Exceptional Female Role Models - Jennifer Opal

Jennifer Opal is a DevOps Engineer in Big Data for BT.

She has a truly inspiring and remarkable story – a black woman coming from humble working class roots, who didn’t study any STEM subjects, and is diagnosed with both ADHD and dyslexia.

She was the Rising Star Award winner at the Black Tech Achievement Awards in 2020; and was shortlisted for the UK’s First Women in Software Power List & one of the UK’s Most Influential Women in Tech UK in 2019. She was also named as one of the 50 Most Influential Black Voices in Tech UK.

She has been interviewed by POCIT; The Tech Connoisseur and Nyla Denae. She has delivered speaking engagements for Coding Black Females and at the Code First:Girls conference held at Twitter HQ London.

She now has her own website and YouTube channel, is a technology & inclusion blogger, and produces a monthly newsletter that provides free to low-cost coding resources for those starting out on their coding journeys.

#ExceptionalFemaleRoleModels

Could we start off with the story of your early years?

Well, I’m from West London – to be specific from the blocks of the South Acton Estate. After my GCSEs I went to college to study a diploma in Media – but that didn’t go so well, and I failed the course. I then decided to go to university in Bedfordshire to study Advertising, Marketing & Communications – but dropped out after 6 months.

I was lost, I didn’t know what I wanted to do – I didn’t know what my strengths were.

I did a couple of different jobs, then decided to study a certificate in counselling and work with young offenders – I was also volunteering to work with children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But again, I came to realise this wasn’t my path.

So I went back to university to study a degree in Business & French Language when in my second year Code First:Girls came to visit my uni offering free eight-week courses in coding & web design. This is where I got my first taste of tech, and I literally have never looked back!

In my final year at university I was juggling my degree with my tech studies, and in the end I decided to leave university and throw myself fully into tech. I was able to earn myself a place on the BT furtHER Digital Intensive Program – a 4 months full-time training program in partnership with Code First:Girls.

Then at the end of this BT offered me a job as a Junior Software Engineer, but it meant having to relocate to Belfast, Northern Ireland!...I accept this was crazy – I’m a born and raised Londoner, I didn’t know anything about Belfast or know anybody there - but I just decided I really want to do this.

Sometimes you have to make yourself uncomfortable to find what you are really meant to do.

Can you talk about your experience of being a black woman in the workplace?

Prior to joining BT, I saw several racial microaggressions in action – I share them so that anyone currently facing similar challenges know that they are not alone.

My first job was at 16 years old, working as a waitress in a restaurant at a prestigious West London football stadium on match day - towards the end of the evening a table of white men were enjoying themselves, one of them told my black colleague to hurry up and take his order, then whispered under his breath “You f*cking monkey!” as his other friends all laughed along with him.

During high school, I was excited to get work experience for a week at a high street clothes retailer, and even more excited that one of my Bengali classmates was also there the same week as me.

Everything was going okay, but I could sense the dismissal whenever I asked questions or offered to help with anything. I was keeping the shop floor tidy, helping out in the fitting room, welcoming customers at the entrance and restocking the rails. It got to the end of my work experience and the Manager, who was an Asian woman, took me down to her office and filled in my Progress Report.

In the report you were rated from A to F, she marked me B for almost everything, when I asked what I had done wrong she told me, “You can’t get an A because you don’t have enough experience yet.” I didn’t question it and I just said, “Okay”.

The following week, the teachers received our reports from the managers at the places where we completed our work experiences. Everyone was opening their reports and sharing what they got. My classmate who worked alongside me had got straight A’s for everything. It felt a punch in my gut.

We all have different lived experiences, and this is part of why I hate being described as ‘BAME’.

Now, I didn’t work at this particular supermarket, but I did have an interview there. I was nervous. It was a group interview. Afterwards, we were called in one by one to have an individual interview with the Manager. After asking her questions, she then used her pen to point towards my hair while creating a circular motion and then asked, “If you get the job, what are you going to do about that?” I panicked and said, “I’ll definitely change it.” 

The hair of a black woman is her crown and a symbol of her creativity. At this time, I was wearing a weave and had it tied back to look more “professional”. Obviously, I didn’t get the job, but I never knew that how I wore my hair would be a cause for concern for some in the working environment.

Life at BT has been much better, whilst I’m the only Black woman working in an office of 400-500 people and initially some people were a bit uncomfortable asking questions about my black experience, as I share more about my story it is encouraging more colleagues to have a dialogue with me.

There were times when it was hard and lonely, just not been able to connect with anybody who looks like me. There were times when it impacted my mental health and confidence. But we have an amazing network and I’ve been able to join a community of black colleagues in offices like London and Bristol, who are really supportive. It also helps that I have fantastic manager!

You describe yourself as neurodivergent – can you explain more about that?

I was diagnosed with dyslexia in my late twenties, which means I struggle with reading, the words get jumbled up in my mind. I knew I had this issue from a young age, but I didn’t realise there was a name for it, I actually thought it was a normal thing.

I also have ADHD, I struggle to retain information and focus. I can be quite forgetful, easily distracted, and sometimes be quite anxious. It often means that my mind just never stops and I can lose track of time.

Sometimes this might be something as simple as knowing I need to wash the dishes, then I start a dialogue in my mind like “Yeah but I don’t know if I want to use this soap today or that one” and then “Well what about my TV show” and then “But you’ve got to wash the dishes” and so on…next thing I know several hours have passed, and I still haven’t washed any dishes!!!

It does impact my learning experience, so in my case, I struggle to absorb information - which can be overwhelming at times. It means I sometimes will have to ask a colleague how we do something that we have done before. When they tell me “Do you remember last time we did this?” then I’m like “Okay I remember now”.

It doesn't make me any less capable of doing the job, I can absolutely deliver in my role, but I sometimes need a reminder of how to do particular tasks, especially if a lot of time has passed since the last time I've done it.

I've spent time getting to know my ADHD since being diagnosed and trying to find what works for me to help with managing my time, learning and concentration. What works best for me is the Pomodoro Technique where I concentrate for 20 mins and then have a break for 5-10 mins. I will reward myself during my break with a cup of tea, or replying back to a message from a friend. Along with this, I recently started taking prescription medication to help manage the symptoms, and also meditate - even 5 minutes of concentrating on my breathing helps a lot. 

I use filters to help with my dyslexia, I’ve found that the colour most friendly to my eye is orange, so using orange filters helps me out a lot.

What is the best advice you would give to others starting out their journey?

Make a path for yourself - don’t be scared of following an unconventional path - if you want to go to university then great, but also if you want to throw yourself into online courses it can be equally as good – follow the path you feel most comfortable with, and whatever happens be persistent.

Don’t put limits on yourself - if something interests you then just jump in and learn it.

Always believe you are capable - always be curious - share your story, inspire others.

How important have mentors and communities been to you?

Oh wow, they have been a huge part of my journey. Being a part of communities like Coding Black Females and UK Black Tech where you can share ideas with others, be honest with each other and be supported has been incredible.

One of my biggest mentors is Dionne Condor-Farrell – the founder of UK Black Tech – she has always encouraged me to believe in myself, even though I’m so grateful for my journey and some of the recognition I’ve received, I still can be insecure and I am learning and growing, so it’s great to have a mentor who is so supportive.

Also, I’d recommend using #BlackTechTwitter – this connects you with an amazing community that I find really great.

What values are important to you?

Always be authentic - my Mum always taught me to be authentically you, she would describe to me that when you try to be someone you are not, eventually you will lose sight of your real self.

My advice would also be to stay authentic if you are posting on social media. There can be a lot of pressure to portray yourself in a certain way, but stay true to yourself and your journey.

What does success mean to you?

Making a difference – right now success to me is using my story to inspire someone, even just one person. Having someone contact me and send me a message to say that a part of my story has helped them on any level is success.

…by the way…

Jennifer launched the #DontRushChallenge x Black Women In Tech UK. She sent out a tweet to reach black women in tech to do a viral challenge. Some are colleagues, some are friends but they all represent a unique demographic in the tech industry.

We are women. We work in tech. We are black…and we know how to have fun! 

https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6653338685557272576/

Find out more about Jennifer at:

www.jenniferopal.co

www.youtube.com/channel/UCMgG1lyG1h4E_ExYKG6pNEg

twitter.com/_jenniferopal

www.instagram.com/_jenniferopal