Tori Miguez, 32, worked her way into a role she loved as a business analyst and consultant.
When she got the opportunity to move from the health care industry to tech, she experienced a slight case of impostor syndrome.
“I didn’t have a background in tech,” says Miguez. “I was in meetings with these very knowledgeable and experienced professionals. It was like they were speaking a different language.”
Miguez previously had earned her B.S. in Psychology in 2014, and her MBA in Healthcare Administration in 2017 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
She was certain she could learn on the job and bridge the knowledge gap over time, but she wanted to find a way to catch up as quickly as possible.
“I wanted to expand my skill set and get some more technical knowledge in my back pocket,” she says.
Through the University’s M.S. in Informatics degree program online, Miguez saw a solution that fit her goals, her strengths as a student, and her schedule as “a busy mom who works full-time.”
Exemplary Deliverables
Informatics coursework proved formidable, but Miguez leveraged strengths she'd developed during her career.
“As a project lead and business analyst, I have to perform extensive research, go through a lot of material, and take the initiative to learn everything there is on a topic,” she says.
Those strengths were invaluable, but she still met her match in Systematic Methods in Informatics, INFX 502, working on a semester project. That’s when her professor helped her rise to the challenge.
“I hadn’t taken statistics in many years,” she says. “Dr. Tozal provided me with some resources — reading material and videos to watch with examples that applied to the class project. That was very helpful.”
Ultimately, Miguez was able to master the course content and apply it directly to her role — along with skills built in IT Risk Management, UX/UI design, systems development, networking, data analytics, and Python and SQL.
“Everything that was presented as course content in this program, I was able to apply in some form or fashion,” she says.
Another advantage? Miguez has overcome the tech language barrier.
“I’m not a programmer, so learning the basics of programming languages has been very helpful,” she says.
“Sometimes I need to get on a call with a developer and screenshare to troubleshoot an issue. Being able to speak their language more clearly has definitely enhanced my abilities as a business analyst and project lead.”
Making the Most of Her Time
While Miguez loves an in-classroom experience, earning her second master's degree online was the best fit for her lifestyle.
Miguez lives in Delcambre, Louisiana, with her fiancé and 8-year-old son, and her role at CGI is mostly remote.
"There's no way I could have graduated in four semesters if I had to go to campus for classes.”
She estimates studying online saved her at least 90 minutes every day that she didn’t have to commute to campus, 90 minutes she could share with her family, or use for work and studying.
“My son is eight, he’s in second grade and participates in many extracurricular activities,” says Miguez. “This was absolutely the best option for me and my family.”
Weeknights, Miguez’s time management strategy was coordinated with her son’s bedtime so she could use the block from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. for reading and assignments, and then reserve time Saturday or Sunday to tackle what was left.
“My fiancé has been a huge help,” says Miguez. And when her fiancé had to travel for work, his grandparents stepped in to help too.
Dividends
In addition to a promotion to senior consultant, Miguez stepped up to present during a “Shark Tank” style competition at CGI.
“Normally I would have been terrified to enter something like this, but I did, and I actually won! Winning allowed me to lead a team to develop a proof of concept from this idea,” she says.
The desire to grow more skilled, capable, and confident motivated Miguez to start her Informatics degree and it appears to have worked out just how she wanted.
“It has given me the confidence to pursue opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Miguez. “Gaining the knowledge that I did, and expanding my skill set, I feel like I’ve exponentially increased my job performance and career opportunities.”