Queued By The DJ: Rukayat Odukoya’s Developer Journey

At Andela, when the occasion serves us, we know how to put together a party. It’s easy to think that our developer conferences (which occasionally happen at all our locations) are the only fun events we have. After all, we’re an organization comprised mostly of software developers and technologists, aren’t we? We also throw down pretty well like anyone else. A party at Andela is a rad thing.Rukayat’s journey into software development started with a cue from a rather unlikely source at a seemingly unlikely event: a DJ at an Andela party. “There is a family friend who comes around to visit my folks. He is a DJ by profession who usually plays at Andela's events, he knew how interested I was in technology and saw a need to inform my dad about it. ” Rukayat says. Good looking out by the DJ, don’t you think?Third Time’s The Charm?Rukayat’s story is about persistence, as much as it is about seizing opportunities. When she got the link from the DJ, she immediately applied to the fellowship but didn’t get in. “I decided to take my first shot at the application after my meeting with Ladi, an Andela developer I met at their previous Yaba office. It actually wasn't a success for me because I didn't get in, but it turned out to be a win because my horizons of knowledge had increased. I, however, got into Andela on my third try, which has been a massive success for me.”Rukayat used to work as a creative designer at iPrint, a creative designing/printing firm. Her curiosity about how most applications she interfaced with on a daily basis are built was a huge factor in her decision to become a software developer. Her relentless passion for tech came in handy even after she tried and failed to get into the fellowship twice.Today, Rukayat is a developer at Andela using Javascript to solve problems and affect humanity. Her stack also includes PHP, alongside some frameworks like ReactJs, AngularJs, Angular, and Laravel. “At Andela, I built applications like More Recipes, Sela, and also contributed to an Andela in-house application called Lenken. I’ll boldly say it anywhere that the journey so far has been more than worth it. I have learned so much technically and otherwise. I have learned to communicate well with people, I have also learned to respect everybody's culture. Andela has increased my knowledge level and has made me realize that you can practically learn anything. Above all, Andela is helping achieve my dream and passion to help humanity in a creative way.”NB: Andela is looking for passionate techies to become full-time, paid software developers. Think you have what it takes? Apply to the fellowship. Or, be like the DJ, send someone the link to apply!