Genesys has always been more than a training programme. It’s a launching pad. And the alumni? They’re proof of what happens when you give talented people the right environment and a little push.
Each time we post, you’ll meet one person. You’ll hear where they started, where they are now, and what they picked up along the way that nobody puts in a curriculum.
In our first episode, we featured Elliot, who is now a Software Engineer at AppKnox. If you missed his story, catch up here.
Let’s get into it!
Name: Uchechukwu Ijomanta
Learnable 22, Product Design | Senior Product Designer, ALAT Engineering, Wema Bank.
Some people know exactly what they want to do when they graduate. Others know they want to build something meaningful, but need time, experience, and the right environment to figure out what that actually looks like.
Uchechukwu Ijomanta was the second kind.
After graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering, he came back to Enugu certain of one thing: he wanted to build with technology, to create experiences people would love and remember. He just hadn’t found the right avenue yet.
Today, he’s a Senior Product Designer at ALAT Engineering, Wema Bank. Here’s how he got there, in his own words.
Figuring It Out in New Haven and Obiagu
I had just graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering and returned home with a strong interest in technology. I knew I wanted to build things, I just hadn’t discovered the right avenue to channel that interest.
While I figured it out, I got into graphics design and printing.
Those jobs paid the bills, but they also taught me a lot. I was constantly solving problems for real people, communicating ideas, thinking creatively, figuring out how to deliver what clients needed. Most days I was moving between New Haven and Obiagu in Enugu for different jobs.
It wasn’t glamorous. But every job taught me something and somewhere along the way, I realised I wanted more.
The Rejection That Made Me Try Again
I wanted to grow beyond what I already knew to be somewhere that would challenge me, expose me to world-class thinking, and help me build a real career in technology. That was how I found Genesys. I applied to Learnable 21 but I didn’t get in. It was disappointing. But strangely, it also gave me more conviction to try again because it felt like a path worth pursuing. So I marked my calendar. When Learnable 22 opened, I applied again. This time, I got in.
Learning to Design for People
I joined Learnable 22 on the Product Design track.
You’d think the obvious outcome of a UI/UX programme is learning to design beautiful interfaces. For me, the bigger lesson was learning how to solve problems for people, thinking beyond aesthetics, understanding users, conducting research, defining problems, prototyping solutions, and collaborating with developers to bring ideas to life.
It wasn’t just about what something looked like. It was about understanding the person using it, the problem they were trying to solve, and how thoughtful design could make their experience better. That way of thinking has stayed with me throughout my career.
What I Learned About Feedback
“You can be honest without being disrespectful. You can be candid while still being empathetic.”
One of the biggest lessons I took from Genesys had very little to do with design. It was feedback.
Before Genesys, feedback sometimes felt like criticism. During the programme, I learned to see it differently as an opportunity to grow. I became more open to reflection and more willing to challenge my own assumptions.
I also learned how to give feedback differently. That lesson has stayed with me because it applies far beyond design to how I work with people, how I communicate, how I collaborate.
The Standard Was Excellence
Genesys also instilled something else in me: a culture of excellence. Doing the bare minimum was never enough. Going the extra mile wasn’t the exception, it was always the standard. That mindset has followed me throughout my career. It pushes me to keep improving, take ownership of my work, and ask whether what I’m doing is actually creating value. Looking back, this is one of the most important things I carried with me from Genesys.
What Genesys Actually Gave Me
The biggest thing Genesys gave me wasn’t a professional skill set. It was a way of thinking. I became more intentional about how I approach problems, more conscious of how I communicate. I learned the importance of empathy, collaboration, leadership, resilience, and continuous learning, lessons that have extended far beyond my career into how I lead, how I build relationships, and how I navigate everyday life.
I believe they’ve played a major role in how quickly I’ve been able to progress.
What I’d Tell Someone Just Starting Out
If you’re at that stage where you know you have potential but you’re still figuring out where it belongs don’t be discouraged by the uncertainty.
Your first job may not be your dream job. Your first application may not work out. You may even find yourself doing things that seem completely unrelated to where you eventually want to go.
But every experience teaches you something.
Graphics design and printing taught me creativity, communication, resilience, problem-solving. The rejection from Learnable 21 taught me persistence. Learnable 22 taught me how to think about design differently. And Genesys has continued to shape how I approach my career and my life ever since.
Sometimes, the path only becomes clear when you keep walking.
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