Archives: Involvement / Leadership

Campus Events Forecast #1

If you walk around Henry Angus or any building on campus for that matter, you’ll most likely be bombarded with a huge load of promotional materials. Something’s always happening. Someone’s always talking. Something’s always selling. The way I see it, most students only really want three things: a picture, a short blurb, and whether not not there will be food. So that’s what I’ll give ya! Here are two events taking place in the next little while that are especially worth mentioning.

World Cities Night [Facebook link]

Description in ten words or less: networking dinner with professionals who work internationally / with global clients

Food: Dinner provided, will be sitting with business people and other students in small group settings

My two cents: “Disappointment” is a NOT a word that’s in the vocabulary of International Business Club, the organization that’s putting on this event. By [blog] press deadline, there have been already 70 registered attendees, not even including the corporate people! I for one have always wondered what “international business” was exactly (all I knew was that the acronym IB used to stand for International Baccalaureate *shudder*), so this is the perfect opportunity to find out. It’s not an intense recruitment session, yet it’s a good eye-opener for first year Sauderites and students in other faculty interested in working/travelling to other parts of the world.

Other info: Oct 29 6-9pm, Koerner Ballroom, $10, dress code is business casual

International Business Conference [Facebook link]

Description in ten words or less: full day conference about global resources, includes speakers & networking session

Food: Breakfast included, three course lunch included, wine and cheese reception for the first 150 ticket buyers

My two cents: In the business world, we usually judge a book by its cover because more often than not, the packaging is a direct reflection of the quality underneath. Not only did IBC do an amazing job with promotional work (psst, fantastic video this way), it also has a well-organized and fully-packed conference day as well as several post/pre-events for the delegates. What better time to get a fresh perspective on resources in our integrated economy?

Other info: Nov 14 8:30am – 5pm (or later for reception), Sheraton Vancouver, $35+, dress code is business casual

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You can find me dashing halfway into both events!! If I’m ushering at either of them, do show up because this is probably the only time you’ll find ME serving food to YOU.

In other news, did anyone notice HALLOWEEN SLOWLY CREEPING UP ON US?! Photos coming soon =D

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Weekend

This is what my schedule looked like this past weekend.

Friday:
Classes 9am – 12pm
Work in Richmond 1pm – 4:30pm
Meeting (back to UBC) 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Wandering around campus looking for parties (more about this next entry) 7:30pm – 9pm
Work on contract job 10pm-2am

Saturday:
Volunteer 7am – 12:30pm
Work in Richmond 2pm – 10pm

Sunday:
Volunteer 7am – 12:30pm
Group project 1:30pm – 6pm
Got home 7pm

Three Day Total
Spent working: 13.5 hours
Spent volunteering: 11 hours
Spent bussing: 8 hours
Spent sleeping: 10 hours

Although I’m exhausted and am coming down with a cold, I loved every minute of my weekend, especially the volunteering part. I only wish I live closer to the school =(

How was your weekend?

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Casual Interviews Unveiled

Coffee and Macbook during Interviews

Did anyone else notice that – in Sauder especially – an interview is required for EVERYTHING?! Want to be a club exec? Come in for an interview. Feel like volunteering at UBC? Sign up for the interview. Need to use the vending machine? Interview with the Coffee Crisp first =D (the last one involves munching on my part XD). I guess it’s only fitting that a business school is promoting a common industry practice.

Time for a confession: I actually LOOOOVE interviews! I mean, come on, when else am I going to have the opportunity to talk about myself for fifteen minutes straight and at the same time holding the undivided attention of three seniors?! Jolly good.

So I’ve done three or four of these, mostly for business-related clubs/organizations/events. Here’s what I learned and observed.

The Set-Up. Usually the room is set up so that there is a table between the interviewers and the interviewee. The most common number of interviewers is three (occasionally two, rarely one). The tribunal setup maybe a little intimidating for people, but it should be enjoyable because 1) you will be able to maintain eye contact with at least one person at all times 2) your attention is divided so you don’t spend the entire interview wondering if the one person who decides your fate likes you. So far the lovely folks I met all had laptops and took notes as I spoke. I wasn’t very accustomed to this at first… imagine saying “so I think I’m suitable because…” and hearing three laptops going tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap…

The Interviewers. They all seem like fun, amazing, and extremely nice people, seriously (and this applies to the positions I didn’t get as well, so I’m not just saying it)! It was more of a chat than a nerveswrecking process really, thanks to the interviewers who are our peers. There’s usually a round of introductions and handshaking when I went in, before getting down to business. I had questions every time and they always enthusiastically answered all of them.

The Dress Code. Most of the ones I went to were completely casual, ie. show up in your regular school clothes. One recommended “business casual” which translates to simply “clean and well-groomed”. No suits yet, no surprises there.

The Questions. Pretty standard, run-of-the mill things that gives one plenty of opportunity to talk about oneself. Hurray. Here they are… if my memory doesn’t fail me

  • Tell us about yourself. [Thanks AW]
  • How can your skills and experience contribute to the organization/club and how will they help you in your role?
  • Describe a situation where you had to show leadership and work in a team.
  • How would you motivate fellow team members/volunteers?
  • Why do you want to join this organization/club?
  • What do you think about the organization/club’s motto, cause, theme etc.?
  • What other time commitments do you have?
  • Describe an organizational structure that you didn’t like, and what you did to improve the situation.
  • If you were a [insert random object here], what kind of [that object] would you be? (That was hilarious!)
  • Here’s a situation (like event promotion, marketing strategies), please think about it for 30 seconds and then act it out with an interviewer.
  • What do you like to do for fun?
  • Tell us a joke. [Thanks AW]

The notification. I heard back from my interviewers within three days either by phone or by email. Phone rejection hurts, but what kind of rejection doesn’t haha? The other exciting part is reading the group emails and seeing who else got in! So that’s my take on interviews (don’t ask me about university admissions interviews, they’re so effin terrifying! *shudders*)

P.S. – PANCAKE BREAKFAST IN FRONT OF HENRY ANGUS, MONDAY OCT 7 (8:30AM – 10:30AM), do not miss out!

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Letter to Anonymous

Dear Anonymous Student,

When you wasted five minutes of the class’s time on the proper way address the guest professor who was filling in for the day, I did not mind. We all like a little curiosity. However, when – a few minutes later – you waved your hand in the air again interrupting the prof’s lecture, you got my attention. Our prof nodded to give you the chance to speak, at which point you proceeded on a full-out rant on how useless you thought this course was, how you failed to understand its real-life applications, and how you believed the textbook “got nowhere” in its “vagueness” after six chapters. The prof decided to push back his lecture and open a little discussion.

Then, Anonymous Student, we heard about your “extensive experience in managing” others as well as a detailed, play-by-play description of some interview you participated in for a company.  Furthermore, you stated that you are not convinced that this course would help you in the future, and that it was “almost like psychology”, and that because it lacked the quantitative precisions of disciplines like calculus, accounting, and other courses in your “background”, it is unworthy of the attention of academia (I paraphrase of course, though I believe I put it more eloquently, hmm?)

Anonymous Student, there were more than fifty other students in the room plus a professor who had a Doctorate on the subject and is renowned for his expertise in the field.  Although you had every right to voice your concerns about the curriculum, I can’t help but think that during a LECTURE by a GUEST might not have been the best place to do it. I commend the said professor for giving you unlimited floor time to talk and for appreciating your challenging questions. Though for me personally, I think I got your point the FIRST THREE TIMES you made it.

I’m sure there were people in the room who agreed with parts of what you said. I FOR ONE would be willing to listen to you after class or in a small group setting with the professor during office hours. However, the manner in which you presented your displeasure was completely unprofessional, inconsiderate and disrespectful.

With your confident – though slightly verbose – speaking abilities, I have no doubt that you will have success in future meetings with clients and employers. However, I couldn’t help but notice how VERY ironic it was when you said that you believed you were a “good manager” and that the course’s material paled in comparison to the experience you got from the real world. If there was one person who needed to take this course on management and motivation, it would be you.

Regrettably yours,

Phoebe Yu

P.S. – I still think you are a wonderful person and probably a brilliant student. But yesterday, your actions and words were disappointing.

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