Chisom Nwokwu is a renowned software engineer at Microsoft, a well-known multinational tech company, where she leverages her expertise to build world-class products and services. Her contributions extend beyond her professional role, as she plays a pivotal role in the Nigerian tech space by guiding and mentoring tech enthusiasts and newbies through her engaging tech content creation. Chisom’s commitment to fostering innovation and supporting early-stage techies is evident in her daily activities on social media, where she shares valuable insights and advice.
In addition to her work at Microsoft, Chisom is a published author and a sought-after public speaker. She has shared her knowledge and experiences at over 100 tech events around the world, inspiring countless individuals to pursue careers in technology. Her passion for education and mentorship has made her a respected figure in the global tech community. Chisom’s dedication to empowering others and driving technological advancement continues to make a significant impact in the industry. In our exclusive conversation with her, she explains what drives her and the impact she hopes to accomplish in Africa’s growing tech ecosystem.
Can we get to know you?
Hi, my name is Chisom Nwokwu, and I consider myself multifaceted. I am a software engineer focused on building scalable data platforms, with proven skills in big data engineering and I am also a published author, my book in the market is helping people land engineering roles at international tech companies finally, I am a digital creator, I have a YouTube channel dedicated to helping people build tech careers and showcase my life as a Software Engineer.
How did your journey in tech begin?
I was introduced to computers at a very young age, let’s say 9 years old, and I would usually do basic things like typing, surfing the internet, designing things online and I was really passionate and immediately knew what I wanted to do growing up which was “being in front of a computer, lol”.
Fast forward to secondary school, that passion grew bigger as I would always have my classmates meet me for computer-related questions.
However, I officially started writing code in my second year at the university. I started learning HTML, CSS & Javascript, but it didn’t excite me so much, so I met someone who called himself an “Android Developer”, he told me what he does, and I was hooked! I started learning how to develop mobile applications, and in 6 months, I launched my first app on the Google Play Store which has over 30,000+ downloads now.
Did you have any role models or mentors who influenced your career
Path?
Yes, I didn’t have mentors at the time but I had role models like Ire Aderinokun, Confidence Staveley, and Adora Nwodo. They were doing amazing things in their respective industries at the time I was still learning.
Can you tell us about your educational background and any relevant
certifications you’ve obtained so far?
I have a BS.c in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, and I also have a certification from ApTech Institute where I studied Mobile Development with Java. Additionally, I have other certifications in Azure Data Engineering, Project Management, Cloud Computing, and Huawei Network Analysis. So you can say I have a traditional computer science background, which has helped me a lot.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while working at
Microsoft, and how did you overcome them?
Working at a multinational like Microsoft, you’re going to face unique challenges daily. A few challenges I faced was, getting up to speed with my work charter as it was my first time in the field of Software Engineering.
I remember my first task was to work on a project with a programming language I had never used, this made me very anxious, but I was able to deliver successfully.
A few ways I do this is by approaching each task with grit and having a “can-do” spirit, I believe what makes an incredible engineer is the ability to adapt to solving problems no matter the form.
The technology industry changes rapidly, and it’s always in your best interest to have a growth mindset to learn new tools/methods and also; relearn things you already know.
You’re a published author, global speaker, and Tech content creator,
how do you manage all these?
The answer is, it’s HARD! Lol
For me, I’ve figured out the kind of person I am, I don’t like doing one thing for a long period, so I’ll always look for new things to try out and also new territories to explore in life. What’s similar across all the things I do is VALUE.
The ability to empower people and create an impact in my industry is what drives me. If I learn a new skill today, I would either speak at a conference on that topic, create videos, or even write a book about it. At the end of the day, I don’t always have a perfect plan, but there are a few things that help me which are time management, delegation, and having an end goal. If I’m able to manage my time, set priorities, and delegate when I have to, this allows me to focus on the most important things at a time.
Can you walk us through a typical day or week in your role as a
Software Engineer?
A typical day in my life would be attending morning meetings with my manager and colleagues, this sets the pace for the day as I have the opportunity to discuss what I’m working on and the challenges I have (if any).
Depending on how this goes, I prioritize my deliverables for the day and schedule necessary meetings.
I work with big data a lot in my role, so I manage the data infrastructure for my team, my tasks involve integrating telemetry from devices, optimizing our pipelines, ideating on data models for new product features, and collaborating with downstream users. With this, I work with petabytes of data and I’m always thinking of how best to design our platform with scalability and quality in mind.
After my to-dos, I check my board for pending pull requests that need to be merged. I go for lunch with my colleagues and relax in the game room before continuing work.
I end the day by giving a status update to my manager or my colleagues in other work locations. Then I’m back home to watch Netflix!
You can watch a typical day in my life vlog – here
If you could collaborate with any other tech author, tech leader, or
public figure, who would it be and why?
There are A LOT, but here are a few:
Sheryl Sandberg – She is a former COO of Facebook (now Meta), I’m truly inspired by her leadership trajectory in Meta and how she became one of tech’s most successful bosses, she is also the author of a bestselling book “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead”.
Melanie Perkins – She founded a $ 1 billion startup, Canva, that now competes with the biggest tech companies in the world. She showed tenacity in growing a mere “high-school idea”, pitching it to Silicon Valley, building a team, and innovating for the future!
What emerging technologies or trends in software engineering are you
most excited about right now?
I think it’s already a buzzword, lol
I’m particularly excited about Artificial Intelligence. AI is becoming mainstream now, and it’s set to do amazing things even in non-tech industries like fashion, music, manufacturing, and lots more. This is going to be interesting to watch and I’m glad to be at the forefront of that innovation.
How did you get started as a tech speaker, and what topics do you
most enjoy speaking about?
I started public speaking in the university at tech community meetups but before that, I have always loved sharing knowledge through speaking and making presentations. From 2022 till date, I have spoken at about 100+ technology events (including international conferences). I enjoy speaking on engineering and career-related topics.
What advice would you give to aspiring software engineers?
One advice would be to learn as much as possible, but most importantly, learn as though you’re a beginner, and also try to make sure your foundations are solid because that’s the only way you can learn other complex things.
If you could work on any project in the world, without any
limitations, what would it be and why?
One project I have in mind would be around education, projects aimed at creating realistic simulations for professional training in fields like healthcare and engineering. This would impact how people learn and enable them to invent more innovative solutions in the coming years.
Another project would be on AI literacy, enlightening people in other industries like fashion, music, and even art, on how they can leverage the power of AI for their businesses and lives in general.
Finally, what resources (books, podcasts, networks, etc.) would you
recommend to aspiring Software Engineers?
My recommendations would be; Clean Code by Robert C. Martin – it’s a must-read for understanding best practices in writing clean, readable, and maintainable code and The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas – it offers practical advice and techniques for every stage of a programmer’s career.
It’s a pleasure talking to you Chisom.
Thank you for having me, I enjoyed our conversation!
