Marketing major on track
Guillaume Boivin’s enthusiasm for everything he undertakes comes through loud and clear when he describes his past, present and future. Currently employed at Tourisme Montréal, he’s graduating from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business with a major in marketing and a minor in management.
Boivin distinguished himself by the remarkable number of internships he was offered while studying in the co-op program, and with his approach to mentoring fellow students.
He chose Concordia because of its co-op program and was “very happy to get in,” he adds. Boivin’s first internship was at Pratt & Whitney in strategic planning and international business development. He was involved in forecasting airplane sales for the company’s largest customer. Those figures helped him determine sales for Pratt & Whitney’s engines.
Boivin’s second placement was at Tourisme Montréal. They invited him to do a third placement, but he says, “I refused because I really wanted to try as many different areas as I could.” The decision obviously didn’t hurt his standing at Tourisme Montréal since Boivin is now working with them full time. He’s developing and maintaining partnerships between the tourism office and local hotels, restaurants, attractions and related businesses.
“At the start of the co-op program, they asked for people interested in mentoring, to help students with their resumés, cover letters and interview skills,” he says. “When you don’t have any business experience, you need something that lets you stand out from the crowd. That helps you get an interview.
“Once you’re in the door, you have to position yourself as the best person for the job, and explain why. Most people are shy about showing their potential,” he says. He encouraged his fellow students to keep looking forward.
Boivin traces his success to eight months as an emergency room clerk at Hôpital Notre-Dame. “I was the person behind the window. The day went by so quickly, and I was always called on to do something outside my job description.” He was then transferred to handling admissions for 450 beds, juggling the needs of patients, doctors and nurses, all without getting rattled. “It’s all about creating good relationships,” he says. It was this experience that signalled his potential to companies.
Related links:
• Concordia's Department of Marketing
• Concordia's Institute for Co-operative Education
• Tourisme Montréal