Victoria Mutai is one of the women making moves in the tech world being one of those who fall under African Women in Technology. Mutai, a holder of a degree in IT and studied full-stack development at the respectable Moringa School. But who is Victoria Mutai and how did she go from aspiring to be a Neurosurgeon to IT?
How did she get into IT?
“I am a full-stack software developer, and my interest in software development goes back to high school when I was developing the computer project. Changed to software engineering in form 2 having aspired to be a Neurosurgeon before,” Mutai says, “I also have expertise in web, desktop, and mobile development; I freelance as a software developer and work full-time at Eldotec Consultancy as Research and Data specialist.”
Description of her job in simple terms
How I found a mentor in Cloud Computing
“I create apps like YouTube that help the phone function. I also ensure that you can use the phone and computers by making a bridge between you and the devices. This is what is called coding.”
Maintaining a work and life balance is demanding, she admits, yet the software developer still makes time for volunteer work and swimming.
“Other than coding, in my free time, I volunteer in various organizations in my community and I also love swimming.”
Aside from that, to avoid getting overwhelmed with work, Mutai has learned to assign time schedules for her life, a move that has allowed her to have free time to take breaks.
“I have also learned my patters and put urgent tasks to my most productive hours (mornings).” She says.
Working in the tech world comes with its own challenges, of which feel as if you are not good enough is one of them. Mutai is all too familiar with this.
“The Imposter Syndrome,” she concedes, “I have to always find new ways to motivate myself to overcome this. I talk to my peers to learn how to deal with it myself.
But what keeps Mutai in the industry and in the tech career?
“Flexibility that comes with it,” she says, “The fact that I am one of the African Women in Technology who is learning new things and also building new apps and sites that make work easier for people makes me stand out in my career.”
As a mother, Mutia has to find the balance between her work and her child.
“I take advantage of early mornings to work,” she says, getting the urgent work done before her child wakes up. This has helped her cope with it, added to the fact that her child now understands that the mother needs to work.
What advice would Mutai give to women getting into tech?
“Live the dream of the little girl who never thought that male-dominated fields exists,” she says, “You don’t have to figure everything out. There is no harm in being a beginner. Keep being the best version of yourself.”