Tia Parekh is a Softchoice employee who manages a lot of responsibility.
“As a Talent Acquisition Strategy Analyst, I lead strategic projects impacting the Talent Acquisition area of the business, lead reporting and analytics related to employee retention and talent acquisition performance and oversee the corporate-wide relocation policy as well as the employee referral program,” she explains.
Tia’s senior responsibilities are a telling endorsement of her abilities – the University of Toronto grad entered the workforce just a few years ago.
“I attribute my success to hard work, calculated risk-taking and determination,” she says. “All three have been key in overcoming obstacles and successfully achieving my goals at Softchoice.”
Tia’s career story begins with an internship at Softchoice.
Starting out at Softchoice
The first time Tia entered Softchoice’s Toronto office, she knew that she had found a great fit. “Softchoice is a trendy, fun and open-door policy work environment,” she explains.
“Each day at Softchoice is different and the learning potential is tremendous.”
Tia Parekh
Talent Acquisition Strategy Analyst
“The positive energy was infectious and it really confirmed that Softchoice was a place where I would like to not only start but also build my career.”
As an intern in the People & Growth department at Softchoice, Tia provided a range of support functions to the Talent Acquisition team, working with different projects and data management tasks. She soon found herself putting her critical thinking and research skills to work while tackling unfamiliar areas of information technology.
“Working for a technology firm, the exposure you have to a variety of IT systems is enormous and it really drives you to become more knowledgeable in using technology,” she explains.
The welcoming environment she initially sensed at Softchoice included a hands-on attitude towards supporting her in her new role.
“Softchoice helped me adjust to my new role by providing strong management support as well as clearly outlining the job responsibilities and expectations,” Tia says. “Weekly one-on-one meetings with my manager helped guide me in the right direction and provided clarity and feedback on my performance.”
Starting a career
After graduating from the University of Toronto in 2012, Tia returned to Softchoice. “I took on the role of a Talent Acquisition Specialist, assisting with full-cycle recruitment, projects and managing Talent Acquisition programs,” she says.
Already familiar with operations at Softchoice, it wasn’t long before she found herself exploring opportunities to move into a senior role.
“My role as Strategy Analyst was the product of a career discussion with my Director about my strengths and what areas of Talent Acquisition I am most passionate about,” says Tia. “This was a huge opportunity for me and I was fortunate to have it offered to me so early in my career.”
Managing a significant amount of responsibility is one of her favourite parts of her new role.
“I am able to look at my projects as an open canvas and really challenge myself to try different things,” she says. “Furthermore, I am encouraged to make executive decisions on what would be best-suited for the business.”
Thinking long-term
Tia says that her internship at Softchoice played a big part in helping her plan a career.
“My initial role gave me a basic foundation of Softchoice as a company and how its People & Growth department functioned,” she explains. “Knowledge of the basics was crucial for me to move forward and learn the specifics of the department.”
Having already taken several career steps just a few years after graduation, she’s looking forward to building a career at Softchoice and exploring more senior roles in Talent Acquisition.
“Softchoice is helping me get there by giving me the opportunity to specialize in specific areas of Talent Acquisition and work closely with key members across various departments as well as with members of senior leadership,” Tia says.
“The exposure and the learning potential I have at Softchoice will help me become well-equipped to further my career.”
Your career at Softchoice
If you plan to start a career at Softchoice, Tia says that learning about the company is a good place to start.
“Do your research beforehand and really understand what Softchoice is all about,” she says. “Softchoice has a strong social media presence and there are several blogs and videos on our culture for someone looking to understand what working at Softchoice is like.”
With that information in hand, it’s vital to recognize how Softchoice’s needs align with your skills and abilities.
“I would encourage people to really review the job description and be prepared with examples of how their previous experiences can be transferable to the job requirements,” Tia explains. “Be candid and innovative because those are two things that Softchoice strongly values.”
Her best piece of career advice?
“Be confident in yourself and in your work. Hard work and passion will always translate into results and be valued by those around you.”
With a track-record like Tia’s, that’s advice to take note of.