Posts Tagged ‘SFU MBA’
Vancouver Celebration of Light: A Big Business
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on July 28th, 2010
Every year near the end of July, Vancouver experiences a 4-day fireworks spectacle that rivals most international fireworks competitions. Since 1990, the residents of Vancouver and the Metro Vancouver have been able to look forward to this incredible show, as they line the beaches, parks, and hills that surround Vancouver’s English Bay to catch the show. As a matter of fact, it brings nearly half a million people, from all over Vancouver’s Lower Mainland (Metro Vancouver, 2010 Est. population 2.7M). The fact of the matter is that for retail businesses in the West End, English Bay, and Kitsilano, the fireworks mean a huge boost in sales. Further, corporate sponsorship of the event changed drastically in 2008 when HSBC withdrew as the principal sponsor, forcing the event to look at a multiple sponsor model.
While for most students of SFU Graduate Business these four shows spread over two weeks mean four nights off and some great entertainment, others see it as an opportunity to have something in common with a local Vancouver business. The Vancouver Celebration of Light is sponsored by companies such as The Keg, London Drugs, HSBC, Concord Pacific, FCV (an up and coming interactive agency), BC Hydro, and the YVR airport. With such an impressive sponsor line-up (these are BIG BC businesses) it would be wise for a newly minted MBA student to get involved as a volunteer with the logistics and organization of such a huge event. The SFU Business’ Career Management Centre highly encourages volunteer involvement with local events and charities. This is one of the easier ways to gain exposure and come across as a hard worker in the eyes of potential hiring managers.
Another example of a great event to get involved with is the Vancouver Canary Derby. The Canary Derby is a soapbox race, held in Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park, that raises money for research toward early cancer detection. The race teams consist of local Vancouver companies, many of which are in growth phases and rapidly hiring staff. The extra exposure in a volunteer situation may just give someone that boost of a familiar face once the interview comes. For others it may provide an interview opportunity where one might not have previously existed. To read more about the Canary Derby or get involved you can visit the Official Canary Derby Site. I also encourage you to read this past post by A Few Good Minds MBA Blog.
Top MBA Programs in Canada for Sustainability
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Tips on June 29th, 2010
SFU Business’ Undergraduate and MBA Programs have again made the top ten list (out of 35 Canadian MBA programs) for “sustainable education”. The study looks at the integration of environmental and social sustainability issues into university programs. The research and report is done by a quarterly magazine publication called the Corporate Knights. The Corporate Knights study and report on about the corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices of Canadian Business, Education, Commerce, and Industry. Their overall goal is to help Canada become a leading country with regard to socially responsible commerce. This link will allow you to learn more about the Corporate Knights “Clean Capitalism” Magazine.
SFU Business and Graduate Business for the second time in a row has placed in the top ten for Sustainable Business Programs. Notably, the SFU MBA program in Vancouver has moved from the ninth position in 2009 to the eighth spot for 2010. While this full-time, one-year MBA program is still only in it’s third year of existence, it is steadily and consistently climbing the ranks of programs that have integrated social and environmental responsibility into their curriculum. It is in part due to the SFU MBA program administrator’s commitment to a dedicated Sustainability course along with a Business Ethics class that place SFU Grad Business among these top ranks. The fact that SFU is the first university in the world to name a Sustainability Entrepreneur in Residence, along with a fully supported student-run Net Impact chapter also helps the rankings. Read on for a more detailed view of the study as well as a link to the methodology. Read the rest of this entry »
SFU MBA Student Testimonial – Why SFU MBA Program
Posted by: Chelsea Guy in Tips on May 12th, 2010
I chose to apply to the Simon Fraser University (SFU), Master of Business Administration (MBA) program for a number of reasons. When I first attended the information session for the MBA Program, I felt instantly comfortable. I felt at ease in the state of the art classroom and I was very encouraged by the faculty that I met from the SFU MBA Program. Altogether, I felt a sense of confidence and warmth, and I was made to feel that I wanted to be a part of this MBA program. Read the rest of this entry »
Why Take a One-Year MBA?
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Tips on May 5th, 2010
*Used with Permission
Why take a one-year MBA over a two-year or part-time program?
How will a one-year MBA help me gain success with my career goals?
These are all some of the most commonly asked question by students who are considering taking a condensed one-year MBA program over a more traditional program that lasts two years or longer.
There is a full gamut of MBA program choices in North America and Internationally. It’s important to evaluate a number of programs, especially with regard to their length and intensity, to find the one that best suits your profile and personal needs as a student. Read the rest of this entry »
SFU MBA Experience: A Day in the Life of a New Vancouver Entrepreneur
Posted by: Jessica Oman in Student Life on May 3rd, 2010
The routine of working 9-5 isn’t for everyone, and as a young entrepreneur, it certainly isn’t for me. I’ve launched my own business, Write Ahead editing & writing services. This path necessitates that I take what I’ve learned from my recently completed MBA from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, and help businesses write, improve, or revise their business communications. Here is a story about a typical day in my atypical life, and how the SFU MBA helped me develop the skills and confidence to be an entrepreneur in Vancouver. Read the rest of this entry »
New to the SFU Student Blog – Start Here
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on March 24th, 2010
Hello, and welcome to A Few Good Minds, the SFU MBA Student Blog, written here in Vancouver by current students and Alumni of SFU’s MBA programs. We understand that if it’s your first time to the blog it can be difficult to navigate this much content. Therefore, we’ve created this guide to make sure you’re reading that which you’re most interested in based on who you are. For more information on the origin of the blog, or to contact us, navigate to the “About Us” section. The SFU Student blog is also committed to a code of blogging ethics and a privacy policy which can be read by clicking on the corresponding links. With regard to content, the blog includes SFU MBA student career paths, MBA class reviews, admissions advice for any MBA school, GMAT tips and tricks, local Vancouver activities, and more. Below is an abbreviated table of contents that will help you find what you’re looking for. Read the rest of this entry »
SFU MBA Alumni Network – MBA Tune-Up
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in MBA Experience on March 17th, 2010
Every year in April, the SFU Alumni Board organizes what we refer to as an “MBA tune-up”. This half-day MBA networking and learning event features seminars from two of the Business Faculty’s most reputable professors. The SFU Business professors that present at the event are invited based on their current research projects. The idea is that MBA Alumni who have been out of the educational arena for some time have an opportunity to learn about current business research. This year’s SFU EMBA “Tune-Up”, scheduled for mid-April helps to exemplify the connectedness and breadth of the SFU MBA Alumni group. The two presenting professors will be Leyland Pitt (Marketing) and Anton Theunissen (Finance, Risk Management). Both of these professors are actively involved in the current MBA and EMBA classes offered by SFU Business. Currently these networking reunions are only available to Executive MBA Alumni from SFU, however there are plans to open this popular event to all MBA Alumni from SFU Business in the future. For more on this, read on: Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver Business Career Expo – Hosted by SFU Business and UBC’s Sauder
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in MBA Experience on March 15th, 2010
This video was recently created to promote the Vancouver Business Career Expo. The event attracts nearly 100 employers and over 1000 business students at both the graduate and undergraduate level from SFU and Sauder (UBC) schools of business. Every year, the attendees (business students) select a group of employers who they feel were most organized and who impressed them the most. For 2009 (2010′s event was rescheduled due to the Olympics) the employers were Telus, BC Liquor Distribution Branch, Research in Motion, Sun Life Financial, BC Hydro, Best Buy Canada, Deloitte, and Department of National Defense. For more information on the Vancouver Business Career Expo, or to join as an exhibitor, please visit: www.businesscareerexpo.com
Click here to read a transcript of the video: Read the rest of this entry »
SFU MBA Student Experience – Vancouver 2010 Secondment
Posted by: Lindsay Angelo in MBA Experience on March 8th, 2010
As we continue to follow Lindsay Angelo in her career as an MBA graduate from SFU Business, this post comes to you with a more playful tone. If you’ve been following the story so far, you’ll know that as of the end of March, 2010, Lindsay has finished her Olympic secondment and is back to work with BC Hydro in the MPID program. Just in case you’re out of the loop, the following link will bring you to the beginning of her story: MBA Student Profile – Lindsay Angelo, MBA, MPID Here is her Olympic account:
The last few months have been nothing short of amazing. Starting my Olympic secondment in December, 2009, I was lucky enough to land in the area of Village Plaza and Events, the group responsible for all entertainment, retail, recreation and leisure in the village. Two weeks into my secondment with VANOC, shortly before Christmas, I received an email from BC Hydro (where I am currently participating in the MPID Program) asking me to write some words about my Olympic experience to date. With the Christmas spirit live and well at the time, I thought there was no better way to share my enthusiasm and excitement than through a poem. The rhymes below describe my VANOC experience with a twist! Read the rest of this entry »
SFU Vancouver MBA Admission Criteria – “Compensatory Model”
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Tips on March 5th, 2010
The admission’s department at SFU’s Segal School of Graduate Business calls it “recruiting”, but I call it helping out someone in the same position as I was once in – looking for a great Business School to take an MBA. If you’ve decided to take your MBA, Graduate Business school selection can seem like one of the most challenging and complicated choices to make. Luckily, Graduate Business schools (especially Canadian MBA schools) provide multiple opportunities annually to develop a better understanding of the school and what it offers on a closer, more personal level. At SFU Graduate Business School, located in the Segal Graduate school (The old Bank of Montreal building) in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the staff and faculty make a concerted effort to give prospective students the information they need to make the choice about which business school to attend. Read the rest of this entry »
Alumnae Interview
Why I Chose an MBA in Vancouver – SFU
Why I Chose an MBA in Vancouver – SFU
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on March 3rd, 2010
Here at A Few Good Minds Student MBA Blog we are aware that success is subjective, so we love hearing alumni success stories. In our opinion there’s nothing more impressive than seeing an individual whose educational choices have launched their career. This is especially true with one MBA Alumnae who we follow quite closely, Lindsay Angelo (MBA ’08). Since completing her MBA at SFU in Vancouver, Lindsay was brought on as a future-manager at British Columbia’s second largest corporation, and has led a team in the Athlete’s Village for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Read the rest of this entry »
Vancouver Winter Climate – Doing Your MBA in a “Mediterranean” City
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on February 26th, 2010
Until recently, when the Vancouver 2010 Olympics showed the world that Vancouver weather is capable of 10°-15° C in February, Canada was thought of globally as a “cold place”. In fact in Vancouver, the temperature rarely dips below freezing. Snowfall, while possible is seldom and largely gone after a few days of milder temperatures. The diagram to the left has not been altered in any way, it’s the fourteen-day forecast for Vancouver in late January, 2010, the beginning of the second semester of SFU’s Full-Time MBA program. Even though it threatened to snow a few days that week, the temperature didn’t ever fall below 5°, and there wasn’t much more than a sprinkle of rain. Read on for more info about typical Vancouver weather and activities. Read the rest of this entry »
Money Well Spent: 3 Cheap Essentials Online for MBAs
Posted by: MBAStudent in Academic Survival, Student Life on February 24th, 2010
Let’s face it – an MBA is an expensive thing to do. Once you’re into an MBA program, one of the first lessons you’ll learn is that small cost-cutting activities can go a long way. From an accounting perspective, as a student, cutting $100 from your costs is just the same as adding $100 to your profit. Here are some ways to get great value on some of the essentials you’ll appreciate as an MBA student. Read the rest of this entry »
Graduate Business MBA and Your Personal Brand – Authenticity
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in MBA Experience, Student Life on February 10th, 2010
This post is part-one of a multi-part series from the international branding expert Christof Appel. Christof was born and raised in South Africa, and has been consulting with individuals and groups on their online brands for over 5 years. In this series Christof will write about personal branding techniques which can be used by current and soon-to-be Graduate Business students.
Students at SFU’s Graduate Business School have the unique ability to be involved with his “Mastermind” program. This is an elite group selected to be involved in an ongoing online workshop with Christof, building their own personal online brands. As newly minted Graduate Business students in Vancouver, this online presence is critical for networking and job seeking. Be sure to read Christof’s first article below, and feel free to comment or email for more detail. Read the rest of this entry »
BC Hydro MPID Program – Lindsay’s Second Management Rotation
Posted by: Lindsay Angelo in Student Life on February 5th, 2010
A crucial element to the MPID program is the field rotation, a rotation that exposes you to the bare bones of BC Hydro, which is of course the generation of electricity. Although we have an array of functional areas at Hydro, generation is the core of what we do. For this reason, it is important to learn as much as possible in the MPID “field rotation”.
My field rotation at Burrard Generating Station was one-of-a-kind. I spent these precious months familiarizing myself with operational processes at the Plant while trying to learn how a Thermal Plant actually operates. My project portfolio included developing several tools to help the Plant better prepare for major outages (where the Plant will shut certain equipment down in order to perform work). This project was aimed at improving workplace safety and reducing risk. Read the rest of this entry »