The ultimate measure of any institute of higher learning is the career success of its graduates. Sheridan graduates are finding real-world success is easy when you’ve got the right training and real-world preparation behind you.
Mark McQuillan graduated from Sheridan’s Interactive Multi-Media program in 2003 and quickly started a media and web design business — Jam3Media — with Sheridan graduates Pablo Vio and Adrian Belina. Today, the company specializes in website development that includes motion graphics and video design counts firms like Tetley, Dominos and Electronic Arts among its client list.
McQuillan says the outstanding success of his firm was made possible by the strength of Sheridan’s IMM program.
“It was a very intense program with a great class and great teamwork elements. We got to see problem solving on all sides and with this program we got to work with the designers. I think that’s why we are the professionals we are today,” McQuillan said.
While Sheridan’s IMM program was challenging, McQuillan says Sheridan’s planning and practical approach to learning, which included lots of group work, allowed students to not only develop their skills but also their confidence by working closely with other students to solve problems.
“When you’re in a group you can motivate each other — those team building exercises were key. Sheridan gave me the confidence to move forward with my career. It was the right program at the right time,” McQuillan said.
With the explosion of Internet traffic has come a skyrocketing demand for information security professionals like Joshua McDougall, who graduated from Sheridan’s Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences program in August of 2008.
He currently works for a large, international professional services firm utilizing his Information Systems Security degree, and says the strength of Sheridan’s program was its focus on preparing students with exactly the kinds of skills employers specifically desired from graduates.
“It was a very broad program and the co-ordinator, who did an amazing job designing it, was with us the whole way. He managed to get a lot of industry input on everything we did and he found out exactly what employers were looking for, which made us very desirable in the workforce throughout different industries,” McDougall said.
Many of McDougall’s friends in the program went on to work in a wide variety of career paths using their skills, such as forensics, risk analysis and consulting. A big reason for the wide berth of options, McDougall says, is that Sheridan not only gave students core knowledge, but made sure students were prepared to operate in the real workplace. The Information Systems Security degree includes a three-to-six-month field placement in a real-world employment scenario that forces students to put their knowledge to work in a practical way while learning how to impart their ideas in a work setting.
“When we left Sheridan, we not only had the technical knowledge to perform our jobs but also the communication skills to get our message across, which is crucial in the information security industry,” McDougall said.
For more information about jump-starting your real-world career, visit www.sheridaninstitute.ca.
