The Top 5 Episode of The Best Careers You Never Knew Existed Podcast
Are you curious about the tech industry and the careers within it? Look no further! The Best Careers You Never Knew Existed is a podcast in collaboration between CITI and SAIT. This podcast is a guide for new opportunities, industry insights, and technology and innovation trends. We are going to highlight 5 episodes from the podcast, spotlighting the speakers and key takeaways from each one. Focusing on careers including product marketing, UX design, and Customer Success.
The Best Careers You Never Knew Existed
Discover some of the careers you might never have known existed and navigate top trends and insights from industry leaders. Whether you're a curious learner, seeking career growth, or passionate about tech, this podcast is your guide for the ever changing career landscape.
Careers in Technology and Innovation (CITI) and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) worked alongside each other to create a podcast that helps people navigate the top technology and innovation trends impacting new and emerging careers. CITI Founder, Zachary Novak, co-hosts the podcast The Best Careers You Never Knew Existed with Lora Bucsis, Director of SAIT. The podcast covers a wide range of topics with incredible guest host to share their stories and insights
The Best Careers You Never Knew Existed currently has a total of 14 episodes and 3 bonus episodes. You can listen to the podcast on the SAIT website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. On the SAIT website, you can also find transcripts of the entire podcast, further education, and other resources to help you develop your career.
Each episode provides valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiration for anyone looking to explore or advance in the tech industry. We are going to highlight 5 episodes from the podcast, spotlighting the speakers and key takeaways from each one.
Episode 2: Why You Should Be Excited About UX Design
In episode 2 of the podcast, they have special guest Emilie Mazurek, (VEERUM), Senior UX Designer, to discuss user experience (UX) and the roles they play in an organization.
“There's actually a huge amount of return on investment that you get if you're investing in user experience designers, because if you make sure that you're tackling the right problems from the start, you're going to actually build something that resonates with your customers, that actually works for them, and that they find easy and intuitive to use.”
About Emilie:
Emilie had a unique journey from biochemistry, music, and hospitality to UX Design. Initially, she wanted to be a doctor, but then realized it wasn't the right fit and discovered UX Design. She completed a bootcamp and quickly secured a full-time remote role. She now focuses on delivering strategic and meaningful user experiences and is passionate about helping others transition into UX Design.
Topics:
- Role of a UX designer
- Importance of design skills and UX research
- Design work, research, customer interviews
- Misconception: UX design is limited to the tech industry
- Advice for aspiring UX designers: building portfolios, seeking feedback, storytelling, networking
Episode 3: Journey to Product Manager
In episode 3, the hosts sit down with product manager Mai Khalil (Deloitte) to learn more about the role.
“There are lots of opportunities for product managers. I always describe it as being a chameleon as you’re trying to do whatever to empower your team and deliver a product.”
About Mai:
Mai was initially a practicing physician with a PhD in genetics and autism before pivoting into tech six years ago. She began working as a product experience manager in an ed-tech startup and realized that is what she wanted to do. She joined the CITI community at the very beginning and established meaningful relationships with people in the community. Now she is a Product Management Manager at Deloitte and an Advisor here at CITI.
Topics:
- Leading cross-functional teams
- Path of a Product Manager
- Continual learning to keep up with industry trends
- Advice for newcomers to Canada: reaching out to communities, being patient, overcoming self-doubt
- Key Skills: Communication, self-learning
Episode 4: The Art of Product Marketing
In episode 4, they speak with Vicki Laszlo (Virtual Gurus), an award winning marketer, about why product marketers are essential in an organization.
"Product Marketing is the driving force behind getting products to market, and you want to keep them there. Product marketers are really the overarching voices of the customers and the masterminds of messaging."
About Vicki:
Vicki describes her start into product marketing as a happy accident. She started as a designer but also loved the strategy side of marketing which led her to start doing brand marketing advertising. Throughout her career she also did digital and performance marketing which helped her establish her foundation. She finally found product marketing as an opportunity to work with strategic storytelling. Vicki has extensive experience in different companies including Starbucks, Twitter, and Hootsuite.
Topics:
- Role of a product marketer: masterminds of massaging
- Marketing in Alberta
- Marketing in different types of companies
- Key skills: creativity, communication, analytical thinking, adaptability
- Marketing Education Resources: Share Bird, The Architect Podcast
Episode 5: Why Every Company Needs Customer Success
In episode 5, they speak with customer success manager and co-founder of Yellow Room, Al Renner, to describe the critical role customer success plays in companies across industries.
"Customer Success really has to become a culture within organizations. It has to permeate the whole organization from the people in the back doing their assembling, all the way to finance, and of course, the folks on the front lines."
About Al:
Al progressed from handling various operational roles to becoming a strategic leader in Customer Success, where he was initially involved in tech support and operations. When a new VP recognized the need for a customer-centric approach, Al transitioned into Customer Success.
Topics:
- Goals and Value of customer success
- Customer Success growth potential
- Customer Success career path
- Resources for Customer Success
- Key skills: communication, empathy, problem-solving
Episode 8: Navigating the Labyrinth of Careers in Data
In episode 8, they sit down with Ben Reeves (Viewpoint Investment Partners) , a dedicated data scientist and community builder, as they discuss how data is essential to energy-transitioning economies, potential paths and how to get started on a rewarding and impactful career in data.
"A good way to think about data is it's just a quantified piece of information, and we as humans use information to make decisions. So, data is really about optimizing the decision-making process, which you can think of that touches all aspects of industry, academia, etc."
About Ben:
Ben's journey began with a background in materials engineering. His initial interest in software sparked during university experiments combining theoretical models with real-world results. After university he worked in software and data in the oil and gas industry. Eventually he moved to a role at Viewpoint Investment Partners, merging software engineering and data science to navigate the financial landscape.
Topics:
- Role of data in optimizing decision-making processes
- How to get into a data career
- AI’s impact on data
- The role of energy in the future
- Key skills: curiosity, resiliency, analytical mindset, STEM knowledge
Tune in to learn more and stay ahead in the tech landscape.
Check out more episodes here: https://www.sait.ca/careerspodcast
.png)
