Yvette Blenman, photographed at her home in Toronto, struggled to find a career path until a night shift in a warehouse prompted her to study data analytics.Galit Rodan
In this new series, Sliding Doors, we explore real-life crossroads that shape personal ambition: Take the leap or play it safe? Move forward or pivot? We talk to real people facing real-life decisions and speak to experts about the ambition and intuition behind these kinds of choices.
Yvette Blenman never imagined that something she calls her “best career move” would originate from working the night shift at a warehouse.
Equipped with a degree in nursing, Ms. Blenman had pursued multiple career avenues, including sales and her own home health-care business. None of them seemed to stick. Her business had gone under, and she felt at a loss.
“I found myself with no ideas, no way, no vision. In hindsight now, I realize that’s actually the best place to create,” she says. “But there was so much fear and anxiety, I didn’t know it at the time.”
The warehouse job, which a friend suggested as a quick way to make cash, seemed like it could offer a respite while she re-evaluated her career.
Ms. Blenman recalls thinking to herself that there had to be something out there for her. “I know I’m intuitive, and I like to work on puzzles. Is there a job that does this?”
One day, her interest was piqued by a recurring tech issue on the job. She inquired with multiple departments, who were all unable to provide any answers. She scanned log files and attempted to decipher the information, though she had “no computer science background, just basic curiosity.”
In her search, Ms. Blenman came across the term big data. “I just started following the word, reading articles, and I started to understand the world of data. Then I understood that the reason the warehouse company couldn’t figure this problem out is because they didn’t have the tools to figure it out or even understand it.”
As Ms. Blenman continued to pull at this thread of inspiration, she discovered a new, three-month program for data analytics at TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University, then known as Ryerson University). She called the program director to learn more. “I said, ‘I have no idea if I’m supposed to be here, can you tell me about this program?’”
When returning to school, look for supports
Linda Koechli, dean at TMU’s Chang School of Continuing Education, says that for adult learners, “It’s not a decision that’s taken lightly, to go back to school.”
Trepidation and overwhelm are normal feelings, she says. “Part of the challenge is figuring out exactly what the pathway might look like, and the best type of program in your situation – ensuring it’s the right one, and that you have the motivation to commit to it.”
The financial cost and time demands of returning to school are the most daunting hurdles, especially for individuals with family responsibilities or substantial debt. Dr. Koechli notes that many programs provide financial aid or offer bursaries. Accessing as much information and as many resources as you can is key – what she calls “making yourself aware of your supports.”
“Reflecting on your goals is very important. There’s a lot of choice out there, a lot of opportunity for that investigation phase,” Dr. Koechli says. “If a longer program doesn’t fit with your life right now, are there other options?”
For those who are hesitant to commit to a full program, she suggests taking a single course or shorter certificate as a way to expose yourself to a new field or industry to see if it’s the right fit. Connect with an academic or career adviser, like Ms. Blenman did.
“Building that awareness and getting expert advice can really help in finding an attainable next step in your educational journey,” Dr. Koechli says. “We’re in a constant era of change, and lifelong learning is essential in today’s world.”
‘Go out there and be curious’
Ms. Blenman left her warehouse job in April of 2015, and by May, she was in school, worrying that she had made another career mistake. She struggled with coding, until an instructor gave her simple advice that would completely reframe her outlook: “Don’t worry, you’ll sort it out.”
“The moment I sorted it out, I never felt anything as exhilarating,” she says. “And it still feels like that today. This work is like a puzzle to solve – [it’s like] me as a kid with a 3,000-piece puzzle, but someone will end up paying me for it.”
A few months after graduating from the program, Ms. Blenman was hired by Walmart as a web analyst. She came to truly understand the data that made up the company, which she describes as “learning different dialects of the same language.” Her insights and discoveries began to show up in corporate strategy and business meetings.
The following year, Ms. Blenman became Walmart’s first data scientist in Canada and wrote her own job description. Her work has been featured in senior leadership and conferences. She’s been with the company ever since – now a decade – and hasn’t looked back. “I can’t tell you that I’ve actually worked,” she says. “It’s been play that people pay me for.”
While describing a career trajectory she never would have predicted, Ms. Blenman stresses that you never know what you’re going to accomplish. “None of this would have happened if I had let my mindset say, ‘Well, I only have a nursing degree. I’m a woman, a person of colour. How am I going to do all of this?’”
For those considering the leap back to school, she says the biggest hurdle is your mindset.
“There are all kinds of narratives that you might carry, even from grade school, that impact your identity, and what you think you can and can’t do,” she says. “Go out there and be curious. Tell yourself, ‘If I don’t know this, I can figure it out.’”