MBA Student Blog

Hi everyone, as you can guess, I have been pretty busy lately with the number of projects that happened to appear all at the same time – as always! I am not complaining, instead, I love such a busy life.
Today I wanted to write a few words about period three, which is almost over already. I can`t believe how fast time is flying!
I am taking marketing and HR courses this semester, and I am totally enjoying it!
Integrated Marketing Communications with Paul Cubbon is great! No surprises – we all knew Paul from the Core and I was waiting for this course. A lot of practical examples and we are all working on very real marcom projects at the moment. Great course, highly recommended!
Pricing with Jack Chen – a very useful one, fortunately, not too much math, which is great.
Two-party negotiation – a nice class with a lot of practice, which I like a lot! You can read the books all your life, but until you apply it in practice, it is hard to say that you know it, especially in a negotiation!
Managing Change with Tracey Gurton – case-based, a lot of discussion, quite a lot of practical advice. A pretty solid course and I am generally enjoying it, though it requires a lot of participation. Those of us who tend to be quiet in class may find it challenging.
Anyway, there is only a week of classes left, and then one more week for exams/presentations, and we are done with Period 3!
Capstone conference is also at the end of May, but I know very little about it now. I will keep you posted=)

As we are so close to the start of our internships, not having one is getting very painful for many (including myself). Pretty stressful, but hopefully everyone would manage to get something they like.

As a part of my efforts to get familiar with marketing in Vancouver, I am attending as many events as I can. These events are great to listen to marketing gurus, to talk to people who are currently working in marketing, to feel the trends and to network, of course.
One of the largest events in the industry is the Vision Conference, which is organized by BCAMA (British Columbia American Marketing Association). It was an amazing event to attend – huge bravo to the organizers! I tried to help as much as I could by volunteering for this event. It featured 5 great speakers, inspiring presentations and networking – very useful! I am fascinated with the creative implementations that the companies have to invent to stand out! A couple of examples – Heineken promo-event (see the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEqJV1acgN4 , it is so cool!) or Parissa (hair removal products) – see the picture http://adsoftheworld.com/media/ambient/parissa_wax_strips_backvertising.

By the way, the Parissa idea is from the Rethink agency that is based in Vancouver. We had the honour of visiting this agency just recently for a field trip and learned more about their successful campaigns (such as Parissa or loonie with “no tanker” stamp). Very creative agency and high-energy ideas!

Finally, just a few words about 2nd Alumni Hockey Tournament which was held on May, 8th. We had 5 teams of alumni and current students, who got together to play hockey at Thunderbird arena on the UBC campus. There were beautiful games, amazing speed and fantastic moments! During the dinner we had a very passionate speaker – Canadian Olympian Alexa Loo!
That is all for now, stay tuned!

Posted by Julia Dorofeeva

Networking, as many would inevitably tell you, is a mandatory part of the Sauder MBA experience, and absolutely crucial if you wish to land a job in Vancouver, even in Canada. To get a job interview, you either need to be a perfect match or know the decision maker, or someone remotely related to the decision maker. I know someone who was recently called for a pure Marketing & Sales interview, having nothing but IT Process Management experience. The first thing the interviewer said to this person was,

“So I can see from your resume that you have no Marketing experience at all.”….. Big surprise.

Networking events are important – but it is also critical to pick the right networking events. Time is a precious commodity during the MBA. The more you stretch yourself thin, the more likely it is that you will not be able to accomplish what you really want – and miss out on those vital opportunities that are central to your unique career objectives. It is tempting to go to every single event, Marketing, Supply Chain, Technology, Finance – just to make that single coveted connection, but it is important to be targeted and very focused.

For those that are not in the position to spend on average $40 per event, there is also volunteering. Most organizations that host professional events are delighted when faced with a potential volunteer. It is just a matter of finding that harried, hard-working organizer, and that’s usually not difficult. Organization websites and LinkedIn are excellent places to begin. I personally volunteer with the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Wired Woman, and can recommend both associations whole-heartedly. There is also the Vancouver Board of Trade, the Project Management Institute, the Association of Women in Finance, the Hong Kong Canada Business Association, just to name a few. Affiliation with any of these organizations provides an excellent networking opportunity.

The few weeks immediately after you land an internship will be a ‘honeymoon period’. Life seems perfect – the world is a rosy place – everyone is your friend. The biggest mistake an MBA student can make in this period is to sit back and relax and believe that the hard work is done. One of the things I forgot is that the RBC position is an internship – not a full-time job. I still need to be out there, attending events, networking, meeting people, impressing people, putting my best foot forward, acting composed, professional, and cultivated.

I am proud to be one of the lucky seven to have landed a summer internship in March. To the best of my knowledge, we have one (myself) in the Royal Bank of Canada, three in Deloitte, two in Research in Motion and one with Accenture. Pretty impressive, even if I do say so myself. Best Buy will most probably hire at least two people, and Orbis will certainly take one. The internship search is surely a humbling experience. Everything you believed about yourself, your skills, your marketability, and your value is put to the test. The strangest thing is that for those of us coming from South Asian countries… a foreign MBA is such a big deal in our countries. Our families back home believe that jobs will be lining up from the very day we set foot in the land of opportunity. ‘You have always done so well in interviews’, says my mother. ‘You have US experience and a US bachelors degree and a stellar track record with an international bank. You will have more offers than you know what to do with,’ says an Uncle who works in tax back in Pakistan. Naïve – but hey, didn’t I believe that myself just eight or so months ago? Not quite … but somewhat.

The fact of the matter is that you have to work really, really hard. And as stressful as it is, it really is kind of fun. Exhilarating fun – meeting people, tackling situations, selling yourself, managing all those relationships, and a network that grows exponentially. I find it helpful to draw a tree. For example, a hub would be CFA Vancouver, and the branches coming out of it will represent each person I met, their designation, and one interesting fact that I uncovered about them during our chat. I find it helps. The best part is when the branches end up converging to a few very active people, who you seem to run across at every event.

The best advice I can give is – during the MBA, throw all your inhibitions out the window, break through your comfort zones… this is no place for shy people or those who don’t have the utmost faith in their abilities. Those who are not flexible, not resilient, and not responsive to quickly changing situations – probably wouldn’t get much out of it either.

Hurriya Burney is a full-time MBA student with Sauder, specializing in Finance. She has three years of experience in Asset Management and Banking and has lived and worked in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Her most recent position was as a Corporate Relationship Manager with Barclays Bank Plc. 

Hurriya Burney can be reached at hurriya.burney@yahoo.com

This is in response to several emails I have received from my prospective and incoming MBA mates: 

If you have a banking background, in any country, think twice before venturing west. Although Vancouver is in a great location – some call it the gateway to the vast (yet quickly shrinking) land of opportunity-enriched North America and the springboard to Asia – the reality of the situation is that any banker, having left a fast-paced, well-paying position poised for a promotion (like myself), will be twisted in an agony of anxious thoughts. All things aside, there are only 5 banks here – ‘The Big Five’, namely  

1. RBC (Royal Bank of Canada)
2. TD (Toronto Dominion)
3. CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)
4. Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia)
5. BMO (Bank of Montreal)

 Do some research – get to know these fine institutions – and try to find your place within them. The benefit of Canada is that competition is significantly weaker than it is in the United States – but jobs have adjusted to that slow momentum. Some studies reveal that on average there are 5 people competing for every 1 position in Canada. However, a little digging on my part reveals that that average might be slightly higher for the banking industry. That being said, banking experience is very valuable here – because most MBA students do not have it. If you are intelligent and have been relatively successful in your career, and are naturally a go-getter, you will naturally be a front-runner for those banking jobs. There are no guarantees – but you will, at the very least, get an interview – and then it’s up to you to wow them. International experience is a desirable trait – yes, lack of Canadian experience is a drawback – but one that can be countered by friendly aggressiveness, determination, unflagging confidence in your skills, and excitement for your chosen career choice. The more the bank prides itself on being ‘diverse’ and ‘global’, the better your chances are.

 
Then there is also HSBC – the only foreign bank with a notable presence in Canada. For those of you bound to fall in love with Vancouver, HSBC is a great option – the only bank in Canada headquartered on the west coast – HSBC has a robust commercial banking operation in Vancouver – the caveat is that recent conversations I have had with industry professionals indicate that the bank is badly managed with not enough attention paid to employee growth, development, and empowerment. One of my contacts at RBC Commercial Banking recently told me that he has peers from HSBC Commercial Banking calling and complaining and asking if jobs are available at RBC.

Don’t let yourself get trapped into the allure of the diamonds in the rough. Yes, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Macquarie – they all exist here. But offices with strengths of 15-300 people are not extremely welcoming to foreigners with little experienc
e – post graduation, your best bet is the Big 5 – all of which have robust Associate programs hiring for which happens in August (yes, the year before you are to begin your employment). My final advice: Know the reality and be prepared… as my fellow bankers know, our industry does not permit very many mistakes ! If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me directly. I love meeting bankers from all over the globe. (Not to scare away the non-bankers out there!).

Hurriya Burney is a full-time MBA student with Sauder, specializing in Finance. She has three years of experience in Asset Management and Banking and has lived and worked in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Her most recent position was as a Corporate Relationship Manager with Barclays Bank Plc.

Hurriya Burney can be reached at hurriya.burney@yahoo.com