Saquib Malik, 27, earned an MBA in Pakistan, but when he came to the United States two years ago, the best job he could find with his degree was as a Sales Associate at Macy’s. Rather than resign himself to a future of earning less than his potential, he decided to attend PC AGE Career Institute to enter a new career field.
“My job at Macy’s was okay, but I wasn’t earning enough. It was not a future-oriented position,” Malik said. “I wanted to be a Network Engineer and PC AGE had the training available to help me achieve my goal.”
Malik, of Jersey City, is now a Junior Network Engineer at the Metropark Board of Education, working through the contracted company Hindsight Incorporation. He maintains the school district’s servers, addresses software issues and manages backup processes, among other tasks. He hopes to eventually become an IT Manager.
PC AGE helped him learn the material necessary to become certified and also helped him find employment after his studies were complete.
“The instructors were really helpful. They advised me on what the job opportunities would be in certain fields I was considering and helped me network to get a job,” Malik said. “If a student is having a difficult time with the lessons, the instructors will help them after class until they’ve learned it.”
Malik now enjoys a much higher quality of life than when he first decided to enroll at PC AGE. He earns almost triple what he was making at Macy’s, so he has fewer financial concerns. He and his wife were living in his parents’ house, but now they have moved to their own apartment with sons Mustafa, 2, and Hassan, 6.
“I enjoy my work and my family is well taken care of,” Malik said.