Shifting into a career in tech
A few years ago, Rosheen Hayat landed in Canada with an MBA in finance, a bachelor's degree in education, a background in project management and a desire to transition her career into the tech industry. “I knew very early on that I wanted to be out there collaborating with people and building solutions, which is why I pivoted towards project management at a very early stage in my career,” says Hayat. “When I moved to Canada, I wanted to pivot towards tech, but I had the perception that you can't move into tech without an engineering or computer science degree.”
An employment counselling workshop at the Calgary Catholic Immigrant Society introduced an option tailored for mid-career professionals interested in the tech industry — SAIT’s 12-week part-time Applied Product Management Bootcamp. For Hayat, it sounded like a good fit. “The demo covered all the areas that intrigued me about a career in tech — managing processes from start to finish and solving problems in a very collaborative environment.”
The network I built, that's my strength now.
Rosheen Hayat
Applied Product Management bootcamp graduate6 for foundation + 6 for application
The intensive 12-week digital bootcamp allowed for different ways to learn and connect with classmates. Hayat elaborates, “There was a lot of information to take in, but I liked that the program broke it down into manageable pieces and then provided activities where we could use what we learned. We also reviewed how to transfer skills from any field, any industry, any role we’d done before.”
Opportunities to connect with classmates were critical to solidifying the course material. In breakout rooms, Hayat had the chance to work with her classmates and expand her own understanding. “It wasn't just the course itself, it was my discussions with the cohort that helped build on my knowledge as well.”
Those connections with the cohort paid off at the six-week mark. The bootcamp moved closer to the real world with a cross-disciplinary project for a digital solution to be presented at the end of the program. Working with another product management student and two user experience (UX) student designers, Hayat and her team took an idea from the idea phase to a pitch-ready product — an app to help solo female travellers connect with like-minded travel buddies.
For Hayat, the opportunity to work through the entire product life cycle with the UX designers who brought the product discovery and research to life was worthwhile. “We worked really well together because of how collaborative the environment was — if you have a good team, you can make anything work.” Hayat came away with the confidence to search for her perfect product management role — something that encompasses the entire product life cycle.
Kickstarting a local network
The connections Hayat made at SAIT continue to pay dividends, including in her latest role as a consultant in the product management field. “I wouldn't just say this for myself, but as a new immigrant to Canada building a network within Canada, or Calgary specifically, was the best thing I got from the SAIT experience. The network and the support system you get from SAIT is exemplary.”
Career planning goes high tech
Transferable skills give you a solid starting point to exciting new roles. SAIT's newly launched career planning tool, My Career Pathways, supported by TD Bank and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, can help you identify your existing transferable skills, create a skills profile and point you toward the programs and courses that can fill skill gaps.
My Career Pathways lets you explore new digital careers and ensures you know what you need to become industry-ready.