When your final graduate project lands you an impressive job offer

Six years after completing an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering, Juned Munshi knew it was time to take his career in a new direction. He had successfully founded two tech startups. He had solid product development skills. He was familiar with technologies ranging from web applications to big data, AI and computer vision. But he knew that to reach the next level, he needed to pursue graduate studies.

Moving to Canada from India in September 2017, Juned enrolled in the MEIE program at Toronto Metropolitan University because he was drawn to the hands-on learning about value creation. When it came time for his final project, he focused on developing an enterprise solution that would help a company optimize their operations. He ended up working with Bell Canada and developing a Business Intelligence Tool so effective they hired him on as a Senior Solution Architect.

Reflecting on his success, Juned points out that MEIE gave him exactly the edge he was looking for.

“In the program, I learned how to understand customer requirements,” he says. “When I had conversations with executives, I understood the problems they wanted to solve, because I knew how to ask the right questions.”

As he embarks on the next phase of his career, Juned’s experience illustrates that the entrepreneurial mindset taught in programs like MEIE applies as readily to large corporations as it does to startups. His story is also a reminder that a disciplined multi-stage approach to creating value cannot only be learned by starting a company on your own.