Alumni Stories: Nadim El Dirani

“I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, and later a Master’s degree in Engineering Design, both at McMaster University. It was during this time that I chose to pursue a career in technology. Upon graduation, I came across FDM and decided to take the plunge in kick-starting my tech career in Toronto. I joined the IT Service Management stream as an FDM trainee, during which I discovered the path of taking on consultant and generalist roles to eventually move to governance or management positions in the future. FDM provided me with excellent Project Management and Business Analysis courses that helped refresh my memory on the basics before going on-site. They also organised mock interviews to help me prepare for my meetings and land my first placement and launch my career in tech.

Initially placed at one of Canada’s largest banks as an Intake Coordinator, I am now managing the intake process for the Technology Department and providing overall business consulting on the different systems and applications. In my current role as an Intake Manager and Business Consultant, I‘m responsible for managing project requests from internal clients where I understand the requirements and assist with developing an overall solution to the problem. I do this by way of excellent business consulting and deep application knowledge. I support multiple lines of businesses within the bank by providing funding estimation for their projects and drive the business requirements into technology deliverables. I help align their road maps and platform strategies through the projects that the development teams are working on. Finally, I also support the CIO, the managing directors and their respective pillars, by providing account management expertise.

My advice to recent graduates looking to break into the tech world is:

• Research new technologies and accumulate general knowledge about the latest trends.
• On the job, seek more than what you are intended to do.
• Curiosity and self-initiation go a long way.”