My Tech Transition: How Joy Chukwukere went from Customer Support to Product Management

Joy Chukwukere first secured a role as a customer support officer, before landing a product management internship. Now a product manager at Max, she shares her inspiring tech transition story with us.

My Tech Transition is a monthly ConTech series that shines a spotlight on Africans who have successfully transitioned into tech.

Written by David Onugha

After attending a tech conference during her university years, Joy Chukwukere realized she wanted to pursue a career in product management. As she learned and volunteered in the field, she first secured a role as a customer support officer, before landing a product management internship. Now a product manager at Max, she shares her inspiring tech transition story with us.

Can you give us a run-through of what your role as a product manager covers and what a typical day is like for you?

I’m the founding product manager for Casha!, a fintech product of Max. Casha! is a wealth management platform that helps gig drivers manage their earnings. I manage product strategy, product development, and releases. This encompasses ideations down to launch, and even after launch, I ensure the product continues to give value to customers. My role is interesting because I directly interact with customers - I learn firsthand what their issues and concerns are. This helps me run a seamless pilot test before a full product rollout. I also work cross-functionally with the support, legal, and compliance teams, as well as other stakeholders needed to make the product a success.

My day starts with me reading my emails and checking in with the engineering team to understand what they have been working on. This helps me ensure that no blockers are stopping the development process. I manage a team of product managers so I check in with them to ensure that we’re on course with our deliverables.  There is, of course, engagement with partners. For instance, if we need to onboard a third-party service, I actively have to go to the market or check within my network to liaise with potential partners. There's also research work because most of my work as a product manager is around understanding the market. So, I look for what the new things in the market are, how we can make our products better, what are our customers saying, and what the the support issues that are coming in are like. 

Product managers are like unofficial CEOs. You have to be a visionary person. You need to look ahead and say, “Okay, this is where the economy is going, this is where the industry is tilting toward”. A product manager also has to be an executor and strategist. So, when you think of a CEO without power and authority, that's who a product manager is, and that's what my work has been about, making sure that the product is a success. 

You’ve previously worked as a Customer Support Manager. Would you say that this experience has proved useful in your product management career?

Yes, my customer support experience helped me understand and relate with customers better. I would also say that any role you are in today is useful. The business, technical, and soft skills you possess are important because, at one point or the other, you will need them. Your experience with customers will help you guide your support team and relate with them better. If you previously worked in finance, your skills in accounting, budgeting, and negotiation would help you do better as a product manager. My customer experience role helped me do better as a product manager, especially in a start-up where you might need to wear multiple hats. 

You have software engineering experience— is this required to become a product manager?

It's not a strict requirement. However, the knowledge helps you understand the work better. You need to know how much work the engineers are doing and understand them when they explain things. You also need to be able to ask the right questions as a product manager. 

What made you decide to work in tech?

I studied literature at the Obafemi Awolowo University but I wanted something more challenging than what I studied in school. After attending a tech conference in my third year, I knew that I was going to pursue a tech career. While I was in school, I was a campus ambassador for Alat, the first fully digital bank. I also worked with Jumia as an affiliate marketer. These experiences sparked my interest in tech as they made me see that I did not need to have coding skills to get into tech. I also had a roommate who was a computer science student, and she was doing well for herself, coding and working with companies. I felt that was my dream. So, right after school, I started a course in product management. I also landed a nine-to-five, where I earned enough to keep myself together while learning product management. When I felt that I had saved enough money to fully focus on pursuing a tech career, I left my job, and right about that time, I landed an internship and was able to kick off my career as a product manager.

What challenges did you face during your tech transition and how were you able to get past them?

A major challenge was landing internships but I was not really bothered since I had a paying job and was volunteering on a live project. When I finally got the internship, it helped that I already had experience from my volunteering that could help me. 

Another thing I lacked then was mentorship. I had lots of questions and I was faced with several challenges that some of the real-life projects I had previously worked on did not prepare me for. At the time, platforms like ADP list where you can sign up and find mentors did not exist. I had to rely on product communities for answers to my questions.

What is your favorite part of Product Management? 

I think my favorite part of product management is the building. I like thinking up an idea and bringing it to life. It just makes me feel like a superhuman when I'm able to conceive a thing and bring it forth. I also enjoy product analytics - understanding what the data is saying and improving the product based on what the data says. 

What advice would you give to anyone looking to make a similar transition into the tech space?

I would advise anyone looking to get into tech to do it for the right reasons. You should transition into tech because you want to be at the center of digital innovation, offering solutions to everyday problems. If you decide to go into tech for the money, it might not come as fast as you would want it.  I advise that you go in because you want to make an impact.

Companies often seek candidates with relevant experience for the roles they advertise. To navigate that, you may want to take on volunteering opportunities. You can find these opportunities in product communities or tech communities generally. So, take on these volunteering roles. 

Keep pushing, keep volunteering, and attend webinars and conferences that would expose you to opportunities and projects you know would ordinarily not find if you weren't part of these communities.