By Minal Abhange
Pursuing a dream career can mean a variety of things – for some, it might mean a big title, huge compensation and a fantastic work-life balance.
For Cathy Berscheid, an alumna of CNA’s Computer Systems and Networking program, it meant redefining herself.
“Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward,” she says. “My interest in the program, and information technology to be specific, began when I learned about the immense growth potential and career opportunities in the field.”
First steps
Often, taking the first step is the hardest part, but Cathy says it doesn’t have to be.
“When I started the program it almost felt like the worst decision. I was both scared and nervous, reflecting back it was the best career choice I made.”
She loved the fact she was able to learn multiple aspects of the industry in a very welcoming and supportive atmosphere.
“I was not limited when it came to choose what I could master and that freedom is still the driving force. Computer Systems and Networking is a very diverse field. I chose the program at CNA as it is well structured, constantly evolving to help students gain employable skills to meet changing technology demands. Along with theory, there is a lot of hands-on application in labs on assembling, testing, and troubleshooting computer systems making students job-ready.”
Road to success
A native of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Cathy moved to St Johns 10 years ago and now calls it home.
She says to stay on track, regardless of life-changing situations, a person need to constantly push towards their goals.
“I moved from Saskatchewan to explore new opportunities and have been lucky few to be in the right place at the right time to find a rewarding career, job after graduating from the program.”
Cathy started her work term at Pathix in St. John’s as a Computer Systems and Networking Security Analyst, and the company hired her after graduation.
“I love the atmosphere at Pathix; it is a dream job in many ways. In the run of a day, my duties constantly change; I do everything from providing customer support to customers around the world, or locally by visiting their sites and managing operations. It is a very task-driven environment, which suits my personality and helps me to ace at the things I know best and learn new concepts, and also adapt to manage time driven tasks with some research.”
Cathy believes, “if you can dream it, you can achieve it.
“I think much of what a person does in life is enabled by their own determination and by the people they surround themselves with. I was extremely fortunate to be part of the CNA community, and the people I met here have been key in achieving my career goals in life.”
