Patricia Akpo Uyeh would have loved to be a Singer or Dancer as a child. Still, the Nigerian finds herself in the tech world, working as a Freelance journalist, blogger, and PR Consultant, resulting in her being a woman in technology.
Akpo studied at the prestigious University of Lagos for her Master’s Degree and the University of Ibadan, where she got her first degree.
“I began my career as a schoolteacher before deviating to my childhood love – Media,” Akpo says. “I am also a trained human geographer, and this passion to deliver quality content is what drew me to Media and Communications.”
Now, Akpo writes for notable Nigerian blogs such as Bella Naija, Digital Lagos TV, Vanaplus furniture, Vanguard Allure, among other sites that focus on lifestyle, fashion, and technology. Currently, Akpo sits at the Deputy Editor’s desk of Pride Magazine Nigeria. She provides content in form of writing, storytelling, videos, and voiceovers, which she then sells.
With so much to do, how then does the journalist balance between her professional and personal life?
“I am deliberate about having my time,” Patricia says, “I take time off work to rest and revive myself. I use time management techniques to achieve my goal of excelling in my profession and building myself.”
This organization has enabled Patricia to volunteer for worthy courses during her free time.
As a woman in technology, Patricia is all too familiar with the biases towards her.
“Women remain underpaid and don’t like to celebrate their achievements because it comes out as egocentric or cocky,” She says. To deal with this, Patricia upscales her skills continuously in a bid to compete effectively. And she is also working on helping other women build their confidence and brands.
“I run #IamRemarkable workshops that are about self-promotion for underrepresented groups and women to boost their self-confidence,” she says, before adding, “as a result, I know it is not bragging talking about my achievements as they are based on facts.”
But, aside from the biases, the tech world is an industry that Akpo enjoys a lot.
“What I love most about me being a woman in technology, my career is the flexibility, growth and development, networking opportunities, and constructive criticism I get.”
And as a parting shot to women getting into male-dominated spaces, this is what Patricia has to say,
“Don’t see yourself as a woman – weak and inexperienced. Rather, be a contender on a mission to make an impact and improve your career. Make learning a lifestyle and apply it to what you do. Lastly, be deliberate about growing your networks because they constitute your networth.”
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