Jazmine Frost is an asset finance consultant and joined CGI as part of a graduate program, honing her skills through hands-on experience, exposure to diverse projects and learning programs. She is also Chair of the Young Professionals Network for CGI’s UK and Australia operations, and is proud to foster an environment where young people feel they have the support and the room to grow and build a career in a company they're proud of.
Hi Jazmine, thank you for meeting with us! Tell us about how you joined CGI.
I joined CGI in 2021 as part of CGI’s graduate program in the UK. At the time, I was a student at Liverpool John Moores University studying accounting and finance. A friend had joined CGI through the program and recommended it highly.
How did you know CGI would be a good fit to launch your career?
I discussed it with my friend who joined CGI and others to understand more about CGI’s culture. Through these discussions and my research, I discovered that CGI would be a place where I could work on various assignments and learn the different aspects of the IT services industry. I also saw this as an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, do different things and grow my career.
Now that you’ve been at CGI for nearly 3 years, do you feel this is true?
Absolutely. I’ve had the chance to work on asset finance and multi-industry projects for private and public sector clients. I learned about business development and managing relationships with our clients as well as organizations in our partner ecosystem and professional associations. With every project, I learn something new and continue to grow my knowledge about our various asset finance solutions and the different aspects surrounding them—from functional testing to UI/UX to sales and marketing support.
During my first year, I completed multiple trainings and certifications; for instance, I gained my SAFe 5 Product Owner certification and BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis. I also trained in the conversational artificial intelligence (AI) platform Teneo, which allows me to understand how business users and developers can collaborate and create sophisticated conversational AI applications.
It’s really inspiring to hear how you are developing so many skills. In addition to your work with clients, is there anything you’d like to highlight about your career journey so far?
After completing my first year at CGI, I got the opportunity to co-chair the Young Professionals Network for CGI’s UK and Australia operations. This is a networking and resource group for CGI Partners who are starting their career journeys. The network is driven by CGI Partners and supported by our leadership team. As co-chair, I helped to run and grow the network and support various communication needs.
Six months ago, I became chair of the network. Now, I’m fully involved in developing the strategy and representing the group internally and externally across different events and initiatives. I also have the opportunity to be involved in many STEM and career initiatives, helping to encourage the next generation of professionals.
I really enjoy being actively involved in the network. It’s been a great opportunity to meet people and learn about different things related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). It has also helps me build on my leadership and creativity skills.
It sounds like a fulfilling start to your career. Do you feel your leaders and colleagues fully support you in your journey?
Most definitely. I have very accessible and open leaders. They always encourage me to step out of my comfort zone to try varied tasks and participate in different initiatives. Overall, I feel very supported in developing my career plan and gaining the skills to achieve my goals. This allows me to learn new things and gain self-confidence. I feel much more comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and presenting to large groups than I used to.
CGI offers a workplace environment that encourages us to get involved and feel comfortable enough to speak up by fostering a safe space to share our ideas without judgment.
That’s amazing. Do you receive the same level of support in finding work-life balance?
CGI offers a wealth of health and well-being resources through our Oxygen program. It provides a lot of information on mental health and physical well-being, which helps if someone is struggling to find the right work-life balance or needs support with other issues.
One of the reasons I trained to be a mental health first aider (MHFA) and joined CGI’s Mental Health Ambassadors network is to support others in my professional and personal life. In the bargain, I have also learned a lot about managing my own health and well-being.
It’s been wonderful learning about your career path at CGI so far. Thank you, Jazmine, for sharing your story!
