Ademusoyo Awosika-Olumo
NYC Area
Instagram: @ademusoyo
Twitter: @ademusoyo
LinkedIn: Ademusoyo
Website: https://www.ademusoyo.com/
Tell us about yourself.
Hi! My name is Ademusoyo Awosika-Olumo. I was born in Nigeria, however, mostly grew up in Ohio and Texas. Currently I reside in the NYC area where I work as a full-stack software engineer where I work on adding new features to an app. Outside of work, I do freelance web design and development, a content creator, and writer. Two of my bigger projects are MacScientists, a platform aimed at uplifting women of colour and changing the face of STEM and Society x Tech a newsletter that explores the societal implications of technology trends. I enjoy travelling, doing yoga and spending times with friends and family.
How did you decide to get into technology?
When I was little, I was always that kid that would spend time trying to understand how phones and computers work. That being said, I actually did not decide I wanted to go into tech until it became time to apply to college and I realised that I wanted to study engineering as opposed to studying sciences to become a doctor. After college I landed my first role as a Software Engineer and the rest is history.
How would you describe your experience in the industry so far?
My experience has been a journey. There have been a lot of low moments filled with self-doubt but also feelings of being under-utilised and looked over due to other’s preconceived notions or biases that they may have had before I entered the room.
However, I have learned so much about myself and my abilities that I would not trade any of those experiences for anything! It has taught me to continue to be resilient, determined and to keep pursuing your dreams and passions.
What does a typical day in your job look like?
A typical day for me is a mix of meetings and coding. We have different team syncs that help keep everyone up to speed cross-functionally about what is going on. Additionally, I am involved in different extra-curricular such as the Women’s Employee Resource Group as well as things related to our “office” that keep me busy as well.
Has your expectation of what the tech world is like matched the reality? How?
I would say it has. I knew it was going to be challenging but I did not realise how challenging it was going to be.
I knew I was going to be one of the only people that looked like me, but I did not realise how frustrating and isolating that would feel.
All these things have been navigable and have helped me become a better and stronger person.
How do you navigate working with men daily (if you do) and how do you make sure to get your voice heard?
I have learned to just speak up and say what my thoughts are. I have had situations where I have felt that my voice was overlooked by my male counterparts, but I have found that by speaking up and saying how I feel with confidence, people will listen.
If you could change one thing about your journey in tech so far, what would it be?
I don’t think I would change anything. There have been things that have been less than perfect, but I would not trade any of it for the world.
What was the best professional advice you ever received?
Learn what people in your network are doing. It is not enough to just know people from a familiar standpoint, but you need to be able to know what they are working on and what they are interested in.
This can help you leverage your network.
What advice do you have for younger ladies aiming to pursue a career in technology?
Be curious, be hungry, but relax a little bit. Every day is a new day to learn something new and those days add up into being something else.
I would like to send a massive thanks to Soyo for taking the time out to answer the questions above. Thank you for sharing your journey into tech and what your experience has been so far. I know that it can only continue to get better. I resonate with the advice of keeping up to date with what people in our networks are doing, I believe that this helps us to not only widen our horizon, but like you said, we’ll be able to leverage them optimally
You can follow Soyo on her social listed above and check out her other projects on Instagram.
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