[We ASKED] Shadain Gooden

Shadain Gooden’s LinkedIn profile picture shows him diving off a cliff into clear blue water in his hometown in Jamaica. Since arriving in Saint John, a little over a year ago to take NBCC’s Cybersecurity program, he has yet to visit any of the region’s beaches.  Our brackish water just doesn’t compare to his sparkling ocean.  “This is muddy water,” he says laughing.  

What he does love about Saint John is the opportunity to put his skills and experience to use at IBM where he is currently employed as a Database Administrator and Python Developer.   

His journey to get to this point in life has been hard fought.  Working multiple jobs, he put himself through university in Jamaica, completing a computer science degree.  He then continued to save money to realize his long-term dream of working in Cybersecurity for the Canadian military.  His first step was gaining acceptance to NBCC’s Cybersecurity program, and a chance of becoming a permanent resident and Canadian citizen.  

IBM first met Shadain at an NBCC job fair in February. A few months later as he was about to graduate, the company reached out to him about an opening in their Saint John office. He went through the interview process and was offered the job. 

Today, he works hard.  He’s 100% dedicated to providing value to the company, IBM, who has offered him an opportunity to live and work in Saint John.  

He feels people in Saint John are kind, but that there are cultural differences.  For example, he’s not a fan of winter and was surprised when he had to walk to his part-time job on the East Side after school and no one would pick him up.  “Lots of times when it was snowing, I’d be out there, and people would just pass by me in the car and say ‘hey’.  In Jamaica, if anyone passes you in the car, they offer to take you where you need to go.”  

Shadain credits education as the key to realizing his goals, and values it tremendously.  It is clear he is also incredibly conscientious and never stops working and learning.  He speaks highly of the instructors at NBCC and appreciates the kindness they showed him.  “I could go to my instructors at any time and talk to them about anything,” he said.  “They made sure I made the right connections.” 

There are many things he wants to do, like visiting other cities in Atlantic Canada and going out more with friends, but for now he has one focus - work hard and successfully become a permanent resident.  

Saint John is a diverse and growing community where companies are attracting newcomers from within Canada and around the globe. Are you interested in Living and working in Greater Saint John, send us your resume! Or if you know of someone who has just moved to Saint John from work, connect with us at [email protected].