Mohamd Imad

About me

I was born/grew up in: I was born in Iraq and I grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.

I now live in: Mississauga, Ontario

I completed my training/education at: Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Bachelor of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

What I do at work

Every morning, I have meetings with my team. We discuss our current work and the challenges we are experiencing. We try to help each other to overcome these challenges. My direct team is around eight people. All of them are very helpful and knowledgeable engineers.

I am a part of many cool projects, and I have a variety of daily tasks. In one of my projects, I combined my interest in vehicles with my interest in writing computer code. This is mostly in Python Programming Language. I use problem solving and analytical skills in all my projects.

I work on pre-production vehicles. Pre-production vehicles are used to identify, and fix, problems before they go on sale to the public. Production vehicles are the vehicles that are sold to the public. Pre-production vehicles have many problems that production vehicles do not have. These problems can be new and unusual. So, I need to break them down into smaller issues that I can solve every day.

My career path is

I tried many career paths before my current role. In high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. My parents encouraged me to apply to an engineering program, and I did. I studied manufacturing engineering. I loved it until I got to my internship. Then I realized I did not enjoy working in a manufacturing plant.

After speaking to a university professor, I got interested in graduate studies. There, I got a chance to teach, write computer code, and carry out research. After my master’s, I was interested in doing a PhD and becoming a professor. I was lucky to find a teaching position at a local college. I loved teaching but it made me realize that a PhD was not something I wanted to do. So, I started working as a mechanical design engineer.

About 10% of my job was programming. I really enjoyed that part. So, I began working towards a career change. I wanted to work on mechanical systems and software systems. I was lucky to find this opportunity at General Motors.

I am motivated by

I am motivated to start work every single day. My job allows me to do what I love. This includes working on futuristic, next generation vehicles, systems, and features. I am always learning new software and technologies.

How I affect peoples’ lives

I am part of a team and company where the customer is at the centre of everything we do. This means I can see the impact of my work. I help make sure our customers do not see an engine light that is not supposed to be there. If our customers see an engine warning light, it is because the vehicle is experiencing a real issue. My work helps prevent those issues from happening. We make sure our vehicles meet the highest standards.

Outside of work I

Outside of work I run and lift weights. I hang out with my family and friends. I travel when I can, and work on my personal vehicle.

My advice to others

Try as many career paths as possible. Make mistakes. The best thing you can get from a job is learning that it is right for you. The second-best thing you can get is learning that it is not right for you.