From a Fisherman to a Software Engineer
If you believe you can achieve anything if you’re willing to work hard towards it, Bernard Mulobi's story will confirm your theory! He currently works as a Software Engineer at the Microsoft Africa Development Center in Nairobi; but growing up, the cards he was dealt did not even come close to the person that he is today.
Coming from Yatta Constituency, there was only one route to success. And it involved fishing at Athi River.
After several years of early mornings and late nights at the river, Bernard started yearning for more. He knew he wasn’t going to be a fisherman for the rest of his life, and besides, he was due to pass down the torch to someone younger to start their career in fishing. So, he started saving.
He knew the future was heavily skewed towards digital technology, consequently prioritizing his savings to go into buying a smartphone.
When he finally got it, he became obsessed with the applications that came with the device. Who built them? How did they do it? Where did they do it from?
If he needed a stamp of approval that the future was indeed digital, this was it. This realization marked the beginning of his long journey in tech. After two years of trying to piece everything together (mostly finances) he got accepted at Mt Kenya University in Thika, Kiambu County in Kenya, to pursue a degree in Information Technology.
He gave it his all and after graduating in 2016, he got his first job in tech at Andela, and as they say, the rest is history!
Bernard is proud of his humble beginnings, and yet, he has maintained that humility all through his career. When asked what he would advise his 20-year-old self and he simply responded, “Have a plan and focus on it through thick and thin.”
A humble hard worker… hard to come by nowadays.
His response might sound like something you hear every so often and brush off, but if it worked for Bernard, it could surely work for you too! On the importance of having a mentor, Bernard feels that above everything else, a mentor will help you think big, and aim higher. He continues to add that he’s open to engage, network, and guide any young professional looking to start their career in tech.
Bernard believes in the power of learning something new, and using it to scale and grow in whatever profession one is in. In fact, he’s astonished by how much FREE material there is on the internet today and goes on to add “When I was learning how to code, I couldn't afford any books but that didn't stop me. I used free content available on the internet. Use the web to learn anything you want.”
When asked what skill he believes every software engineer should have. On verbatim, he responds “The ability and willingness to learn. You don't have to be a genius. Exercise patience to dissect a problem, understand it thoroughly and develop potential solutions to it methodically and meticulously. There are no shortcuts in tech and not all solutions will come to you easily. You must be determined to take the project to the finish line despite any challenges that crop up along the way.”