Goodness Ngodigha

Goodness is a ServiceNow Developer at Cognizant, Board Member at WILD digital, Master’s Degree holder in Data Science, and a public speaker. She uses her voice to advocate for Diversity and Inclusion within the digital tech industry.

Feeling lost as a new mom at the time and unfulfilled career-wise (despite being a Computer Science graduate), I embarked on the journey of finding myself and my purpose in life. That journey led me to the UK where I studied and obtained a master’s degree in data science. Highly optimistic that this would grant me the opportunity to kickstart my career in tech as a data scientist, I was met with the harsh reality of life. The struggle to land my dream job as an immigrant from Nigeria, with little to no work experience in the chosen field seemed unbearable. However, determination, hardwork, resilience and perseverance got me out of my rut.

Since breaking through in the world of technology starting out as a ServiceNow Developer, I have actively contributed to the industry by assisting clients in troubleshooting technical issues raised by their ServiceNow instance users, providing actionable resolutions to the issues raised. I have equally been involved in developing, maintaining, and enhancing applications on the ServiceNow platform. Additionally, I have represented my organisation in a panel discussion to share my experience with using the ServiceNow platform from the perspective of a junior ServiceNow developer and discuss the exciting developments happenings around IT helpdesk and Service Management in Health and Social Care.

In a way, I am grateful for all the struggles I experienced prior to kickstarting my career in tech. This is because the challenges I faced ushered me into my public speaking era. Being a passionate individual who cares so much about people, I have been fortunate to have the platform to share my journey with diverse audiences. I have had the opportunity to represent my organisation at several public facing events and internal fireside chats and panels where I have shared my story to emphasise the importance of diversity and inclusion within the digital tech industry. My advocacy for diversity and inclusion and career journey has opened doors for me and granted me a seat at the table as a Board member of WILD Digital, an organisation which was founded by two outstanding women to make the world of technology more equal and accessible to all.

I have been very fortunate to now have incredible mentors and supporters who have encouraged me, shone the spotlight on me and pushed me out of my comfort zone to unleash my potentials for excellence. I intend to continue to give back to the society by encouraging more young people, particularly women from under-represented ethnicities to pursue a career in tech and be the best version of themselves in whatever career path they choose.