If your career journey were a movie, which one would it be?
I’d say Gladiator. It’s one of my favourite movies, and I relate to the protagonist, Maximus. He’s someone who, despite hitting rock bottom, rises to the top through resilience and focus. Like him, I started from almost nothing. I came from Lagos and worked my way to Mountain View. It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve faced some big challenges, but each has made me more determined.
Tell us about a day in your life in your current role.
I’m currently a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Google. My team and I manage various projects within Google’s data centres across North and South America. My main responsibilities involve ensuring these projects move forward smoothly. Much of my day revolves around meeting with team members to check project statuses, address any blockers, and ensure progress aligns with our timeline.
Since I work on California time, I have to start my day early to coordinate with team members in different time zones. California is two hours behind Central Time and three hours behind Eastern Time, so I need to be up and ready by around 7:00 a.m. my time. Once I’m in, I check project schedules, identify blocked tasks, and find ways to help team members overcome those roadblocks.
Outside of meetings, a significant part of my role is working with people who don’t directly report to me. I often have to convince these colleagues to prioritise tasks essential to my projects, which can be challenging.
What is the most interesting part of your job, and what do you find most difficult?
The most interesting part is definitely seeing a project evolve from a simple idea to a finished product. In my previous role as an engineer, I’d work on a small portion of a project. But as a TPM, I get to see the entire lifecycle of a project. It’s satisfying to watch something move from concept to completion.
The challenging part is motivating others to work on my priorities when they already have their own. Because I’m relatively new to this team, building credibility has been important. People need to see me as knowledgeable and reliable. It’s a learning process—understanding the technical details of each project is crucial, so I can challenge timelines or suggest improvements confidently.
What was your first job in tech, and how did it shape your career?
My first job was an internship at American Family Insurance. It was a tough time for me; I’d just transferred to a new school, was trying to maintain my grades, and save money for tuition. I sent out hundreds of applications, between 250 and 500, before landing that internship. Just before I was supposed to start, my mother passed away, which was a huge loss for me, as she’d been my biggest supporter.
I started that role under incredibly difficult circumstances, but it taught me a lot. They tasked me with building a script to track how quickly former employees lost access to internal tools after resigning. I had to learn new tools like Splunk and Okta and figure out automation workflows, which required a lot of trial and error. At first, they were set on using Excel for automation, so I had to build demos showing them how Python could improve our efficiency. It taught me the value of resilience, resourcefulness, and standing up for my ideas, even as the youngest member of the team.
How do you deal with rejections?
Rejections are just part of the process. I always say you’re not ice cream—so don’t expect everyone to like you! And honestly, not everyone even likes ice cream. So yes, some people will pass on you, and that’s perfectly fine. I got a bit of a head start because I began applying for roles early, even while I was still in school. I completed two internships before graduating: one with American Family and another with Apple.
To give you a sense of my approach, I’d start applying for internships almost a year in advance. For a summer internship, for example, I’d begin as early as August of the previous year. Timing is important
How did you manage the application process practically?
I set a target to apply to at least ten roles a day. I also leaned in on networking. Don’t underestimate how helpful people can be! I’d reach out on LinkedIn, even to people I didn’t know personally, asking for referrals or advice on upcoming interviews. If you ask ten people for help, maybe only one responds, but that one connection can make a big difference.
What’s the most interesting interview question you’ve ever been asked, and how did you tackle it?
Oh, this one’s a story! During an interview for my first job in tech, the interviewer asked a question that left me blank. He got up mid-question to answer a knock at the door, leaving me alone with my spinning mind. I ended up Googling the answer right there! When he returned, I knew I had the right answer, but I decided to be honest and say I didn’t know. I was too worried about coming across as dishonest—and besides, I wanted to be transparent. To me, integrity is being honest, even when no one’s watching. In the end, I think he appreciated that I stayed genuine, and I got the job!
Let’s talk about career milestones. What would you say has been your proudest achievement so far?
Landing roles at two tech giants—Apple and Google—is something I’m genuinely proud of. When I told my dad about getting the job at Apple, he could hardly believe it! It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with brilliant people who challenge me and push me to grow every day. And with Google, it’s amazing to think that so many people rely on the products I help create—I feel a real sense of pride seeing how much it impacts their lives. I love what I do, so it rarely feels like “work” in the traditional sense.
Has there been a time when financial considerations impacted your career choices?
Back in school, I faced a big decision. I started at a community college, planning to transfer to a university in the US after two years. But as tuition and living costs soared, my family couldn’t afford it. Even though I didn’t have the funds lined up, I knew I had to make the leap to university. Eventually, scholarships came through, and some relatives chipped in to help.
My takeaway? If you stay in one place hoping things will improve, they probably won’t. Opportunities don’t just show up; you have to go looking for them. Looking back, that decision was the right one; it built my character and set me on the path I’m on today.
How do you balance the need to earn more with the need to keep building your skills?
Right now, I have a few ways I could upskill, but they come with a pretty high price tag. My take, though, is that the more valuable you make yourself, the more others will see and pay for that value. Sure, I want to earn more, but my main focus has always been on growing my skills. For instance, I’m planning to pursue an MBA soon to gain the management expertise that so many companies look for. I believe money follows value, so if you invest in building your skills, the earning potential will naturally follow.
