Hello! I was wondering what your early experiences in tech were like, and if you would change anything about them.

Thank you for your interesting question, Deolu! I'll share both my early experiences with technology and my early career experiences in tech, as both have shaped my journey significantly.

My first encounters with technology were, like many others, through video games. I started by watching my parents play, and soon enough, I was playing myself. However, the real turning point came during high school, thanks to an exceptional IT teacher. He shared a snake-like game with our class, along with its source code. This opened up a whole new world for me and my friends — we started tinkering with the code, adding features like multiplayer, and suddenly programming wasn't just about abstract concepts anymore. It became a tool to create things that people could enjoy! I consider myself very fortunate to have had this experience, as it wasn't part of the standard curriculum but greatly influenced my career path.

As for my early career experiences, they taught me some valuable lessons. During my first internship in university, I struggled with limited guidance and often felt lost and frustrated. However, this experience helped me recognize what I needed in a workplace. My second internship proved to be completely different — I found myself surrounded by amazing colleagues, one of whom became my mentor. This experience was so positive that I later joined the same company for my first full-time position.

Looking back, I wouldn't change much about these experiences because they taught me something crucial: proper mentorship and guidance are absolutely fundamental in the early stages of a tech career. While I was fortunate to find a great mentor, I strongly encourage anyone starting their career to actively seek positions and companies that offer strong mentorship programs.

This is one of the reasons I'm proud to work at Nokia today. The company places significant emphasis on coaching and mentoring programs, and ensures internships provide meaningful learning experiences. It's gratifying to be part of an organization that understands the importance of supporting early career professionals.

I hope you'll have an exciting journey ahead in tech, Deolu, and that you'll also find great mentors who can guide and inspire you along the way!