In today’s edition of Level Up, we’re featuring Edesiri Ohwomado, a computer science student whose tweet went viral after she shared her journey—from almost dropping out to securing an internship at Amazon. She shares the turning point in her tech career and how she went on to secure interviews at Google, Meta, and Amazon.
If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be?
‘Commit and Push’; pun intended.
On my career journey, I’ve had to commit to many things, even when the end wasn’t in sight or when I had no idea how things would turn out. I’ve also had to push through challenges and setbacks, but one thing is for sure: I don’t give up.
Tell us about your journey into the tech industry.
I’m a Computer Science student at the University of Sheffield, but at one point, I genuinely thought Computer science wasn’t for me. It felt like I was learning computer science just for the sake of it. There was no real sense of attachment or fulfillment. A lot of the concepts felt foreign, and honestly, I had no real interest in them.
At the same time, I had started a few businesses that were doing really well, which made me question everything. Maybe I was meant to be in business or marketing instead. If I was already making money, what was the point of staying in school? I even messaged my dad, telling him I wanted to drop out because, in my mind, the whole point of school was to learn how to make money, and I was already doing that.
But in November 2022, just before my birthday, I had a conversation with my friends, and we decided to give CS one last chance. We told ourselves, “If we fully commit this time and still don’t feel any real interest, at least we’ll know we gave it a real shot.”
That decision changed everything. From that moment on, my life took a completely different direction, and I found my way back into tech.
How did you go from almost dropping out to securing an internship at Amazon?
In 2022, I closed down all my businesses and decided to fully commit to learning Computer Science. I started teaching myself new technologies online, and that’s when I truly fell in love with building things.
By the summer of 2023, I got an internship where I got to put my skills to use in a real-world setting. At this point, I had been coding every single day since the conversation I had with my friends months earlier.
By January 2024, after over a year of learning and building, I co-founded Rime, a platform connecting content creators with brands in Africa. I built both the frontend and backend from scratch, and during that process, I realised I was now completely obsessed with coding and designing systems. It became clear to me—this was my calling.
By October 2024, I felt confident enough to start applying for jobs, even as a student. That led to interviews with Google, Meta, and Amazon, and eventually, I accepted an offer from Amazon.
Looking back, that decision in November 2022 set everything in motion. From then on, coding and designing systems became more than just skills; they became what I truly enjoyed.
If you were starting from scratch today, how would you approach learning software engineering?
I’m really glad about how I approached learning from scratch because I wanted to avoid ‘tutorial hell,’ where you spend endless hours watching tutorials but never actually build anything. Early on, I decided to work on real, end-to-end projects and learn everything on the go.
That approach kept me motivated because I could immediately see the results of my hard work. Instead of passively absorbing information, I applied what I learned right away, which helped concepts stick faster and gave me a strong sense of progress.
I also didn’t rely much on YouTube videos to learn. Instead, I preferred reading documentation, even though I know it’s not the most popular approach. But for me, it worked.
When it came to my interviews with Meta, Amazon, and Google, the technical rounds were heavily focused on data structures and algorithms (DSA), with most questions coming from LeetCode. Looking back, I should have started studying DSA much earlier than I did. I only really began practicing LeetCode in October 2024, when these companies started reaching out for interviews. If I had started sooner, I think I would’ve gone in feeling a lot more confident.
If you could switch careers with anyone for a week, who would it be and why?
It would be Mona Kattan, the founder of Kayali, a well-known fragrance house.
I’ve always loved fragrances and been fascinated by the process of creating them: what ingredients are used, how they’re blended, and the science behind formulation. Sometimes, I smell a perfume and think, ‘Wow, how did they even come up with this combination?’
I’d love to step in her shoes for a week just to experience the creative process firsthand – from developing to refining fragrances to bringing new scents to life. And honestly? I’d love to create my signature scent while I’m at it. I’m a total frag head.
What do you think are the most important qualities for a successful tech career
Looking back on my journey so far, I’d say the most important qualities that have gotten me here are a constant willingness to learn, hard work, and consistency.
You know, people always say things like, ‘You need to be hardworking and consistent,’ and for a long time, I thought those were just buzzwords—things people throw around when they want to sound motivational. But I’ve come to realise that they’re actually the cheat code for so many things in life.
Another big one is delayed gratification. In software development, for example, you don’t always see results immediately. It might take days, weeks, or even months before things start to click. But as long as you keep putting in the work, it compounds over time, and eventually, it all comes together.
And, of course, resilience. There are moments when a task doesn’t feel fun or fulfilling in the moment, but I push through anyway. That ability to keep going, even when things are tough, has made all the difference for me.”
How do you deal with imposter syndrome?
I still felt imposter syndrome just yesterday. Honestly, it’s a daily thing, but I’ve learned to just deal with it.
When I had my Google interviews, I almost didn’t take them because I kept thinking, “There are probably a thousand other people interviewing at the same time—what makes me think I’m better than them?” I had the same feeling with Amazon and Meta. Sometimes, imposter syndrome is so crippling that it completely clouds my judgment. But then I remind myself—okay, maybe I’m not better than anyone else, but so what? Let me at least try.
I’ve put in the work. It’s not like I just woke up one day, and these opportunities fell into my lap. I’ve spent months grinding, learning, and preparing. So, even if someone else is better than me, I focus on doing my best. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, at least I know I gave it everything.
Also, I’m a Christian, and my faith plays a huge role in how I handle imposter syndrome. I call it ‘Godfidence.’ I walk into anything knowing that I’m backed by God first before anyone else. That gives me a deep sense of confidence because I know I’m never alone.
Looking back, I can’t ignore how much God has been involved in my journey. There have been moments in the last two years when things happened in ways I can’t explain. When I tell my friends, they say, “No, that has to be God.” And honestly, I agree.
My belief allows me to walk into any room, knowing that God’s favor and mercy have already gone ahead of me.
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