Khaled Zaky never had any doubt that software engineering would be his future.
Even as a child he was fascinated by technology, often seeking out ways to break and fix things, and eventually, spending his summers learn to code.
“To me, it never felt like ‘study’ but rather a subject I was deeply invested in,” says the 2014 grad.
Today, Zaky is a senior product manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world’s largest provider of on-demand cloud computing platforms.
“My job is to invent on behalf of our customers and to advocate for their needs throughout the design, build, and deployment process,” he explains. “My day-to-day activities involve interacting with customers, engineers, UX designers and the Amazon leadership to find solutions by working backwards from the customer problems.”
Zaky says the experience of student co-op programs gave him a career boost and a chance to explore possibilities within the software engineering world.
He launched his career with technical and product management roles at BlackBerry, Rogers, TD Bank and RBC, before moving to his current position.
Zaky also teaches a product management course at BrainStation, a Toronto-based digital skills training school with global presence.
“I look at this as one way to pay back to the industry and help professionals who want to learn about product management,” he says. “Teaching is a very rewarding experience, and I believe teaching a craft brings you ever closer to mastering it.”
He urges students to recognize the power of networking and relationship building, and to continue to invest in learning.
“Stay curious – there is always something new in the industry and more to learn. Try to figure out the technology and industry trends and hop on those early for the biggest career rewards.”
