July 16, 2020
Bradley MacEachen was born in Ontario, but grew up in Nova Scotia. Having experience in IT and business, Bradley found a job in the tech sector that’s a perfect fit; he’s now a Business Analyst at Concertia!
I didn’t gain much IT experience in high school – the most extensive course I took was Advanced Excel training. Looking back on it today, I didn’t have a great understanding of IT. Playing hockey kept me busy during high school, but in addition to that I enjoyed math and French – which actually, ultimately, helped me develop my career in IT!
Ever since I can remember, I was searching for a career path that was right for me. My dad is an accountant and I thought that was something I could be interested in, that was until I took a couple of courses and decided accounting was not for me. I went to Saint Francis Xavier University and studied economics, accounting, and computer sciences. Computer sciences, programming in particular, was interesting for me, but despite enjoying the courses, the technical aspect was challenging so I decided not to go down the developer path. Realizing I had an interest in technology and general business, perusing IT was the next logical area to explore. I ended up sticking in the field, and graduated with a Business degree and an IT major.
When I was fresh out of school, I worked on Prince Edward Island for over a year. My job was more technical than what I do now. I was doing mapping and some coding – and I asked myself “Is this really what I want to do?” Back in Nova Scotia, the first meeting with Concertia was a pleasant surprise. The role was described as business oriented, but it was quickly brought to my attention that tech drove the business. I characterize my role as a middle person between one of our clients, Bell and our developers. Bell will come to us with business changes and I transcribe what these will look like in our software. In five years’ time, I hope to still be working in IT. I’d like to gain a little bit more technical experience – learn some more coding and explore more options.
The people at Concertia are great! I work with really smart people and I’m learning so much every day. Constant learning – that’s one of the really great things about where I work. The IT sector is about constantly learning as technologies evolve and that’s something I’ve enjoyed. We are kind of a small company, with only 25 employees currently. Our President, Ross
MacDougall, is directly involved with our clients. If a team member needs advice or assistance, he is right there to help. I don’t think a lot of companies have a boss like Ross. Concertia just celebrated its 20th anniversary this summer – which is amazing! The company will continue to grow over the next few years, I’m sure of it.
“As someone in the tech sector, if I could provide advice to anyone, I would say don’t be afraid of technology, and don’t let the learning curve discourage you. The learning curve is definitely prominent in the IT world, but at the same time, it’s something that’s manageable and there are always people that can help you.” – Bradley MacEachen
As someone in the tech sector, if I could provide advice to anyone, I would say don’t be afraid of technology, and don’t let the learning curve discourage you. The learning curve is definitely prominent in the IT world, but at the same time, it’s something that’s manageable and there are always people that can help you. Take your education seriously, as the stuff you learn is relevant to the real world. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and always do your research!
Once you’ve done your research you’ll see why tech is so much more than coding. I believe the most common misconception about IT is that back-end developers sit in the dark and just code all day – but that’s not tech. IT includes people, processes, technology and business. It is the way of the future and if it’s something you’re interested in, you should really consider it, because you will find an interesting career in it.
About Concertia
Concertia Technologies Inc is a professional services organization dedicated to helping clients develop and support their businesses through innovative business and IT solutions. Concertia was founded in 1999 and is primarily an operational decision management-software consulting company. Concertia works with Bell, Nova Scotia Power, IBM, local universities and several Nova Scotia high schools.
Visit Concertia