Author Archive
Chile – So far so good!
Posted by: michelle_au in MBA Experience, Student Life on May 26th, 2011
It’s Tuesday night, and the Canucks just won the conference finals. There is a group of 15 SFU MBA students in Chile, and we’re having a blast! So far we have met with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Embassy, a junior mining company, Scotiabank, Johnson & Johnson, and explora (a luxury travel company). Tomorrow, we will be meeting with Methanex, New Balance, and Colgate-Palmolive.
Chile Wineries, Casablanca Valley
One of the things I’ve learned so far is that there are unlimited opportunities here in Chile. The Chilean government has developed a program where young entrepreneurs can receive $40,000 in funding, with no equity stake, along with a work visa. For more information, you can visit their website at www.startupchile.org. Another key takeaway is that Chile is a small market relative to other countries. As a result, it is not easy to facilitate customer requirements. Often, manufactured goods for large companies such as Johnson & Johnson will have to import its products from neighbouring countries such as Argentina and Brazil. MNCs do not view their Chilean markets with much priority, and therefore, do not have plants within Chile.
We have also had the chance to do some sightseeing. Our group has traveled to the Casablanca area for some wine tasting, and we were also able to walk around Santiago and truly experience the city. We ended today by visiting the Virgin Mary, and of course an authentic Chilean dinner and lots of “Pisco Sours” and vina!
Business Career Expo 2011 by Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in MBA Experience, Student Life on April 4th, 2011
Wow! I just got back from the 2011 Business Career Expo, and it was an amazing experience. As an MBA student, I was able to attend the luncheon before the expo began. This was a great opportunity to talk to some employers in a smaller setting. It also allowed me to get into my “elevator pitch” mode. Even though not all employers had positions that I was interested in, I was able to learn about the companies and get a feel for the culture.
The expo itself was amazing. There were over 70 employers at this years expo. Companies ranged from banks, and accounting firms, to Pepsico, and NewAd. There was something for everyone. I was intimidated at first, however, as more and more people entered the room, I knew it was time to get my game on. If I were to stand out, I needed to go and talk to some employers.
So, now what? Apart from research before the expo, be sure to follow up with the employers you were interested in. I like to send personalized thank you cards in the mail. I think this is better than an email which can be deleted and forgotten. Also, try to find someone within the organization to conduct an information interview with. You can find these contacts through your personal network, or LinkedIn. I have found that most people are very open to talking to students. If you’re lucky, you may find someone that’s an alumni of your school. Alumni’s are a great resource, you have a common topic right off the bat, and they understand what you’re going through.
To sum up, here are some tips for a successful Career Expo/Networking Events:
- Research exhibitors/participants
- Be prepared to ask questions that will help you stand out
- FOLLOW UP!!
Happy Job Hunting!!
Information Interviews – You gotta do it! by Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in Student Life on March 24th, 2011
As part of the upcoming Business Career Expo on March 25, we are running special commentaries from our graduate business students on the hunt for the best jobs in the worlds of management, finance and beyond. The Business Career Expo, which is co-hosted by the Beedie School of Business, is the largest business-themed student career expo in British Columbia. We think you’ll find their unique perspectives both helpful and inspiring – given the particular challenges of looking for work in the current economic environment.
As uncomfortable as you may feel talking to a stranger, it’s something you “just gotta do.” When I entered the MBA program, all I knew about what I wanted to do after graduation was that I did not want to go back to my old job. I am still figuring out what I want to do, and this is where information interviews come in.
So how do you get an information interview? I got one through the human resources office of a company I was interested in. I had attended several information sessions, but they never sent someone from the department I was interested in. I approached the HR representative, and asked for a referral to someone who was in the department I wanted to work in. My other informational interview came through a referral from a classmate.
MBA Games – Marketing Plan Competition success! By Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in MBA Experience on January 26th, 2011
39 students from the MBA and MOT programs attended the MBA games in Toronto from January 7th to January 9th. Taralyn Day, Jeff Norman, Karen Robson and I were selected to take part in the marketing plan competition. 18 schools competed in the marketing plan competition. This event was sponsored by Telus, and the competitors were given three hours to create a marketing plan to position Telus as the leading retailer of tablets.
Our day began at 9:30 with a kick-off session. We were given some background information about Telus, and what our assignment was. The teams were required to create a strategy that would position Telus as the leader in the mobile tablet industry.
Thanks to Colleen Collins and Jeff Nehajowich both the marketing team and the case competition team (Colin Lam, Julia Green, Matt Harris, and Kelvin Chu) had the opportunity to do a practice case before travelling to the games. As a result, we started the competition with a PowerPoint template ready to go. The template saved us some valuable time.
The team dove right into the analysis. Luckily, we are all tech savvy, and had a good understanding of the products in question. Our proposal for Telus is the “Service First Strategy”. We recommended that Telus position itself as the WestJet of the telecommunications industry. They need to emphasize their great customer service, and tell their customers that they have great customer service. We also analyzed and gave recommendations on their pricing, distribution and infrastructure strategy.
Marketing Assignment Gone Viral! by Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in MBA Experience on December 2nd, 2010
As I sit at my desk and procrastinate (again) I often go check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzgzZCKFcm8
One of our assignments for our MBA marketing class was to create a spoof video of a product. At first, my team (Ken Lee, Allan Olson, Shell Lau, Tina Sun, Weijia Liu) was quite lost as to what we would do. Our group is quite “techie” and it was hard to divert ourselves off talking about new technologies and gadgets. We talked about making fun of the Windows 7 commercials (Windows 7, it was my idea), Apple, and of course, my beloved Blackberry.
How to Save a Few Bucks While Keeping a Social Life! – By Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in Student Life on November 18th, 2010
We’re all struggling on a student budget. It’s been a big adjustment for me to go from getting 2 paycheques a month to….nothing. So how can we still enjoy some of the luxuries while on a budget?
Some of you know, I am a die hard Starbucks drinker. Your first step to saving some money at Starbucks (besides not going) is to register your Starbucks card. Registration is free, and you get a few perks with a registered card. Let me start off with the more simple perks.
Application Tips from Current MBA Student Michelle Au
Posted by: michelle_au in Tips on October 12th, 2010
I didn’t really plan on doing an MBA in 2010. I have always wanted to complete a Master’s degree, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. One of the reasons why I was hesitant in doing an MBA was because I don’t have a business background. I was afraid that I would be playing catch-up throughout the whole program. I was at a career fair representing my former employer in March, and the SFU booth was down the hall from us. I went up to the representative just to see what the and I was surprised to discover that the SFU one-year MBA is designed for students with non-business undergraduate degrees, such as engineering or arts.