Beats to business: Finding a passion for human resource management
By Angelica Largo, Marketing and Communications
Kiyan Sheikh’s post-secondary journey was a winding path to discovering his passion and purpose. He began with an interest in music production, dabbled in computing science and even took a deep dive into psychology. Each of these unique experiences lead him to find his true passion for human resource (HR) management.
When Kiyan graduated from high school, he was buzzing with excitement to explore the world of music production. The rise of electronic music had him hooked, so he jumped into a music production program at Nimbus School of Recording and Media and even scored an internship at a local studio.
“A recording studio has many formalized processes,” he says. “During that time, I learned how to take initiative and developed strong leadership skills.”
The internship was a turning point in Kiyan’s life as it helped him realize that music production wasn’t the career path that he wished to pursue. However, unbeknownst to him, the leadership skills he gained would later help him throughout his journey in HR management.
Serving up leadership and engagement
After his internship, Kiyan stepped away from music production and began working at a local restaurant chain as a supervisor. He dedicated much of his time to improving employee engagement initiatives by identifying environmental norms, values and group behaviour.
“I wanted to find ways to ensure the team performed consistently at a high level while reducing burnout and maintaining good mental health,” he says. “I didn’t realize it, but that’s where my inherent desire to help teams grow and succeed began.”
Kiyan eventually felt the urge to return to school to further his education and explore different areas of study. With smaller class sizes and its proximity to home, choosing Douglas was an easy decision for him. He began studying part-time while he worked at the restaurant, taking a number of courses that piqued his interest to discover what program he wanted to pursue.
Kiyan was initially drawn to Computing Science at Douglas. “The Computing Science courses that I took taught me how to look at people’s problems in a scalable manner, almost algorithmically and with logic,” he says. But ultimately, his curiosity and desire to understand human behaviour led him to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology.
From minds to management
During his time in the Psychology program, Kiyan’s program coordinator helped him realize that the work he was doing at the restaurant was essentially HR management.
“My interest in learning about human behaviour intertwined with my desire to help others,” he says. “I went on to specialize in Leadership and Management during my Psychology program because I wanted to apply what I learned in class to my workplace,” he says.
The positive outcomes he achieved at work inspired him to take his career to the next level and study HR management formally. The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Advanced Human Resource Management at Douglas was the perfect fit for Kiyan, as it’s designed for students without a business background.
As he embarks on his new educational journey, Kiyan continues to be an active member of the Douglas community. Since he joined in early 2023, his involvement with the Human Resource Management Club has been particularly rewarding in developing his social and networking skills. Kiyan’s leadership experience quickly propelled him to the role of VP of Organizational Development and eventually to president of the club.
Passion and purpose
Looking ahead, Kiyan aims to leverage his knowledge in talent and organizational development to foster enriching work environments.
“You spend half your day at work; it should reflect your values and empower you to succeed,” he says.
He is dedicated to driving positive change in the workplace, advocating for a people-focused approach in HR.
“Douglas gave me the freedom to explore my interests and the guidance to discover what I wanted to do in my career,” he says. “It’s where my passion for helping others turned into a clear sense of purpose.”
Interested in Business or Psychology at Douglas? Visit our website to learn more about our programs:
You must be logged in to post a comment.