From Software Engineer to Head of Product. Meet Julian.
Steering your career in the right direction is possible, even when you’re busy with family commitments – just like Julian Vella did. Now Head of Product at Coin360, he had spent 13 successful years in banking and wanted to explore new industries in his exciting career journey. So he enrolled in the online live Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing course, which dramatically increased recruiter interest in his profile and helped him start his next chapter from software engineer in a bank to Head of Product in a successful blockchain start-up.
I love to learn something new every day and after 13 years working in different sectors within the banking industry, I felt that the time had come to make a change. Whilst I was meeting up with recruiting companies to get the ball rolling, I realised that a skill top-up would help me move forward. I knew that virtually every industry asks for digital marketing skills, so I took the chance to make myself highly employable across different sectors by enrolling in the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing at ICE Malta.
Within only a few months, I was approached to be the first Product owner for a start-up in the blockchain & crypto industry. During my time working in a start-up environment, and thanks to the practical skills the course equipped me with, my learning curve spiked, which helped me gear towards the more senior role that I’m proud to be working in today.
Being a Head of Product requires many different skills and an all-rounded approach. It also requires a deep understanding of what our customers need and want, so that we can translate that data into a product that those customers, and potential new ones, will want to use and engage with.
The Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing provided strong insights into many different aspects of digital marketing. It was all about understanding who your customers are, what they expect from you and which tools can help you capture the data you’re looking for, so I can say that it was a great match for my role as a Head of Product.
Experiencing Online Live classes allowed me to be better immersed in my learning path. Also, having a family with two kids means that time is always a struggle, but the fact that this course was held part-time allowed me to fit learning into my busy schedule.
An element that I enjoyed a lot was how each lecture was split. First, we would look at theory and principles. Then, the educator would show us real-life digital marketing case studies and examples. I believe the practical side of the course was the cherry on the cake – it’s here that students truly understand what works for them, seeing all those principles being put into practice.
My current chapter is exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing my progression in this role. I will continue working hard and gaining new skills, in fact, I would like to approach the experience side of Product more in-depth. Perhaps UX could work as my next learning milestone in the future!
Never stop learning. Gaining new skills enriches you as a professional and as a person. I encourage anyone looking to top up their skills to take up practical courses that can help them move forward. At ICE Malta I found my perfect fit, as they truly go out of their way to help you reach your goals.
I knew every industry asks for digital marketing skills, so with the course, I made myself highly employable across different sectors.
JULIAN VELLAHead of Product
