Mentor Helps Engineering Grad Land Her Dream Job

“This program has been such a gift to me,” says Siba Saleh, of Iron & Earth’s mentorship program.

Siba Saleh

“I used all the skills I learned from my mentor, Jodie Hon, to land a dream job with a climate change consulting firm,” says Siba. “The mock job interviews I did with her were very helpful with all my interviews, especially with my current job. I learned so much from Jodie about interviews, like emphasizing my transferable skills instead of mentioning what skills you’re missing.”

"Jodie shared helpful sources for my job search and provided very actionable advice. She also gave guidance on the recruitment process, including job search strategies, networking events, and professional communities. Whenever I spoke with her, I always took down notes, which helped a lot with my job search.” At the same time, Siba was getting notifications about job postings from around the country from our Climate Career Portal, which gave her insight into what jobs were available, their requirements and salary range.

Siba originally met Jodie at a UBC Women in Engineering event, and then contacted her when Siba started job-hunting and realized some guidance would help, when her job applications were getting no response. “It was a no-brainer to reach out to a mentor since it was free, on my schedule, and I could gain insight from the other side, from someone with engineering experience,” she says. “I wanted to get insight into what companies are looking for in employees and to also boost my motivation.”

Growing up in an oil and gas-based economy, environmental sustainability has always been Siba’s passion, so it was natural for her to seek out experience in the field. After moving to Vancouver, Siba studied chemical and biological engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and volunteered in various roles at UBC Women in Engineering. She also worked part-time, researching partnerships between community groups and UBC, including calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food delivery cars to campus, collecting field data, and estimating regional GHG emissions.

Siba’s current employer helps companies attain their sustainability goals, like reaching carbon neutrality, and reducing and verifying their GHG emissions. In her current role, Siba is learning about different policies to combat climate change and also verifying clients’ GHG emissions, as required by several provincial government programs such as Alberta's TIER regulations, Saskatchewan's MRGHG regulations, and Ontario's EPS program. Industrial facilities have to report GHG emissions to the government and have them verified by a third party, so her consulting firm recalculates these reports from scratch to ensure they’re accurate.

“It’s such a joy to learn first-hand from the work I'm doing for our clients and from my team,” says Siba. “Things are changing all the time since it's a young field, and so dependent on government policy, that it keeps me on my toes.”

Having a mentor is still very valuable to Siba, so she plans to keep Jodie updated on her career progress and to continue to seek out advice from her. “I'm so thankful for the mentorship program at Iron & Earth,” she says. "I can't emphasize how amazing the mentorship program is, especially being flexible and free. It was truly such a relief to be able to talk openly about my job search with someone who is willing to share their valuable experience with me.”