


On a side note, guys, quite a number of people send me requests to chat privately. I'm sorry I can't respond for personal reasons.

Thank you for your contributions Boss

airsaylongcome:
Many people (like yourself) who are now rushing to Tech are the ones doing it for the money. That's why you are interested in the highest paying most envious positions. Someone mentioned Data Science up there and that's because that's what also drove them, money. He doesn't know that Embedded C programmers or Hardware Driver programmers earn an unbelievable amount. And they aren't the most envied. Many people will tell you to focus on learning the state of the art Programming Languages but COBOL and Fortran programmers earn salaries that a lot of people will be envious of even though people will laugh at you if you say you program in COBOL or FORTRAN. Listen my friend, there is no such thing as the highest paid and most envied role in tech. This isn't medicine where everyone wanted to be a surgeon.

I understand your point Senior. Thank you

airsaylongcome:
Loool! You never enter house you dey ask make dem serve you Chicken with Fried rice with 1L Coke and toothpick.

Lol. I get your point. TBH, I know myself. I just need as much info as possible. I don't want to keep changing interest.

Many people say you shouldn't do it because of the money but low key, most of them are doing it for the money. As for me, I truly love solving problems and I can say I am not a bad problem solver. However, the rewards that come with it is a major motivation for me, just like it is for most successful Tech guys.

tensazangetsu20:
All tech fields pay well provided you are quite good and all are accorded the same respect. There's none really better than the other. They are all important.

Hmmmm... I feel Boss is trying to be political here.

Hannania:
Let me give you a very fast track. There's a company Called Microverse(Microverse.org). It's a company based in USA.

They train you for 7 months, then you use 3 months to look for a remote job. You pay them 15% of your income after your start making $1000. Some of their graduates make $30,000 because the stack they use is fullstack Ruby(HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Ruby and it's framework Ruby and Rails).

They have a one month pre-course, so don't worry if you're a beginner.

The training is on the concept of pair programming, so you'll work with students from all around the world.

If you register now, and get accepted let's say in August, by May next year you're at least a 500k earner.

That's the most practical advice from me, because it's structured, and you're learning with a goal to get a job.


Note: Ruby and rails is a sought after stack in US and Australia, so there's no much competition for developing countries developers.


This advice is just for Software Development.
Other fields of Tech like Product Design, Graphic design, just get a good Udemy course and stick to it for six months while connecting with a community.

All what I mentioned needs dedication. So if you're intentional, by this time next year, you'd smile.

Good luck.

Hmmm... This sounds so fascinating. Thanks a million.

tensazangetsu20:
The truth is the answer is subjective. If I was to advise you I would say front-end probably another person might tell you backend another would tell you mobile apps another would say data science. No one can tell you exactly what field is right for you. You just need to make research, choose the field you want and study intensively to land an entry level role at that field

Thank you for your input. What field would you say pays the highest and what field would you say their professionals are most envied?

Hello Seniors,

please be reminded of this request.

Thank you

cc: Seun
tensazangetsu20, Misterrobot, reactjs, hannania, Wisdomremz, Ejiod, mcemmy0z and other Seniors I did not mention

Millz404:
Journey start
basics
- html
- css
- javascript
advance
- react Js/react native/redux/mobx
- nodejs/mysql
pro
- containerization/docker
- other things you will figure out at this
point

Note: don't try to do these all at once. You will burnout and increase the chances of giving up

This is just one part you can take that will surely pay off. There are other paths you can also explore.

What journey precisely is this? Journey to becoming a Software Developer or Web developer or Software Engineer or Architect?

Please don't mind me if I'm sounding like a novice cos I'm actually one.

Thank you

Hello Tech Seniors,

I graduated from the University about a decade ago and I'm currently in my early thirties.

I did not study Computer Science, Engineering, Maths, Physics or other Math-related courses. My mathematical prowess is fair.

I made up my mind to go into Tech because I did an appraisal of my journey since I finished NYSC and realised I would have been very fulfilled if I ventured into Tech since then. The last one year has been terrible for me. I started thinking about Tech since late last year. I recently came across one or two threads where Tech guys gave testimonies and their comments gave me hope that Tech would change my life and my story.

I feel that I would even regret more in the next 10 years if I don't start something in Tech NOW! Tech is both the present and the future.

I have come to a conclusion that one can hardly regret ever going into Tech.

I got to know that there are several fields of Tech one can specialise in. I also got to know that some people started in one field and later dropped it for another field because they realised the first one was not for them.

I also hear that some people are in Tech but their foundation is faulty.

How do I know the aspect of Tech I will enjoy and at the same time excel in? Kindly guide me in every ways you can. I am coming late already and there is no time for me to gamble or do trial an error unlike a 16-year-old Jambite.

The following might be helpful in helping me make a decision:

1. I love to solve problems. In fact, solving problems gives me so much joy. There are times I skip sleep just because I want to find solution to a particular problem.

2. I love it when I am the staff/individual that got it done.

3. I am competitive (healthy competition). I love to look at people that are better than me and try to become as good as or better than them. I always believe that I can do it since they could also do it.

4. I love a career that pays very well even if not the best. As a result of this, I might be tempted to want to switch to a Tech career that has the best prospects and pays the highest. In that case, maybe it'd be advisable I start a career in that aspect I would eventually be tempted to port to.

5. Kindly also say something about Tech careers that thrive in the UK, US or Canada because one might have a cause to relocate in the future.

I look forward to reading from the seasoned and incisive Tech Seniors.

Thank you.

cc: Seun
tensazangetsu20, Misterrobot, reactjs, hannania, Wisdomremz, Ejiod, mcemmy0z and other Seniors I did not mention

Please don't forget to help me mention other Seniors that can give incisive contributions.