WIMTACH Student Profile: Stefanie Saldanha

Stefanie Saldanha has a passion for marketing. Before joining Centennial College’s Marketing Research Analytics program, she’d even earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing from the University of Toledo. WIMTACH provided the entry for her to marry some of this passion with project development processes as a Project Management intern to become what she considers as “industry ready” for employment.

At WIMTACH Stefanie assisted the team with several projects including a project collaboration with Academy of Learning, Taltis Foods, Epipresto, and Seyon Tax under the Centre of Explainable Data Analytics (CEDA) program in WIMTACH. Assisting the WIMTACH research team with key business development tasks enabled her to strengthen her skills in client relations and communications. She assisted the WIMTACH research team with preparing project plans, facilitating meetings and ensuring that projects were hitting milestones. Her chief focus was to help CEDA to grow, and as a result, she was regularly connecting with potential industry partners to discuss the ways that CEDA can assist them. “One thing I like about WIMTACH is that the work environment is very friendly. Very flexible,” she said. “So, everyday you’re learning something new and you’re surprised.”

Stefanie noted that the internship was critical in enhancing her knowledge about marketing research and analytics because of the in-depth education she gained about industry partner challenges. “I really think it does,” she said. “I deal with real clients. I see what real client’s problems are. How to deal with it.” As some of the projects undertaken by CEDA focus on Search Engine Optimization and website enhancement, she was able to get a unique and multidisciplinary training which went beyond theory to pair her marketing background with technical knowledge for business development projects. “All these things are very important [and] I didn’t know this before coming to WIMTACH,” she said.

Moreover, her work on events such as WIMTACH’s recent SR&ED Tax Credit presentation helped her to brush up on her professional writing skills and event planning skills, improvements which are major highlights of her experience. This rich tapestry of instruction, is one feature of the internship that she’s noted as especially valuable for her future career goals. Accordingly, she noted the importance of learning how to use Jira, and project management skills such as sprint planning, and even, how to prepare grant applications. She has also improved her ability to multitask, work in teams, and deliver work under pressure. “This is the best opportunity an international student will get while studying,” she said. “Although I am not in the technical team … [now] I understand tech language and I get experience of everything.”

Now working as a Data Analyst intern at Auto Desk, Stefanie feels appreciative of her experience at WIMTACH and the ways her internship prepared her for the competitive job market. “I feel more confident because I have worked with so many clients on so many projects,” she said. With insight on how Canadian companies function, she was able to speak confidently about her skills when she was interviewed using much of the tech knowledge she gained at WIMTACH. She even noted that prospective employers were very interested in her experience during her internship. “It’s always a plus point,” she said.

With this understanding, in the next five years, she hopes to become a senior Data Analyst or a Senior Marketing Analyst. “WIMTACH has actually been the stepping stone to me landing a good job in Canada by just making me industry ready and confident,” she said. Since she was able to leverage her experience at WIMTACH towards a coveted role, she underscored the importance of having an internship opportunity that leads to practical growth, recognizing that some students aren’t so lucky. “I don’t think … the part time jobs they do don’t really help them to full time jobs,” she said. “But this is not just that … you are building a rock-solid foundation for your career ahead.”

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