Introduction:

My name is Zacharias Cymbaluk. Zach for short.

I am entering my final year of Software Engineering at the University of Guelph and have just recently completed my fifth co-op work term at Oakville based Geotab.

This website serves not only as my co-op WTR, but as my evolving, personal collection of reflections, goals, and memories from this penultimate co-op term.

I sincerely hope that it will provide you, the viewer, with a well-rounded glimpse into my internal thought processes, job responsibilities, and overall experience of this term.

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GEOTAB (2nd Term)

Product Coordinator Intern

The Geotab HQ in Oakville.

Me and two of my colleagues at the HQ in Oakville.

Office view from the main office cafeteria.

The iconic GO device which collects all of Geotab's data.

Reflecting on my summer co-op term at Geotab, I can confidently say that it has been an immersive experience filled with growth, challenge, and accomplishment. As I completed my second consecutive term as a Product Coordinator Intern, I had the opportunity to dive deeper into the inner workings of a global leader in telematics, IoT, and connected transportation. This term allowed me to shift focus from customer-facing responsibilities to internal collaboration, project management, and stakeholder engagement.

Throughout this term, I took on more strategic responsibilities, collaborating closely with leadership and board members on key initiatives. From leading the revamp of the monthly billing feature to overseeing changes in key string changes across the MyAdmin app, I was entrusted with critical projects that directly impacted company-wide systems. One of the most in-depth aspects of this term was my role in transforming how customer management was handled behind the scenes, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations.

Working across multiple teams, I sharpened my communication and coordination skills, ensuring seamless collaboration between departments and aligning on key business objectives. This experience deepened my understanding of cross-functional teamwork, leadership engagement, and the intricacies of internal systems management.

As I conclude my eight-month co-op at Geotab, I feel proud of the contributions I’ve made and the professional growth I’ve achieved. This term has solidified my understanding of product management and has been instrumental in refining my problem-solving, operational, and leadership abilities. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m excited about the possibilities ahead as I continue to build on these experiences in the next chapter of my career.

My Goals:

During my Summer 2024 term at Geotab, I built on the strong foundation laid during the Winter term as a Product Coordinator Intern, refining and expanding upon my goals in leadership, time management, tech mastery, critical thinking, and communication. With an increased level of confidence and familiarity with the company and its core systems (mainly the different faucets of MyAdmin), this term presented new opportunities to sharpen my skills, while adapting to shifts in team dynamics and project focus.

Leadership and Technological Mastery

Building on my knowledge of MyAdmin, I gained a much more robust understanding of its components and integrated that into higher-level projects. When Glenn went on paternity leave, my new manager, Fil, offered broader exposure beyond MyAdmin, helping me learn about systems and projects across the company. This shift allowed me to contribute to cross-team initiatives and further develop my leadership and technical skills.

Time Management and Problem-Solving

This term, I refined my time management by proactively scheduling tasks and tracking follow-ups. This ensured I stayed on top of multiple projects, efficiently driving improvements in key areas. My problem-solving skills sharpened as I identified and addressed issues across the pages I was developing, leading to improvements that will outlast my time at Geotab.

Integrative Communication

I significantly improved my communication by reaching out beyond my immediate team to collaborate with experts across the company. This expanded my network and allowed me to solve problems more effectively. By stepping outside the MyAdmin scope, I strengthened cross-functional relationships and helped streamline operations.

Job Description:

Leading & Co-managing Product Improvement Initiatives (cont)

In collaboration with Glenn, Fil, and AJ, the senior leaders in charge of MyAdmin, I gained hands-on experience in the full product lifecycle at Geotab. I assisted with everything from managing scheduled update roadmaps to handling feature tickets, user requests, and bug reports. This role provided a deep dive into the fast-paced and dynamic world of SaaS product management, giving me a practical understanding of the daily responsibilities of a product manager.

Key Term 2 Projects

This term, my focus was on launching version one of the billing MVP, upgrading the Customer Management page to React, and supporting the business entity project, which transformed how customer data is managed in the back end. I served as a primary contact for project updates and regularly provided status reports to both my manager and the broader team. Each of these projects was related through different faucets, but they all had distinct goals, requirements, and challenges. They all demanded similar but spread efforts from me whether it be communicating between stakeholders, developers and designers or presenting results to our broader team, there was always something to be doing regarding these 3 key initiatives.

Feature User Acceptance Testing (cont)

I was responsible for testing several new features in the final User Acceptance Testing phase before deployment. This involved running thorough tests on release and staging servers to ensure functionality and reliability. I regularly communicated with developers and e-support agents to provide feedback on the usability and readiness of these updates, ensuring high standards were maintained. Multiple different release and staging servers were deployed for us to perform our tests on and a big part of my responsibility was to communicate which PDMs were responsible for the different requests.

Conclusions:

As I wrap up my co-op term at Geotab, I’m incredibly grateful for the growth and mentorship I've received. It has been a transformative experience full of valuable learning.

This term has given me a clear direction for my career. Coming in with no product experience, I now feel confident in my ability as a product manager. My interests have shifted away from development, and I’m feeling a strong pull toward product management. I’m excited to see where these new skills lead, and I’m thankful to everyone at Geotab for making this term so impactful.

A heartfelt thank you to my manager, Glenn, and the entire team— you made this experience truly memorable!