Alumni Stories: Mehrnoosh Haeri

What was your experience like during training? 

I was in the IT Service Management (ITSM) stream and the experience was great. Learning about basics of Finance, Business Analysis and technical skills such as SQL and Unix. FDM helped me get a foot in the door within the tech industry. I was trained in the basics for a career in IT, which helped me land an interview with a top organization within the finance industry and guided my career to where it is today.

What accomplishments are you most proud of from your time with FDM? 

While working on-site during my placement, I was also a Consultant Peer Support (CPS) Ambassador for FDM. In addition to my day-to-day duties of my placement, this role gave me the opportunity to remain connected with FDM by being the on-site first point of contact for all new consultants being placed in my location. I was able to meet with all of the new FDM consultants and guide them in the beginning their career journeys.

What is your current role and what does it involve?

I am currently a Senior Risk Analyst at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions. I work with application owners and various stakeholders within the tech segment to ensure risks are mitigated and security is held. My role in tech risk is as exciting as it sounds. I work with various technology segments within the bank to ensure that application risks are minimized, and the bank as a whole remains secure in their IT environments.

How would you compare what you were originally interested in career-wise with where you are now?

Originally, I wasn’t too sure what I was interested in. When I joined the ITSM stream at FDM, I was aiming for a Business Analyst role. However, a Risk Analyst role came around and opened up a completely new world of possibilities for me. Now, there are many sub-fields that I can go into such as Cyber Security, Risk Governance and more; all of these fields I didn’t even know about before and now I’m very interested in learning more about every day.

What is something that you have learned later in your career that you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Always ask questions. The earlier you ask, the more you will be able to learn. If you do not like what you are doing right now, that does not mean you will be stuck in this forever. There is always room for change and growth; you just have to be bold enough to ask!

To find out more about the career opportunities we offer to new graduates entering the workforce, check out the FDM Technical Graduate Program.