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A tour de force – Camille’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

She never thought she’d be taking up an MBA until she applied. With no business background (she was a makeup artist) and a BA in Communications and Art History from Université de Moncton, Camille (pronounced Kah-Mee not Kah-Mill) Hannan wasn’t exactly sure that many MBA schools would take her seriously. But when looking at our program: “I had a sense I could really be myself. Some universities might laugh in my face, but I feltthey were open,” she says.

Her journey to secure an eight-month corporate residency wasn’t without its challenges. “I just want to say that it was very important to me to find the job that I really wanted,” she explains. “I sent like 50 résumés out to 50 different companies.” Eventually, she got a response from CBC/Radio-Canada. However, it took some time before they could sign her on. Camille waited as Christmas drew nearer and things got tenser. “I put everything on the line to have that job at CBC/Radio-Canada. I got the offer on Christmas Eve (a nice present) and then later learned that I’d be moving to Montreal. I had four days to prepare with no apartment or anything lined up. It was very risky, but maybe that just goes with my personality. If there are first-years reading this that end up in this situation, I’d say you just have to trust that it’s going to happen.”

Camille said she’d do it all over again: the position at CBC/Radio-Canada was a tremendous opportunity for her. She had two primary roles. The first was helping to manage the application of new enterprise class software that made use of social media and web applications to streamline internal processes. She created several online “teamspaces” and worked closely with senior management to start to figure out the best way to use it. The other part of her job was to write business articles and employee profiles for internal distribution, for example, explaining to employees the implications of the new Canadian accounting standards (IFRS).

The actual work aside, Camille also was enamoured of the vibrant culture. “It’s a very dynamic place. There’s a certain kind of energy that you experience when working in production,” she explains, referring back to her makeup days in Moncton, “and I felt that same energy there. It’s a stimulating work environment. For example, all the radio personalities work on the same floor. The company, by its entertainment nature, is great at hosting events too. Say there’s an internal awards show. Well, the person giving away the awards isn’t some manager, it’d be a big TV star or something! Another thing I’d like to say: I love love love living in Montreal. It’s a fun city and being able to work mostly in French but also use English… it’s such a creative and open environment!” On top of all that, she reports that she had an awesome boss and good mentors, and never felt any animosity from the rest of the team for being an ‘intern.’

It’s safe to assume that she misses her work. She is still working for them remotely, for 15 hours a week, and hopes to rejoin them when she graduates. Again, it’s a bit of a risk since it’s not a guarantee but she’s perfectly okay with that.

Overall, she’s glad she ended up taking this MBA. “Even though I was working in a place where there aren’t a lot of MBAs, it’s clear to me that we need good managers wherever we go. This program has given me the skills needed to grow in that area and I’ve been given opportunities faster than I would have otherwise.”

I would like to thank all of you for reading: we’ll see you next Thursday!

Tougher than she thought – Alyssa’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Alyssa Alidina’s story is all about stepping out of her comfort zone: and loving it. It all started when she was finishing up her BScN (Natural Resources Conservation, major in Global Perspectives) at UBC. This Vancouver native knew one thing: “I wanted to go to grad school; I didn’t want to work after my undergrad.”

The then Dean of the program, David Wheeler, was in Vancouver at one of our info sessions that Alyssa attended. “That the Dean had so much investment in the program meant a lot to me,” she recalled. In a span of six months prior to getting accepted into the Corporate Residency MBA, she wrote the GRE, GMAT and LSAT while also working part time during school and full time in the summer, but was so enticed by our program that it was the only one she ended up applying to!

Accepting the offer and coming to Halifax was her first major challenge and departure from the ol’ comfort zone. She was moving across the country to a small city she’d never lived in, with no family or friends around to help her adjust. Luckily, the orientation week for the program remedied that issue with a three-day trip to Liscombe Lodge. “We came out of [that time at Liscombe] so close, we already knew we’d be a family,” says Alyssa. This is a common sentiment among a lot of people in the program, myself included!

With 40 new friends (or family, either is applicable), Alyssa was ready to tackle the next big venture outside the comfort zone: the corporate residency. Her undergraduate background was in the area of sustainability, and she had just come straight out of it so she was naturally a little apprehensive when she interviewed with TD Securities in September. “I had no financial experience,” she admits. “I hadn’t even picked up my finance textbook yet when I walked into that interview! We were basing the entire interview on ‘fit,’ we barely talked about the job, just me and how I would fit in the organization.”

She ended up getting the job offer (Business Analyst in Management Information Systems) and was faced with another big move to a new city, Toronto, after only six short months in Halifax. Despite the unfamiliar job and city, Alyssa rose to the challenge once again and thrived. “I realized I’m one of those people that can be happy anywhere, as long as I surround myself with people and things I like. I’m comfortable making things work. I’m a little tougher than I thought, I guess!”

Indeed she is. TD tossed her right into a project that involved developing an internal business intelligence tool that she was highly involved with for four months. “After that, my boss got a promotion and his role expanded enormously. He brought me under his wing and basically got me to do what he didn’t have time to do, like attend meetings or plan meetings with clients and internal/external auditors. I also did some HR work and the business continuity plans for my team and standardized them for new teams that came along with my boss’ promotion. I was sort of a Jack of All Trades.” She also attended a sustainability conference where she got hear fellow Vancouver native David Suzuki speak about issues that she had studied in her undergrad. Busy!

Now she’s back in school, which has been yet another huge (but welcome) adjustment. “I grew to love Toronto,” Alyssa says, “and I’ll probably go back there. I’m in the part of my life where I not only can handle but crave the fast-paced life of the downtown financial core.” She will most likely go back with TD, but is not going to close the door on any other opportunities. For example, the lifestyle of a business consultant appeals to her.

“I’m just really happy. I love the program. I’m so glad I decided to do things I wasn’t comfortable doing,” she says in closing. “Never close yourself off to anything. ‘Fit’ is also everything.”

This is a truth that I think you have to experience before you can truly appreciate it. And Alyssa has experienced it in spades. See everyone next week!

Having it all fall into place – McKenzie’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Let’s meet McKenzie Willson of Barrie, Ontario. A Western alum, he took an Honours BA in Economics and is better known to his classmates as Mac. His corporate residency was with the Royal Bank of Canada’s Global Head Office of Recruitment and Learning as a Business Analyst. This was a very rewarding experience for Mac, so let’s jump right into it!

“My job involved analyzing how our department serviced the other business units and how we could be better, as in ‘more efficient or more effective’. The department itself provides recruitment and learning services to the entire organization of over 70,000 employees, be it training for new hires, specific programs for current employees, recruiting for an existing opening, or planning for a future need,” explains Mac. “I reported to the VP of Recruitment and Learning (Mark Galbraith). The day to day varied depending on the project, but in general, first you had to understand the current state of the area of interest, then research the leading best practises.” Basically, Mac would help find out where the company stood on a particular issue compared to industry leaders and/or internal goals. “The next steps are making recommendations and then moving into communication and implementation. There was lots of research, but I also got opportunities to help define projects and brainstorm with Mark and other senior managers. You know, sitting and talking about ‘how are we going to do this, should RBC do that, et cetera.”

Mac spoke of how he gained a ton of exposure working closely with recruiters, an executive VP and all levels in between. He was also able to work on a particular project from start to finish and have a major hand in developing a specific tool that has significantly improved certain work processes. “It was really cool that I got to see how it was used once it was implemented,” he says.

Besides the general exposure to this part of the banking world (which is, in this author’s opinion, a side of the industry that we probably don’t think about all that often, if at all), Mac felt his soft skills were immeasurably boosted. This was partly because of the support and mentoring network RBC provided and partly due to conquering some tough personal challenges.

“It was great to work with all these people who were so accomplished but also had the patience to teach the new guy. They made sure to place me in a position where I was useful but also learning,” beams Mac. “Mark was unbelievably inspirational; he’s a great leader and had intangible qualities that I can’t fully explain, but he commanded my respect. Rolando Lopez was a formal mentor to me; he selflessly put more effort into developing my skills than anyone could have expected of him. Jessica Grey (Senior Business Analyst) was another role model. She knows her job inside out – she really knows how to drive results and how to make things happen. I learned a lot from her. The same goes for pretty much everyone else I worked with.”

Despite being surrounded by such awesome people, sometimes you have to fight battles alone. This was the case near the end of Mac’s residency: “I was assigned a project by someone who was immediately leaving for vacation. The project was reasonable, but I was in a state of mind where I couldn’t quite grasp it properly and the person to talk to about it was gone, as was my first ‘backup’. I let it overwhelm me for a few days and it really strung me out,” recalls Mac. “I realized I couldn’t just sit and do nothing. I talked to one of my mentors (Rolando) and he gave me the harsh wake-up call I needed. He said: ‘Regardless of everything in your personal life, you’re an MBA. This means you can be counted on to perform, period. Don’t come to me asking what do I do? Come to me saying these are my options, what do you think?‘”

At first I was shocked at the mistakes I had made,” says Mac. “I was the deer caught in the headlights. But I am very glad for the experience. I learned as much from that challenge as I did from any other experience in the residency. You have to be able to separate work and personal life. After I regained focus the project ended up well, and after the residency Rolando complimented me on my recovery from that challenge and on my overall professional development over the eight months.”

That sounds like a tough but rich learning experience for sure! In parting, Mac says: “Have faith that if you keep your focus and work hard, things will all fall into place. I believe in self-fulfilling prophecies (if you think things will turn out badly, they probably will).”

Thanks, Mac! We’ll see everyone else next Thursday!

The Corporate Residency in the press

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

I figure after six months you might be a little weary hearing our stories from only me, so I’ve created this blog post in anticipation of some upcoming articles about our program that will be appearing elsewhere. (I’ll populate the post with links as the e-versions get released but if you subscribe to / read any of the publications below keep an eye out for the following pieces!)

Where: Toronto Star
What: Feature article in a supplement on sustainability in business schools featuring Peggy Cunningham (Dean) and Ben Goldberg (student). Ben’s photo will be on the cover of the supplement.
Link: How green is your MBA?

Where: Maclean’s magazine
What: Interview with Peggy Cunningham (Dean) about the program.
Link: Canadian MBA schools climb the global ranks (Sept. 20)

There are also ads appearing in the Globe and Mail and Metro News in November.
Also, here are some articles that appeared earlier this year for your reading pleasure:

Where: The Guardian (PEI)
What: Interview with students Jamie and Katie. Very lively comments section.
Link: P.E.I. natives partner personally, in pursuit of business careers

Where: Financial Post
What: Another interview with Katie Baglole
Link: Connecting capital markets to developing countries

Where: Globe & Mail’s ‘globecampus’
What: Article featuring Jocelyn Ball and other students
Link: The tailor-made MBA at Dal

Where: Globe & Mail
What: Article on choosing and applying for an MBA program featuring advice from Director Scott Comber.
Link: Acing Your MBA School Application (Nov. 1, 2010, article no longer available online)

Where: Canadian Business magazine
What: Article on the program featuring Professors Scott Comber and Rick Nason and students Alyssa Alidina and David Wolters. Plus a big full-page ad.
Link: Biz schools bet on life (Nov. 2010, article no longer available online)

Where: National Post
What: Article featuring Scott Comber’s (Director of the program) views on leadership (Scott’s comments are in the latter half of the article).
Link: Learning the meaning of leadership (article no longer available online)

 

Starting up success – Nick’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

It’s September now, the last corporate residencies are winding down now as both the second year and first year MBA students here at Dalhousie get ready to tackle the fall semester. Nick Ksiezopolski finishes up his residency with Innovacorp tomorrow. Originally from Toronto, Nick received a Bachelor of Science and Business from Murray State University (Kentucky). What brought him to the East Coast of Canada to further his business pursuits?

“I think that most of my life I’ve always been taking the riskier choice,” he explains, “the ‘non-status quo’ choice. I bought in to this program because it was new and unproven. Also the paid corporate residency fit well and it appealed to aspects of my entrepreneurial background.” Nick is certainly taking advantage of the flexibility in the last eight months of the program and shaping them to suit his entrepreneurial appetite. He is doing a self-directed course with Innovacorp (supervised by Scott Comber, the program’s Director) and will be exploring the minimum viable product strategy. “The concept is that of a ‘lean’ start-up. Basically you validate the ‘pain’ in an industry before actually developing the product,” says Nick. “I’m taking the New Venture Creation class too, and plan to implement my findings. Ideally, at the end of this I’d like to be able to execute my business plan and launch my product.” So yeah, he’s pretty much planning to build a business while in school. And get school credit for it. No big deal. Nick’s future aspirations? Venture capital.

So, coming back to Nick’s residency: what did he do at Innovacorp? Nicks starts by going over what Innovacorp does: “We work with early stage, high growth potential start-up companies and help them commercialize their technology. There’s the Mentoring Team, which acts sort of like the client’s ‘advisory board’ and helps them navigate the ‘start-up valley of death’. There’s the Investment Team, which is kind of like Dragon’s Den where we hear a pitch, ask questions and push back, do an assessment after and decide whether or not to invest.” Nick was a Business Advisor for both the Mentoring Team and the Investment Team, but he also got to take part in other aspects of the business such as the Incubation facilities (physical buildings where the clients work and meet) and Internal Corporate Strategy.

His job often involved due diligence (e.g. confirming the facts presented in an investment pitch), but he has also tackled other tasks, including helping with the company’s business plan and facilitating a very successful brainstorming meeting. He used some techniques we learned in the first months of the Corporate Residency MBA: as part of our Personal & Professional Development (PPE) stream, we took part in an assessment called ‘One Smart World.’ You answer some questions and it breaks your management style into colour-coded groups and you learn about how they all interact. Under the umbrella of One Smart World lies something called Smarter Meetings, which uses the same colours and concepts to help design effective meetings. Nick tells us how he brought this classroom lesson into the real world with enormous success: “I helped hold a cross-functional meeting that was very inefficient and lacked a true sense of direction. We got nothing done, there was confusion over who was quarter-backing the deliverables and what was the plan moving forward , and I was very frustrated with it. Then I remembered the Smarter Meetings from class. So I got in touch with the founder, Bob Wiele. He was very receptive and helpful and within 48 hours I had built and organized a meeting agenda around the Smarter Meeting process. I facilitated the meeting and it was a resounding success. We got more done in those 80 minutes than I could have ever imagined.” Nick’s CEO wasn’t supposed to attend the meeting but as word began to spread around the office, he made time to drop in for 15 minutes to get a flavour of the Smarter Meetings process. It was such an engaging experience that the CEO stayed the entire time! “It was a huge success, and I still get compliments to this day on it.”

That is very impressive, Nick. No other way to describe it. I’ll give everyone a minute to absorb how awesome that is.

Done? Okay. Nick’s other adventures during these initial 14  months of the Corporate Residency MBA includes managing a Tennis Camp, co-owning the student consulting firm Atlantic Business Consultants and being on the MBA Society as the Athletic Director. “Intramurals start soon!” is the bulletin for the 80-some-odd students (hopefully) reading this.

In closing, Nick wants to stress the importance of keeping this MBA program special: “It’s crucial that we don’t let this program be just for getting those three letters after your name. The first class has done a great job so far embracing the flexibility of the program and showing what we can do with it. We’ve pushed the rock partway up a steep hill, but it is so easy for that rock to come crashing down. The next class needs to continue to push that rock further and higher up the hill.”

Great point, Nick. As usual, I totally agree. See everybody next Thursday, which marks the beginning of classes!

Career path serendipity – Joanne’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Joanne Yeung counts herself as pretty lucky. Her corporate residency experience started off a little stressful but has ended up being a life-changing experience. She has unexpectedly found a wonderful career fit and is very well positioned to seamlessly shift gears into the working world immediately upon graduation. It’s a great story! Read on…

Joanne is originally from Toronto. She received a BSc from York and a Master’s of Science from Waterloo, both in Chemistry. With that background, when she shifted into business with the Corporate Residency MBA her thoughts were on the big pharmaceutical companies. In September 2009, we had the first round of interviews with companies for our residencies. There was going to be at least one pharmaceutical firm there, but unfortunately they had to back out.

So began the task of finding a placement with the help of Management Career Services. “It was very stressful,” she remembers, “especially with five or six courses piled on top. But I gained a lot from job hunting too. For example, I had never cold-called before and I definitely improved my networking skills through the process.” During this time, Joanne sought the help of another JoAnne: “I have to say thanks to JoAnne Akerboom especially. I went to see her every Friday and bugged the hell out of her… she was very encouraging and supportive. Knowing she was there to help was very comforting.” JoAnne Akerboom is the Executive Director of External Affairs for the Faculty of Management and is involved with a lot of the marketing for our new program here. This just goes to show how involved our staff is!

Although Joanne didn’t end up working with a pharmaceutical company, she landed a position with Environment Canada, stationed in Gatineau, Quebec, as a Junior Policy Analyst. “I’m on a planning team that works on the renegotiations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. There are different issue groups and ours deals with chemicals. My main focus is on stakeholder engagement and analysis of comments received in relation to the Canadian/Binational [USA and Canada] position. Through my experience, I have gained vast knowledge about environmental protection policy as well as regulatory management.”

You can see how Joanne’s chemistry background might come in handy here… but she certainly didn’t expect to end up working for the government at the start of her MBA! However, through the experience with Environment Canada, she has found her niche: “participating in the renegotiation has definitely been an eye-opening experience! In addition, the fostering of support and the work-life balance has definitely aligned well with my personal values. Knowing that I am part of an elite team of public servants who are dedicated to providing Canadians a better future definitely confirms my career aspiration in the federal government.” Joanne notes how each seemingly disconnected point along her so-called career path has played its part: “I started with the science degrees; if not for those I wouldn’t have gotten this position. But if not for the MBA, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity of working here.” Even though her residency is over, she has arranged to continue to work part time at the Dartmouth Regional office. She’ll be in a totally new field (no Great Lakes out here), and is very excited to get started. Her work in Quebec involved connecting with a lot of people in Toronto, and with the government’s vast breadth of different positions and fields (and the relative ease of being able to shift from one to the other) she can breathe easy when it comes to figuring out what to do after graduation.

See? Pretty sweet story, huh? Joanne’s message to the new and future classes: “One thing I want to say is: if you don’t get a job right out of the first round, don’t be discouraged. The staff is very helpful and they have lots of connections. Take it has a challenge and see it as a learning opportunity. Your hard work will pay off at the end.”

I can certainly relate to that one, Joanne. We’ll be back next week, see you then!

International acclaim – Matilde’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Let’s jump right into this one, because there’s a lot to cover! Matilde de Antueno is coming to the end of her exciting residency as a Global Internal Auditor for McCain Foods Limited. She grew up in Coldbrook, Nova Scotia, but still has a deep connection with her birthplace’s culture (La Plata, Argentina). She speaks fluent Spanish and English and received a BSc Major in Biology, Minor in Business from Dalhousie.

“I’m very interested in the concept of international business,” she says. Well, as a Global Internal Auditor for McCain, she definitely got the right kind of exposure for that career aspiration! “The most exciting thing for me during this residency was, without a doubt, getting to travel to various locations. Mainly Mexico and Colombia, though I spent a lot of time in Florenceville, New Brunswick, as well (which is where McCain was founded). You can’t handle situations in different countries like you would in Canada, you’ve got to pick up on cultural clues. I got to apply some of what we learned in class; for example, in Managing People we learned about managing other cultures and in Global Business we did some international situation simulations.”

Apart from the travelling, her work is also pretty interesting. Check it out: “So there’s a difference between an external auditor (like PwC or Deloitte) and an internal one. We [internal] don’t necessarily look just at the financial statements. You look at all the processes of the company. You will start with the farmers and the potatoes, all the way up to, say, HR and how they deal with hiring. So, for example, in Colombia, we’d look at the contracts with the farmers and make sure they are following the right protocol and health and safety standards. Then when we go to the Sales office we have to make sure that the people buying and selling the potatoes and products are doing so in an ethical way. Basically, you go in and ask a variety of questions, you go through the steps and see if any issues arise. It is a great experience as I get to see all the different areas of the company.”

Matilde’s exceptional exposure to different parts of McCain’s global operations allowed her to see the same company through the lenses of different cultures. She found it interesting to see how a company’s culture could be expressed in so many places. “McCain prides itself on being a family-owned business,” she explains. “Everywhere I went it still sort of had that same feel.” In Canada, Matilde experienced this attitude when she was able to have lunch with the CEO and President of McCain Foods Limited. “It was a great opportunity! I asked him: ‘What does it take to be successful? Hard work? Or finding the right opportunities?’ He said: ‘Both, but there are no wrong decisions.’ What I took away from that was: ‘Don’t regret making one decision over the other – you learn something from everything you do.’ I’ve heard that kind of stuff from my parents before, but I really took it to heart this time after hearing it from someone in such a successful position!”

I can’t think of too many scenarios where Matilde could have had a better experience on her residency, especially considering her interest in international business. She is, unsurprisingly, quite happy with the opportunity that the Corporate Residency MBA has afforded her: “Being able to have these eight months, to be a real part of the company, means I’m not like every other co-op student. Without a doubt, the corporate residency was the most attractive part of this program for me because I lacked a lot of business work experience and I definitely needed something that would give me a little advantage.”

Coming into the final, eight-month academic portion of the program, Matilde is continuing her focus on international business. She is the Internal Vice President for the freshly revitalized Dalhousie International Business Society. “The contacts that I made at McCain have allowed me to already line up speakers that are willing to come to Dal to talk about their experiences with international business and how they got to where they are. The Society is a great way to stay involved in the student community and be a part of something that I am interested in!”

In parting, Matilde has a message for the new class: “Don’t be scared and take every opportunity that comes along. There is NO wrong decision, you just gotta GO for something – and then you can figure out if you do or do not like it. I love being in the program. I know I made the right choice and I am so excited for the future and to be at this stage in my life!”

Tremendous! I’m excited to see everyone lining themselves up for success. And you’re excited to come back next Thursday for another awesome story!

Always an adventure… – Andrew’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Andrew Konesky is one of those people who can be described as a “character,” in a good way. He has a deliberate way of going about things and never fails to educate me on some aspect of the world on a fairly consistent basis. Perhaps this is due to his breadth of worldly experience. In the years before coming into the program, Andrew has sold cars, real estate and computers, he has lived in Calgary, India and Norway, worked in marketing, the oil and gas industry and probably 700 other things I’ve yet to discover. He is originally from Halifax and began his undergrad taking Electrical Engineering at Saint Mary’s University. After two years of school, he dropped out and moved overseas for a couple of years before finally returning and earning a BSc from the same school. From there he spent five years working in various remote locations, seeking his fortune in oil and gas before making the move to come back to school for round three.

“For me, the program means something a little different coming in as a mature student. The program is marketed towards younger, fresh-out-of-undergrad students,” Andrew says. He recalls the past: “I had outgrown my organization and there were considerable health risks traveling overseas for work (I was getting sick a lot). To make matters worse, I wasn’t challenged anymore; what I was doing wasn’t conducive to learning, there’s a ceiling… so I decided to make a change.”

So how has the experience been so far? “I enjoy the fact that Dal took the books and threw them out the window. They started with a clean slate when building this program and I love that they engaged employers during its creation to learn exactly what employers wanted. With significant portions of the program dedicated to Personal and Professional Effectiveness, soft skill development and ethical leadership, I believe this is the beginning of the new MBA.”

Andrew feels that Dalhousie “has tuned in to what employers are looking for.” He was able to take part in two ‘fishbowl’ sessions, which are organized conversations where participants representing various stakeholders sit in a circle and take turns contributing in order to generate new ideas. During these sessions, it became clear that the message employers were sending was received loud and clear by the school. “I’m proud to be a part of the inaugural year where we are contributing to the development of the program.”

For his residency, Andrew works for Emera Energy, which primarily deals with the procurement and transmission of physical commodities (i.e. the trade of natural gas and power). “We are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera, which is a utility company,” explains Andrew. “We are the unregulated branch [of Emera] with a staff of about 35 people. My role as a Gas Scheduler is to ensure that physical natural gas is transported from Point A to Point B. Whether that means moving it from the hub where we bought it to where it is being sold, or moving it to a plant for consumption, the gas never stops moving. Gas is most often used to generate electricity at one of the power plants we manage.”

This year, Andrew is also the Social Rep on the MBA Society (the official title might be something like Director of School Culture or something? I forget, so does he). He has this message for all current students: “Please let me know if there’s any event you would like to see planned. I’ll try my best to put them together for you!”

To new and prospective students, Andrew recalls something he heard in one of the fishbowl sessions: “When asked about when to begin thinking about interviews, Bruce Smith [Senior Manager of Staffing & Planning at Scotiabank] said: ‘Your interview started the minute you showed up to school on the first day.’ No truer words have been spoken.”

And finally, to echo similar statements by his peers in our Corporate Residency MBA, Andrew says: “Take advantage of every opportunity that’s presented to you by this program (and there will be plenty of them). You’ll get out of this what you put into it. Network as much as possible and go to every social event (if for nothing else but the free drinks!)”

Solid advice, my friend. See everybody next Thursday!

Support in a balancing act – Randel’s story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Today we’re going to hear Randel Madell’s story. She is my partner in crime as she owns half of Coburg Consultants Limited. However, she works for Coburg part-time while tackling a full-time corporate residency (she’s not crazy, just ambitious). Originally from Calgary, with a BA in Economics and English from St. Mary’s University College (not to be confused with the Saint Mary’s in Halifax; this school is in Calgary), Randel was unsure of her career direction, but totally sure that she wanted an MBA on the east or west coast. The ocean called.

A year before officially signing up for the program, she came to Halifax to check it out and spoke with Rick Nason, who now teaches finance in the Corporate Residency MBA. He noted that the program was well suited to those who weren’t entirely sure what they would be doing with an MBA (i.e. Randel). Fast forward to today, and Randel couldn’t be happier with the choice she made: “I just want to emphasize the opportunities I’ve had with the program: business competitions, the huge number of interviews and networking sessions, being part of the MBA Society, owning Coburg… and we’re only halfway through.”

She was particularly fond of the some of the business competitions, such as the Scotiabank Stock Challenge held at Saint Mary’s University last year: “They set up 10 companies and a live trading floor. In between ten three-minute rounds they gave you a news release and you had a minute to figure out how the companies’ stock would be affected. Then the round started and you had three minutes to buy or sell. Our team won first place in that and also placed second in the Sobeys Live Case Competition.” Randel is definitely looking to get involved in more of these business competitions in the fall/winter and is even looking to set up a course credit that integrates them.

She tells a familiar tale of the camaraderie of the program: “No one’s a number,” she says, “One of the biggest things I’ve been impressed with is the support network. Not just from the students, but from the MBA office as well. I was diagnosed with lupus early in the work term and everyone has been nothing but supportive and have been helping me figure out ways to manage it. Another great example is that I moved recently within the city and essentially all of my moving was done by fellow MBAs from both 2011 and 2012 classes.”

Randel’s full-time position is with Cushman & Wakefield Atlantic as a Research Coordinator. C&W is the largest global real estate solutions company in the world. “Basically I keep track of every square foot of commercial space in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick,” she explains. “I also write quarterly reports for these regions that involve the inventory, market shift, forecasting and economic outlook for the region. These are written for every segment (retail, industrial, office) of the market in both provinces, and then published globally through the company website.”

She fondly recalls the experience of a particular company conference in PEI: “It was quite intimate: The Canadian president & CEO of Cushman & Wakefield was there for a few days and I got to have some great discussions with him as well as members of all our Atlantic Canadian offices.” Randel bunked up with classmate Alex Mulkewytch, who is also doing her residency with C&W in the same position as Randel but based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. “Other networking within the company has been incredible too. I have worked on deals with, spoken to or met in person someone from every major office in Canada, and it has opened several doors for the future.”

“I think if anyone’s interested in commercial real estate, it’s a big industry and hard to be able to learn about it, but this job gives you a great introduction.” Currently, Randel is exploring the possibility of going to work with C&W after she graduates next year! Clearly, they like her. Great job, Randel!

Also, Randel is this year’s Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations on the MBA Society. “My biggest job is acting as the liaison between the students and Management Career Services. I’m the channel to use if the new class has any concerns (especially anonymous ones) about the residencies or the hiring process.” Her final piece of advice for today: “Be open minded. Just… the amount of incredible opportunities that are going to be put in front of you… if you keep an open mind you will get an amazing residency.”

As a real-life example of someone who’s doing something a little different for his residency, I’m a big supporter of that message, Randel. We’ve been called the “tailor-made MBA” for a reason. See you next week!

Keepin’ it creative – James’ story

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Originally posted by Jordan Fujiwara.

Today is a special day. We are featuring current student James Hannah and, if you recall from the last blog, we’ve prepared something a little different this time around. Here’s how today’s blog is going to be laid out:

1) Normal Blog – shortened: A regular (but shorter) piece like you are used to.

2) “How James discovered the Corporate Residency MBA”: A short story with cartoon illustrations rendered in the style of hilarious blogger Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half.

3) What to possibly expect this weekend… If you make it past the short story, we have one extra goodie that is planned to come out on the weekend…

Are you ready? Let’s meet James. He’s originally from Oakville, Ontario, with a BA (Honours) in Economics from Carleton University. “I am very impressed with the program. Not only has it given me a solid academic experience, but it’s also really improved my soft skills and caused me to be even more future oriented. I mean, anyone going for an MBA has to be future oriented but this one really focuses on your career path. If I look back to where I was just over a year ago, my opportunities have increased substantially since starting this program.”

An outstanding public speaker, James was a fan of the prolific number of presentations we had to do in the first six months of school. “I was able to exercise my creativity and hone those public speaking skills; they were definitely one of my favourite parts! That, and the shared sense of community and companionship that everyone has in the program.”

Currently, James is wrapping up his Ottawa-based residency with American Express. He works in the Business Travel department on the Government of Canada account and has been doing some incredible stuff there as Business Analyst. “We were in charge of sending all the RCMP members to and from the G-8 and G-20 conferences and I was able to be on this project from start to finish,” says James. “At one point, I was the onsite Amex representative in Barrie, Ontario, to support the RCMP. I was the man on the frontlines. My knowledge of the project made my onsite presence valuable to both the RCMP and Amex. Working there was a huge test of personal and communication skills. I have gained some excellent experience in client management, something that I am very interested in.” James did not actually attend the highly publicized conferences, but was stationed at Pearson airport for a number of days for the arrivals and departures of the RCMP members as the official Amex rep. Intense. “The people that I worked with, both on the Amex side and the RCMP side, are amazing individuals and I have learned a lot from them all, in one form or another.”

He has this message for the current classes: “As Director of Communications for the MBA Society, my goal is to find a way to inform people in an inciting way, in an interesting way that gets them WANTING to hear from me.” I, for one, am looking forward to this.

An avid guitar player, James is currently in a band with two other musician friends and hinted that they will be recording soon and possibly revolutionizing the world of music as we know it. “I tend to stay pretty busy and enjoy always being on the move. With a little coffee, nothing can stand in my way *laughs*.”

Now, without further ado, I’d like to present our special creation for today, a short illustrated story. Please enjoy

The story of how James discovered the Corporate Residency MBA.

Like many young men who have just graduated from university with their first degree, James Hannah was determined to start forging a path and staking a REAL claim on life.

His imagination knew no bounds:

But then something happened…

The economy crashed.

James figured school was probably a safe bet. With an MBA always on his mind, he decided that now was the time to start looking. But where? He searched and searched, and the answer came to him in a rather strange and fascinating way… He wound up meeting a girl at a bar after a long hard day of searching with no amazing prospects. Unfortunately, all he could talk about were his woes.

Eventually and obviously, he worked up enough courage to ask for her number. Cynically, she gave him a phone number on a scrap of paper, while keeping a straight face but probably smirking internally.

The number was obviously fake, and the resulting phone call was not exactly pleasant for James.

However, all was not lost. Moments before he was about to tear the shred of paper bearing the cruel digits of trickery into rage-induced smithereens, James noticed something on the back of it.

It was part of a magazine ad for the Dalhousie Corporate Residency MBA Program! Not one to squander an opportunity, James investigated the Corporate Residency MBA and found it to be offering everything he ever dreamed of. The rest, as they say, is history.

The End.

Actually, the whole thing about the girl at the bar and the magazine ad fake-number bit was a tad exaggerated. Okay, we made it all up. It never happened. But that was to draw attention away from the relatively mundane truth of how James heard about the Corporate Residency MBA from his brother Ryan:

See? Boring.

CREDITS:

James Hannah – Story, and being cool with me drawing him getting crushed by the economy and for insinuating that his flirting skills are subpar.

Jordy Fujiwara – Story and Illustrations

Ryan Hannah – For being the (real) catalyst

Allie Brosh – Inspiration for the drawings, go check out Hyperbole and a Half if you haven’t already. If laughter is the best medicine, you’ll be ready to run a marathon and bench press two sperm whales after reading it.*

*This is a metaphor. Do not attempt to run a lot or lift any sea life after reading Hyperbole and a Half.

—–

We did have one last thing for you. You probably are not aware, but before I feature anyone on this blog I have to make sure they’re awesome. Usually I just base this on my prior experience with the person, but I decided to formalize the process with poor James and subject him to a round of crazy interview questions. This was all captured on video, and if you are interested in seeing it, you’ll have to check the main blog page on say… Saturday? Or keep tabs on our Facebook Page. I have a feeling it might end up there too…

Annnnd we’re done. Next week we’re back (probably) to a standard write-up, unless there’s an outpouring of support for this kind of stuff. Then we’ll see. I hope you liked it. Bye for now!

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