In our vibrant economy, professionals are constantly on the move. They’ve shrugged off the old philosophy of clinging to a job. Aware of ever-increasing opportunities, they look to improve their skills and knowledge, to grow and change in their work.
But in doing so, they don’t want to relinquish their jobs. Enrolling for multi-year, theory-heavy programs at traditional institutions just isn’t practical. Instead they’re choosing the British Columbia Institute of Technology School of Business’ (BCIT Business) Part-Time Studies programs. The flexibility of evening and online courses allows them to gain skills – without losing their foothold.
As a marketer, Michelle Zazulak helped small businesses by sharing basic graphic design materials. Something awoke in Zazulak. She realized she was interested in creating designs herself.
Zazulak contacted BCIT Business, well known for its high-quality Graphic Design program. For someone in her mid-20s, the coursework was realistic. It compressed what she needed to learn into six months.
She chose to go all-in for full-time study, with classes between 2 and 10 p.m. BCIT was up front in cautioning that this would be demanding. But Zazulak found she thrived on the intensity. She valued the immersive nature of spending many hours building her portfolio.
Zazulak recalls, “We got to learn and grow with other designers. We networked; we shared project opportunities.”
On seeking a job, she wondered about daunting competition from designers coming out of multi-year programs. Quite the opposite. BCIT has a solid reputation for graduating skilled, career-ready candidates. Zazulak immediately had three offers.
She explains, “It all comes down to instructors making students shine against those from other programs by preparing us for what industry is really like.”
With the demise of the narrowly focused, silo-type job, professionals seek that edge even if staying in their current field. They want to keep expanding their knowledge in ways that might surprise their predecessors.
BCIT Business attuned to industry needs
BCIT business law instructor Dean Palmer’s classes attract both professionals and students from marketing, human resources, advertising, management, accounting, engineering and, increasingly, computer science backgrounds. These days it’s not enough to be a techie. Computer pros are hungry to learn about concepts like intellectual property.
Like Zazulak, some students take all courses at once. Most with full-time jobs take two or three. Or sometimes, as Palmer reports, “it’s business people on parental leave taking courses that dovetail with their baby’s schedule. Others are travelling. They intend to return to work with new skills.”
“It’s fascinating to see the range of languages, cultures, experience and education, but not surprising,” he adds. “People know BCIT is attuned to what industry needs.” Like other instructors, Palmer, a full-time patent and trademark lawyer, consults regularly with business leaders to make sure what he’s teaching stays relevant.
Maureen Ewing, a BCIT Business instructor in human resources management and organizational development, observes of her students, “whether a firefighter or city employee, they’re wanting to transition. Some want to upgrade into managerial or supervisory roles. Others want a change into HR or training and development.”
Unlike other institutions, BCIT fully recognizes part-time students’ achievements. “BCIT is, in my experience, the only place where you can go into part-time studies and get full credit, just as if you were in full-time studies,” Ewing says.
BCIT upends traditional institutions’ practices in other ways that appeal to today’s mobile careerists. Rather than being buried in academics, students live the gritty, exhilarating workplace experience. As BCIT business operations management instructor Sarb Verma explains, “Instructors are not cookie-cutter, speaking from textbooks. Most of us are professionals who share real-life learnings we’ve experienced. We make sure students understand the application of what they’re learning directly to their work.”
Verma holds brainstorming sessions on issues students encounter at work. She also offers a portable skill they can take straight from her class to the office: process improvement. “They may want to develop an opportunity or idea but don’t know how to put their thoughts together in a constructive format to obtain support from their team or senior leaders. I get them to build a framework via a project charter to outline the problem, scope and objective. It’s important they rely on facts, that without data it’s all just an opinion.”
With the courses of study described above and more, professionals are exploring new career possibilities. Unlike previous generations, they’re not waiting for opportunity to knock. They know in this economy that opportunity is already an open door.
BCIT Business Part-Time Studies registration is open. Visit us here – and discover your own opportunity.
