What were your reasons for pursuing an MBA?
After seven years at the same company, I had to decide if I wanted remain in the Electrical Transmission & Distribution industry. The longer I stayed, the further I was specializing in it. I felt I needed to force a change. However, I’m not shy to say it: I wasn’t entirely sure of where I wanted to go and I quickly found out that I was far from being the only one.
What led me specifically to the MBA was that I always wanted to develop a broader business knowledge. I was interested in finance, macro-economy and marketing. I also knew the MBA would open many doors, a bit like an engineering degree.
JMSB students come from a variety of educational backgrounds; what drew you to the John Molson MBA?
Like many MBA students, I have an engineering background. I often ask myself why so many engineers pursue the business route. I think we’re ambitious folks, that we want to move up in a company or start a business. An MBA provides the necessary skills to do so.
I wanted to stay in Montreal and was deciding between HEC and JMSB. I finally chose the John Molson MBA for three reasons:
1- Flexibility: you can easily switch from full-time to part-time status (and vice-versa) and you can build a suitable schedule since core classes are given more than once a week;
2- The large pool of elective classes on several subjects, from which you can specialize in a particular area like finance, management, marketing, supply chain, etc.;
3- Experiential learning activities: case competitions, the Community Service Initiative, the International Community Outreach Program, and many more.
How did your career change after the MBA program and what inspired you to be where you are now?
I’m now a project manager in the engineering department of Bombardier’s business aircraft division (Global 7500) and I’m very glad I joined the company. I wanted the “corporate experience”. I wished to collaborate with hundreds of different people from different backgrounds, to navigate through company politics and to understand what drives major strategic decisions in public companies.
You learn a lot from every single job. At Bombardier, I’m exposed to best practices that didn’t exist where I worked before, but I also spot less efficient practices. No company is perfect.
How did you get involved beyond the classroom and how did these experiences help you develop professionally?
I took part in two experiential learning activities. First, I was part of the very first cohort of the “Live Case Competition” course given by Professor Tim Field. The course allowed me to fine tune my problem solving, teamwork and presentation skills, all under bigtime pressure – three hours to analyze a business case, make a recommendation and prepare a presentation! We solved six business cases and the last one was with a real company. This was all very useful since I work in a similar environment; it’s fast-paced and you often need to prepare slides and present with only a couple of hours notice!
Second, I took on a consulting mandate with a fellow student in the Community Service Initiative, led by Dave McKenzie. We had to deliver a Canadian market study and go-to market plan for a small business in Senegal (Zena Exotic Fruits). The MBA couldn’t offer more “real-life experience” than that. It was an extremely rewarding experience!
What was your biggest challenge in the program?
People might not think of this, but the amount of work can be steep. It can be as demanding as a full-time, 40h/week job. Every class offers its own challenge. Personally, the courses requiring a lot of research and report writing, like marketing and organizational behavior, were challenging. Quantitative-based classes, like accounting, finance and economics, were much easier, You have to be disciplined and cannot procrastinate because, if you do, you’ll pay the price at the end of the semester when it’s time for exams and submitting project reports.
What advice would you have for prospective students considering an MBA?
Do it even if you’re not 100% sure. That was me; I quit my job and went back to school full-time at the age of 31. It was scary, but was ultimately a good decision. I wasn’t even the oldest person in there. Times have changed and many go back to school at an older age.
An MBA can open lots of doors for a career change, starting a business or moving up the corporate ladder. It fine tunes your problem solving, analytical and critical thinking skills, and develops soft skills like communication, negotiation and leadership. The John Molson MBA is definitely a good choice.
COVID-19 drastically changed our personal and professional lifestyle. The job market has taken a beating, so it will be difficult in the short-run to find a new job. However, that doesn't mean prospective students should disregard the MBA. The economy will pick up at some point, creating new opportunities. With the knowledge and skills that MBA students develop, I’m positive graduates will be sought-after to put businesses back on track.