Early this morning, I got to chat with a past staff member of my language and linguistics academy. During the conversation online, I found out that he was baffled about how I was able to be a specialist in Data Science and AI. Also, he questioned about my studies in the UK and migration to Canada. Thus, I got inspiration to write this article and would like to use it to clarify some misconceptions as well…
Early this morning, I got to chat with a past staff member of my language and linguistics academy. During the conversation online, I found out that he was baffled about how I was able to be a specialist in Data Science and AI. Also, he questioned about my studies in the UK and migration to Canada. Thus, I got inspiration to write this article and would like to use it to clarify some misconceptions as well.
Eight Months Back
I remember that in the month of November 2020, I was still a full-time web developer @ Topping Tail Trading Academy, language instructor @ my own language institute and immigration specialist @ my migration agency too. I knew that I was clearly not in the AI industry but I had a desire to venture into it. I am always mixed up in many professions right from my graduation from the University of Ilorin. I certainly didn’t have that knack of staying in just one career, earning meager salaries and hoping for the best. Of course, I was still in Nigeria and didn’t want to get schooled again in the shores of the bad education system and corrupt atmosphere in the country. So, I opted for a better path.
My Game Plan
Indeed, I was well in the know that I could not venture into a new craft or expertise without being well educated in it. By schooling, I didn’t want to limit myself to the four walls of a classroom. So, I just searched online more and more for the right click. It took me weeks to get the very firstgreat computer science course I found which was CS50 from Harvard University taught by David Malan. I started the course but soon lost interest when I saw that my focus was not pure software engineering but data science. In short, I didn’t finish the course even up until now. Morale – No matter how good a course is, if it is not for you, leave it!My Reasons for Failure
Though, I would say that it was not only because of my keen interest for AI which drove that failure. I figured out that a course which lacks strict deadlines and weekly targets left me unmotivated to finish up well and fast. Worse still, I realized after surfing the internet a lot about my new found passion that any course that I am doing which do not directly lure me into the art and science of data is rather not worthy of my attention. There should be a closely related program that not only teaches me what I need to know but also sets me apart from the majority in the new field.
Next Call of Action
After wasting up to 3 months on CS50 without finishing it and navigating the internet for solutions, I came across the seemingly perfect fix to that immediate problem. The MSc data science program of the University of East London (UEL) through the UNICAF scholarship program. Though, I had checked in on other schools especially in Canada and UK like the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Cambridge, among others which all had amazing programs with wonderful course curations but their yearly tuitions were in the millions of naira and that was killing. UEL was cheaper.Application Spree
I became obsessed with the idea of schooling abroad and even overlooked the fact that the scholarship was meant for online students only. I just wanted to start learning and do away with the guilt of not finishing the CS50 course and pursuing my dream. Soon, I paid some part of the reduced tuition fee and application cost after soliciting for aid from family, work and my company funds. I even had to stop my physical businesses in the ancient city of Ilorin, resign from my full-time job and shun some of my family members and their advices not to waste so much time, money and effort into a virtual program that do not guarantee me my residency or even graduate work permit and visa into the United Kingdom. I sold all my properties and packed my luggage to move away from Ilorin to lay low and start my studies. Though there were more reasons to folding up my businesses offline than only my studies which I would talk about in details in another blog article later on.
Constant Quest for More
Fortunately, I did not rest on my petals. I kept on seeking much more than the master’s degree program. Though, within just 5 months, I have set a distinctive record with my modules with As but I needed more. So, I joined the Association for Computational Linguistics as a Graduate Student with Membership Confirmation Code: 62277c5d20001 and confirmation details – UID: 56591, the British’s Royal Statistical Society as a Standard e-Student with Membership no: 216599 and Data Science Association. From blog articles written by some writers in these organizations and other industry leading sites, I found out that I can do more than expected. So, I read more contents online related to my niche and implement the advices of top data scientists and AI/ML engineers that I wanted to end up like.Activism and Volunteerism
Unlike being a part of the political miscreancy and pseudo-governmental hypocrisy in Nigeria, I charged myself with participating firstly in the program I got admitted into. I started teaching what I learnt in the courses to many of my colleagues on our Virtual Learning Experience platform until I was geared up to start a career blog newsletter on LinkedIn where I drop articles on a monthly basis related to my own journey into the world of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence right from my apartment somewhere in Nigeria. Luckily, I was contacted by Martha Lopez, a consultant on contract with MentorColor on LinkedIn to become a mentor on MentorColor as a result.
Social Media Engineering
Initially I thought that I was being followed, spied on and investigated by top brands in this game. The more I get into data science, the more I get to find out that similar ideas do really exist. Have you ever thought of why YouTube keep recommending related videos to you from the ones you watched earlier? Or do you even know how Google, Facebook among other social networks show ads that seem to be your needs at a particular time based on your browsing history? Well, that is just some aspects of the vast areas of application of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, and it really had an effect on me. You can also learn about this and earn big if you really have the interest for data science at heart.More Knowledge Seeking
I remember seeing various scholarships pop up on my news feed, channel and accounts urging me to apply for Google Developers Scholarship, MasterCard Scholarship through ALX_Africa, DataQuest Coupon, LinkedIn Learning Offers, UNICAF University Referral Bonuses, EntryLevel.net Financial Aid and so on. I didn’t have money to get first-class education in Ivy-League Colleges or work experiences in Fortune 500 companies but I knew I had what it takes to get scholarships, offers and discounts to study all I can to become what I wanted to be and so I enrolled to all the online programs, courses and bootcamps from those organizations at little or no amount done and they all paid off.
That Breakthrough Moment
Funny enough, I have not seen myself as a specialist or mentor or expert as many people call me today. Yet, they do. So, I soon found out that many have to know how I did it. The last Canadian-developed course I took this month – Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst certification by Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) opened my eyes to the series of potentials that I have not yet harnessed. Many of my learning colleagues kept contacting me on Whatsapp, messaging me on LinkedIn and Slack asking that I teach them how to create a financial data model, pass the FMVA final exam even though I had no prior solid background in tech, accounting or finance prior to the financial analyst program organized by ALX Africa. Still, I made my way into that other field in a matter of 6 weeks after taking and excelling in 21 courses that the program comprised of and equally qualifying to partake in the Business Intelligence and Data Analyst (BIDA) program come this following week all fully paid instead of paying $497 for each.Your Take from These
As you can see, I am still learning and will most certainly continue to do same but if you want to be regarded as an expert or specialist, just get started with something in that line you want to be acknowledged and even if you failed at one thing, continue with another and do not relent. It is not yet over and I don’t even think it will ever be up until we hit the grave but you have to keep on keeping on. Moreso, practice what you learn immediately so that it can sink in, teach what you know and you can certainly be accorded an authority in the niche. I remember one of the practices I did in relation to my migration business titled “Data Analysis Report of Canada Immigration Countries’ 1980 – 2013”, I used all what I learnt in some of the courses I took to take up that analysis project and it turned out well on the earning me 3 batches which are “Independent learner”, “Critical Thinker” and “Academic Excellence” on my certificate and a mentorship session with a mentee.
Job Offers, Conferences and Speaking Engagements
Prior to my active involvement on LinkedIn, I was mostly spending my time looking for contracts and jobs home and abroad. I am a business man and a worker in some way so it is only normal to do so. When I shifted my focus from physical to online business, I decided to dedicate my 2022 towards my career change and development. The universe, I guess, laughed at me because it knew that with my approach of seeking to learn, practice and teach would come with it some job opportunities, conference and speaking gigs that sound too good to be true. Though, we need to be careful with some of these offers as well so that one doesn’t get scammed too all in the name of trying to become recognized in the industry. Be a wise Nigerian here. I was contacted by a few conference coordinators to be their guest speakers, sent some job offer from Turing.com, some online tech recruiters among other international bodies but I have joined none.My Surplus Goals
Everyone has his or her own goal(s). Some of mine is to first get educated enough with lots of certifications, live projects and recommendations to my name. Also, I want the flexibility attached to working with foreign companies in the US, Canada or elsewhere from anywhere I am be it Nigeria or overseas and still get to be paid more than even the offline or on-site workers while determining my own working conditions. And to achieve that, I need more practical knowledge and courage to ask for more while accepting that job or partnership offer. Perhaps, I can transcend that level later on to even become a founder or innovator of one or more revolutionary data science company or AI-driven solution(s).
Canada Immigration and Toronto Summit Invitations
Advancing my career in the technological world came with so many benefits than just its knowledge or job offers. I was sent a Notification Of Interest (NOI) from the most populous province of Canada, Ontario for permanent residency through Express Entry’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream under their Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) in line with my proficiency in the French language, tech knowledge and prior working experience. Such a blessing is just more of a positive contribution to the whole spectrum of immense merits to setting up oneself as a constant learner. To crown it all up, I have been invited to partake in the next AI in Finance and Deep Learning Summit in Toronto, Ontario through one of the Managers of the event come November 2022.Connections and Networking
Many may think of or read about all these but not understand the tips I am trying to pass across. So, I would break it down in these very few final lines. To become someone to reckon with in a field, not only do you need knowledge, you need to also engage with people and form lasting friendly and professional relationships with other professionals. I have not known anyone who became a specialist who didn’t mingle with like-minds, did the same things they were doing in their careers and learnt how to contribute his or her own quota to the field by teaching or creating revolutionary solutions that could solve other people’s daily or professional problems. Hence, give and it shall be given onto you! Through, my LinkedIn account, I have connected with the Prime Minister of Canada (even though he hasn’t responded), my instructors at CFI (from whom I got feedbacks like comments and likes on posts), other Africans and foreigners in my fields. I also welcome LinkedIn InMail from anyone from far and beyond, and I have lived to benefit a whole deal from this conscious move to network with others.
Request from Me to You
If you really enjoyed this piece, at least reach back to me in the comment section of this post. If you need me to mentor you on your own profession or career path, you can freely book me through my mentor page on MentorColor. If you want to take a step forward, you can also connect with me on LinkedIn and follow for constant notifications from me or even join my Career Blog Newsletter to know how to Start your own Career in Data Science, Business Intelligence, Financial Modeling, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. And if you wish to apply at least something from all what you learnt on this article, you can as well share with your friends and family members. Remember sharing is caring!