The Broke Techie
Tech will give you blood money they said. But why is my balance far from that? The truth is a lot of us want to make the switch to tech because we like money (no judgment because it’s fine) but along the way, we get frustrated when it isn’t coming our way.
Hi, Techie! Welcome to this read. We’ll be exploring the aspect of finance aka funds in tech. This theme is a tricky one but it has to be discussed. Your hopes may be dashed but for the right reasons.
When I did get started in the tech space, I wasn’t aware of the potential of earning crazy figures not to even talk of earning in dollars. In fact, it took me a while to land my first job. At that time, it was a writing job that paid me less than $20 (at that time it was 10k naira). I was to churn out articles on a weekly basis with a word count of 700 words (2 articles per week). Sounds crazy, right? But I was so happy I finally got a job.
A few months into the job, I started hunting for more jobs and it gave me one that paid about 30k monthly. This role was less straining and just required me to give strategies for community engagement. LinkedIn is a great place to find jobs by the way. I don’t recommend applying via the easy apply section. To me, it’s just a huge waste of time. I sent tons of cold emails to get my past jobs.
The point is, my journey to financial freedom was progressive like millions of other techies. While your dream of landing a $10k monthly job is valid, I’d say cut yourself some slack and grow. Climb up the job ladder. For me, it was a “K’owo sha ma pe” mindset (The money should be complete in Yoruba).
The beautiful part is when I started earning as high as $300 and I still had these side gigs as a form of extra income, I knew how to properly manage my finances. Don’t be deceived. As your income increases, so those your cravings for more expensive things. You then need to understand the difference between a NEED and a WANT. That you want something doesn’t make it a necessity. You need to clearly define your savings plan. Do you earn to make others rich or do you earn for YOU?
Now, as a new techie, don’t be money-driven just yet. Get experience and build relationships. Your next job might be from a recommendation, so invest in solid relationships and show up well.
Money isn’t bad. It can drive you but don’t let it consume you. Take it one step at a time. One block at a time. The more you look, the more you find. If jobs don’t come to your table, look for them.
Always know that YOUR journey is different. Your first tech pay might be $100 or even $10k, earn less or more doesn’t mean you aren’t trying. You are. It’s a process, enjoy it and keep grinding.
Just in case you need a little help with finding jobs, I highly recommend LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Rethinkable. If you’re great with coldmailing, you know the drill. Dust your resumes and cover letters and start applying with a strategy.
Till we meet in our next read, I’m rooting for you!
