Introducing Harman Sidhu, staff member in Marketing & Communication

by Marcia Wilson

This interview is part of a series meant to introduce our college community members to a broader readership. Inspired by “Wild Card with Rachel Martin,” our intrepid interviewer has a variety of questions that are numbered and fall into different categories. The subject picks a number and the interview begins with neither party knowing what question will come next.

We’re thrilled to introduce you to interviewing a very interesting gentleman, Harman Sidhu, Clover Park Technical College’s web services technician since November 2023. Sidhu earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and hails from a a diverse work history that includes multimedia production, transport apps, digital accessibility, volunteering, research, and task evaluation, He began his career as a dental assistant with the Floss Boss Mobile Clinic before becoming their web developer.

What is a web services technician?

At CPTC, Sidhu is responsible for the college-run websites, which include CPTC’s main page, the Clover Park blog site, and custom “microsites” like 253bachelorsdegrees.com. He does everything from ensure security, make critical updates, oversee adherence to federal accessibility requirements, improve the user experience while on the websites, and train college users on how to manage their content areas. He passed his 2-year mark with CPTC last fall. He’s brought stability, reliability, and a great sense of humor to the Marketing & Communication team.

CPTC: Hello, Harman, and here we go! Would you mind beginning with a self-introduction and a brief description of your work here?

HS: My name is Harman Sidhu and my job is to make sure that the website is easy to navigate, secure and up to date with the newest content provided by the college. I try and make it so that the information you need is at your fingertips! I am a UX/UI designer skilled in user-centered design who generates robust solutions with a background in visual design and multimedia production. I have prior experience working in the field of dentistry, which has honed my ability to pay close attention to detail.

Sidhu’s skills are broad-ranging, and include:

• Figma, XD, Sketch, InVision, Webflow, Adobe Suite, Google Suite, Basic HTML/CSS, Microsoft suite
• Research Skills: Competitive Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation, Journey Mapping, Empathy Mapping, User Interviews, User Testing, Benchmarking, Ethnography, Task Analysis
• Additional Skills: Brand Development, Fluency in Punjabi, Hindi and English

CPTC: Thank you, Harman! Here’s the first question in the cards!

Question 1) Regarding Role & Impact: Can you share a moment when you felt the impact of your work here?

HS: I feel my impact at CPTC the most when I get to interact with other staff and faculty to create webpages that directly serve them and our students better. When I get to collaborate with my peers across different departments, I gain a better understanding of the needs of the college as a whole. That deeper understanding helps me be more intentional about what I build and how I build it, so the website can support our community in a more meaningful way.

Question 2) Mindset & Values: What’s a value you see lived out in the CPTC community every day?

HS: A value I see lived out in the CPTC community is access. [Due to the upcoming April 2026 deadline for WCAG compliance, digital] Accessibility is a huge part of what we do here at CPTC. Being on our accessibility committee has shown me how we strive to make every part of the college experience accessible, from Canvas to the buildings themselves to the website. Every piece is kept in mind in order to provide a safe and equitable space for everyone.

Side note: Sidhu has been an Assistant Coach for the Special Olympics for over 7 years now!

Question 3: Personality & Connection: When you think about your future, what are you excited to learn or do next?

HS: I am excited to attend conferences and learn more through AI. AI has been a great tool that we have been slowly implementing throughout the website in the form of a chatbot. For my personal growth, I often find myself trying to find new ways to incorporate AI into my daily functions, whether that’s a final typo and accessibility check or creating a brand new feature that would help make the site more navigable.

Question 4) Career Path & Purpose: How has working at CPTC changed the way you think about college and careers?

HS: I previously had no real experience with a technical college at all. CPTC opened my eyes to a new kind of learning where experience and skills were treated as the key to being successful, which I have found to be a really good way to learn and get ahead in your career. It has also helped me understand that career trajectories are not as linear and set in stone as I had previously thought. Our students range from Running Start students to professionals looking to change their career.

Question 5) What led you to pursue a career at a technical college?

HS: I previously worked in the private sector and what made me make the switch over was the community that is fostered by CPTC. From my first interviews, I could tell that my voice mattered, and the care fostered here was something that I had previously not experienced. It felt like the ideal place to establish my career.

CPTC: Harman, thank you for your time, this was a fun interview!

Thank Harman when you catch a bus

And in closing, here’s a fun fact about Sidhu: he worked on the One Bus Away app, the same app many of CPTC’s students use for the public transit (including this interviewer!).