Sheryl Lim

Sheryl Lim applies a building education to building a career.

When her brother snagged a job that encompassed the skills he obtained through his education, Sheryl Lim was determined to do the same. However, Sheryl chose a different route. Eager to follow in her brother’s footsteps, and with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography under her belt, she opted for BCIT.

"Having a great academic base, but no real technical skills, I needed to get some applied experience and thought BCIT would be the best way to do it," says Sheryl. "BCIT has one of the best reputations for technical training in Canada. The teachers were all experienced in the 'real world' and focused on how to actually apply the skills that I was learning."

Initially, Sheryl thought about pursuing a career in architecture. However, after completing her first year in BCIT’s Architectural and Building Engineering Technology (Economics option) diploma program in 1998, her career choices changed. In construction management, Sheryl has worked her way through various roles in both commercial and residential real estate development to her current role as Vice President, Development with the Holborn Group of Companies. With hotel projects such as the The Ritz-Carlton, Vancouver and the redevelopment of landmark sites like The Bay (downtown) parkade, the Whistler Tennis Club, and The Eldorado Hotel (currently marketed as 'The Hills'), Holborn is one of the most active developers in BC.

For Sheryl, both professional and personal satisfaction has come from working with Holborn Developments.

"The business side of the industry always intrigued me. The most rewarding part of my career is seeing ideas and design come to physically built form." She adds, "My work requires that I constantly interact with individuals within and outside my company, making it a challenging and exciting team experience."

Working as a team was a skill both acquired and engrained in Sheryl during her time at BCIT. When reflecting back on her days at BCIT, the entrepreneur describes her years as "the most comprehensive two years of [her] life." She considers a BCIT education instrumental to her professional success.

"My current employer and I have had numerous talks about requiring some of our junior staff to take BCIT courses to supplement their job skills." Her advice to those contemplating a BCIT program? "Just do it and don’t think twice about it."