Owen Dadivas
Graduate, Certificate in Network Administration and Security Professional
Owen Dadivas has always been fascinated with technology – for years he worked in a genetics research lab programming liquid handling robots. But the increasing demand for corporate IT professionals made him rethink his career in the lab, and start exploring his options for retraining.
“I stumbled upon the Network Administration and Security Professional program on the UBC Continuing Studies website. I was looking for an exciting and challenging career and knew this program was the path to it,” says Owen.
“The program helped me develop the specific skills needed to work as a technical support professional,” he comments. “My advice to students is to take advantage of the labs and the expertise of your instructors. They will prepare you for working in the field. Pay attention, because there is a lot of valuable information that will come in handy later on.”
As part of the joint UBC/BCIT certificate, Owen completed a two-month practicum at i-worx, an IT solutions company. When he was nearing the completion of his practicum, he started looking for permanent roles and landed a job as a junior network administrator at Glentel, a large wireless solutions provider.
He credits the Certificate in Network Administration and Security Professional for giving him an edge in the job market. “You are competing with students from other institutions, but this program gets your resume noticed because it not only demonstrates your technical skills, but also your experience working with end users. I received a strong work reference, which proved the value I could offer employers,” comments Owen.
“The certificate has enabled me to climb quickly up the career ladder, and I’ve recently moved into a more senior technical support role at Family Insurance Solutions. I developed a broad knowledge in everything from computer networking to business leadership, which has provided a solid foundation for progressing in my career. As I take on more responsibility, I’m prepared to tackle the challenges I come across because of the skills I developed in the program.”
As for future plans, Owen thinks he might eventually like to specialize in a specific area of IT, but is keeping his options open to see where his career takes him. “What makes it exciting to work in this industry is that there are so many possibilities.”
“The certificate has enabled me to climb quickly up the career ladder”
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