When Hajira Ahmed Hotiana wakes up in the morning, she knows she will be making a difference in somebody’s life. In addition to a busy family life, Hajira has recently embarked on a new career in Canada’s biomanufacturing industry.
“When I arrived in Canada in 2023, I was really fearful about how to get my career back on track,” she says. “I had heard from many immigrants about how difficult it was to break into the job market because there was so much emphasis on Canadian-based education and experience. I had neither.”
But she did have a PhD in protein biochemistry, nearly 10 years experience in R&D, and wide international experience having lived, studied, and worked in several countries including her native Pakistan, Denmark, the US, and the UK.
“Apart from the challenges of actually getting into the Canadian job market, I was ready to try something new. As much as I enjoyed R&D, I was looking for something that would allow me to have a more direct impact on global human health, something I’ve always been passionate about.”
She interviewed with several big companies, but she was in a catch 22—she had too much education and experience for the jobs she was applying for, but not enough Canadian experience to be considered for more senior positions.
“I knew that many newcomers were enrolling in Canadian academic programs, even when they already had advanced degrees, simply to get that checkmark on their resume,” Hajira says. “It was demotivating, and I considered that route a tremendous waste of time, money, and effort.”
It was completely random luck when she came across an ad for CASTL’s Elevate program on LinkedIn.
“At the time, I was very skeptical that a six-week program could really teach me anything useful,” she recalls. “But I took a chance. I really didn’t have anything to lose.”
It didn’t take long for her doubts to dissolve. Hajira was immediately impressed with the program.
“The program is so perfectly designed,” she says. “The content is absorbing. The instructors are eager to share their significant knowledge and industry experience, both inside and outside the classroom. The training facility offers all the instrumentation and opportunity to practise essential protocols and procedures. And everyone is just so accommodating—before, during, and after the training. They are just as invested in your success as you are.”
In addition to learning the ins and outs of the biomanufacturing process, Hajira placed particular value on the how Elevate emphasized job readiness in a Canadian context.
“I had plenty of international experience,” she says, “but when it comes to networking, resumes, and interviewing, every country is different. Elevate really helped me connect with the Canadian industry and job market.”
Less than a year after completing Elevate and just a few months after the arrival of her second child, Hajira was elated when she landed a job as a downstream processing technologist with Sanofi, a global pharma production company. Now working to produce flu vaccines, she’s appreciates knowing that she is playing a very direct role in keeping people healthy.
“In R&D, it’s all about the science…and you can spend years experimenting and testing without ever knowing if that work ever makes it to market,” she says. “But in biomanufacturing, I know the vaccines that I’m helping to produce are going directly to protect people—kids, seniors, and other vulnerable people—from potentially life-threatening viruses. When I go to work every day, I know whatever I'm doing is directly going to impact somebody's life, and that gives my life purpose.”
Hajira is keen to share her experience with CASTL and the Elevate program with others who may be in a similar situation that she was or who just may be looking for a rewarding career.
“When I enrolled in Elevate, I had zero knowledge about biomanufacturing,” she says. “Six weeks later, I had a solid foundation from which to launch a new career direction. It was amazing.”
She also shares some practical advice:
“Rather than seeing Elevate strictly as a means to a job, I’d encourage others to focus on gathering as much information and knowledge from the CASTL team. Focus on building a network with them and then expanding on that network. The job will follow from that.”
“You just never know when the tide will turn in your favour,” she concludes. “I clicked on a random ad and took a chance. It’s not magic, but for those who are willing to put in the work, Elevate can help you build a career that makes a positive impact on the wider human experience and change lives for the better.”
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This article is part of a series that celebrates some of the many success stories that have emerged from Elevate, CASTL’s national biomanufacturing training program. Designed for young workers, new Canadians, and others seeking out career opportunities in Canada’s biosciences sector, Elevate teaches the technical skills needed to fill entry-level positions in this fast-growing industry.
Applications to the Elevate program are open, apply here to take part in one of our upcoming cohorts.
The program is made possible through funding from Upskill Canada, powered by Palette Skills, and the Government of Canada.
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