Phil: Crafting a career fueled by learning and a supportive environment

Hi Phil – thanks for being part of CGI’s career stories series. Tell us about your experience working at CGI since you’ve joined.

In 2022, I was hired as a senior consultant in the business consulting team in the UK. It hasn’t been very long since I joined CGI, and I’ve already had the opportunity to work on several different projects. I started consulting on change management-related bids for our clients in investment banking and higher education, and my latest project involves working as a business analyst for a central government project.

It sounds like you’ve done a lot in a short time at CGI. Can you elaborate on the types of assignments you’ve worked on?

• Collaborated on a strategic learning and development offering
• Worked on case studies across various industries to support business development
• Helped transform a client’s 30-year-old database into a modernized self-service portal

My most challenging project to date has been helping to transform a client’s 30-year-old database into a modernized self-service portal. It requires collaboration between teams with different types of expertise – business analysis, coding, databases, etc. – and a lot of innovative thinking to ensure the portal fits our client’s modern business needs.

How do you develop your skills for such varied assignments?

• Learnt something new and built on skills I previously learned every time I work on a new project
• Participated in varied client engagements and working on the operational side of those projects
• Completed training programs on our global learning platform, CGI Academia, to develop skills in behavior-driven development, Agile methodology, and business development

Do you feel you have support from your colleagues and leaders to develop your career?

• Manager encourages participation in varied client engagements and working on the operational side of those projects
• Culture of knowledge sharing through weekly team meetings where colleagues introduce topics of their choice
• Pushed to develop strong growth objectives and development plans tied to professional and personal goals

It sounds like you have a lot going on! How do you strike the right work-life balance?

• Learned to prioritize and manage a balanced life, including staying physically active
• Block off time in agenda to step outside, work out or go for a walk
• Train and compete in CrossFit competitions and do a bit of running
• Judge fitness competitions
• Find “lunch and learn” sessions covering a wide range of topics – nutrition, stress, family life, financial health, etc. helpful in achieving overall work-life balance

In the UK, as part of CGI’s global focus on health and well-being, we have very useful “lunch and learn” sessions covering a wide range of topics – nutrition, stress, family life, financial health, etc. I find these sessions very valuable in helping achieve overall work-life balance.

Well, Phil, it sounds like you lead a fulfilling life. Thank you for taking the time to share your career journey at CGI so far!