They’re here! It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago I joined the Rotman Full-Time MBA Recruitment and Admissions Team to support the team in recruiting the Class of 2017. As a transplant from the Career Centre I was quite sure that I would be able to hit the ground running and help the team bring in the best and most capable class that would attract the top employers. (and I believe we did, but more on that later!)

But, what I quickly learned is that there’s more to building the perfect MBA class than meets the eye. When making offers of admission, not only are we looking at candidates at an individual level (see more on what we look for here) but also at a macro level. How are we actually building the cohort to provide a world-class experience to all who come? While I was quite confident on the individual part having had the privilege of insider information from some of the world’s top employers, I learned that the sum is greater than its parts.

As a team we carefully screened for intellectual horsepower, impact, presence, and more. Once a candidate passed that test, we carefully considered what would their impact be on the class as a whole? Did we have the right mix? What were we missing from a diversity perspective, a talent perspective, and spikiness perspective? How would we carefully choose individuals to make up a community that works; something that both we and they will be proud of for years to come?

The Class of 2017 can be classified in a myriad of ways:

• Class Size = 351
• Average Age = 27
• Average Experience = 4 years
• Female = 32% (111 in total) Male = 68%
• Domestic /International = approximately 50/50 split from 34 different countries
• GMAT = 680 (Median), 663 (Mean)

But what I am most proud of is some of their impressive accomplishments, in many cases beyond the work realm that the statistics don’t quite capture. Each student was chosen based on their experiences which will bring a unique perspective into the classroom and demonstrate resilience, perseverance, and creativity. Characteristics that many of our top recruiters demand.  For example, we have students who are a:

• Published author
• Varsity athlete – soccer, badminton, football, hockey, Frisbee, swimming
• Pro poker player
• International sailing champion
• Singer or music producer
• Band member who toured Latin America and the US
• Black belt in judo, karate, jujitsu, taekwondo and karate
• Patent holder
• 1/2 and full marathoner as well as triathlete and former Ironman competitor
• Surgeon or MD

And I could go on. The cohort is in their first week of class and what I hear in the halls most consistently is where did you find such an impressive bunch?

The beautiful part about Recruitment and Admissions is that when one year is complete, we get to go out and do it all over again. Next year’s perfect class will be different from this years’ because each student who is admitted will bring something equally distinctive. The next class will take on its own persona and I can’t wait to see who’s out there. In fact, I enjoyed the Recruitment & Admissions experience so much (thank you Class of 2017) I’ll be staying on as an Assistant Director this year.

I look forward to meeting you on the road in our pursuit for the perfect Class of 2018!

In preparation for tomorrow’s Math Refresher Workshop at Rotman, we sat down with Sergey Kouk, Senior Trainer at Admit Master GMAT Prep and shared some frequently asked questions from test-takers.

Here’s what the expert had to say:

Q) I don’t have a quant background. How should I approach the GMAT?

A) GMAT is one of the hardest tests you’ll ever write. It’s also one of the most frequently misunderstood. Many candidates believe that if they don’t already have strong Math skills, they can’t do well on the GMAT and will have to settle for a low Quant score on the test.
It’s true that test takers, who are naturally strong in Math, tend to do better on the Quant section. However, I’ve seen many engineers or mathematicians who don’t do well on the GMAT, and many candidates with Arts backgrounds who do extremely well. I like to joke with my students that GMAT is not the “Grueling Math Aptitude Test”, but rather a “General Management Admission Test”. Simply learning Math rules and formulas could improve your score, but that is not what the GMAT is all about and it would not be enough to reach high scores on the test.

I’ve recently worked with a musician who was able to improve his Quant score from the 30th percentile to over the 90th percentile, thus raising his overall score from 580 to 760, by focusing almost entirely on advanced decision-making strategies that make the most difference on the test. Coincidentally these skills are the same that successful senior managers use day to day: thinking outside the box, recognizing trends, making confident decisions, leveraging what you know, and managing time.

If you don’t have a quant background, you could still do very well on the test. By focusing on the right strategies and methodologies, you too could ace the test, just like that musician. But first you have to learn all of the Math theory. Many test takers are afraid of this, but remember that most of the theory is high school or earlier. So, if you learned it back then, you can learn it again. Some of you may say, “well, I don’t like geometry, so I’ll just skip it”. Bad idea! Geometry can be 4-6 questions on the math section – that’s 4-6 questions you should be getting right! Again, the material is from high school and the only reason you are intimidated is because it was so long ago.

Most importantly, the theory is finite, which means that there is an end in sight. It may seem daunting at first, but with time and effort, you can learn every section that is tested. No one said the GMAT would be easy – it’s work. So learn the theory 100% before diving into tips, tricks, shortcuts and methodologies, and you could be well on your way to 700+ scores!

Q) What is actually being tested on the GMAT?

A) Many beginner test takers believe that since there are 2 major sections on the test – Quantitative and Verbal, the GMAT tests basic Math and English skills. However, this is not exactly what the test is designed for. As you already know, by now, the GMAT is a Management test. Therefore, it is designed to evaluate skills that good managers should demonstrate: analytical, critical thinking, decision making, and time management skills.

Here is what the Official Guide for GMAT is saying about the Math section that many students fret about:

The GMAT exam only requires basic quantitative analysis skills. You should review the math skills (algebra, geometry, basic arithmetic), but the required skill is very low. The difficulty of the GMAT Quantitative questions stems from the logic and analysis used to solve the problems and not the underlying math skills.

When studying for the GMAT, make sure to get the basic Math theory out of the way, and then focus on developing the management skills actually being tested on the GMAT. Do careful research about GMAT preparation programs and make sure the resources you use focus on training you, and not just on covering the course content.

Most importantly, the GMAT evaluates your ability to learn and study for an unfamiliar test. One of the first things I tell my students in class is that everyone could get a 700 score on the test. They need not be mathematicians or PhDs to ace the GMAT. They just need to have an open mind, study “smart”, and trust the system: thousands of students before them mastered the test, and they could certainly do so too!

Q) What is the format of the test and how can I best approach it?

A) The GMAT consists of 4 sections:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment, also known as the “essay” (30 minutes)
2. Integrated Reasoning, a section that combines Math and Verbal question types into 12 mini-cases (30 minutes)
3. Quantitative, also known as the “Math” section, that includes 2 types of multiple-choice questions: Problem Solving (that’s all about finding the right answer out of 5 possible ones in the shortest time) and Data Sufficiency (that evaluates candidate’s ability to understand whether information given is sufficient to answer the question, but does not require finding the actual answer). The Math section includes 37 questions in total and lasts for 75 minutes.
4. Verbal section that includes 3 types of multiple-choice questions: Sentence Correction (that’s all about working with Sentences), Critical Reasoning (working with Arguments) and Reading Comprehension (working with longer Passages). The Verbal section contains 41 questions and also lasts for 75 minutes. Verbal section is the last on the test, has more questions, and requires higher mind concentration to select the best answer. This is one of the reasons why statistically it’s a lot harder to achieve very high scores on the Verbal section.

The only 2 sections that contribute to the total score on the GMAT (the score that ranges from 200 to 800) are Quantitative and Verbal. And while business schools will receive scores for all 4 sections, it is the total score that makes the most difference on the application. For this reason, candidates should focus first on studying for the Quant and Verbal sections.

The AWA (essay) is the easiest section and could certainly be mastered with a little bit of practice. The Integrated Reasoning section tests skills from both Math and Verbal sections with new question formats, so candidates who develop good test taking skills on the main two sections should do well on the IR section with some practice to get familiar with the unique IR question formats.

Luckily, all 4 sections on the test evaluate those same management skills that we’ve discussed earlier: thinking outside the box, recognizing trends, making confident decisions, leveraging what you know, and managing time. Good GMAT preparation programs will go beyond basic theory or simple tricks, and will train students to develop these higher order thinking skills that will not only help them do well on the test, but will make them better MBA students and ultimately more successful senior managers.

Q) How does the GMAT scoring work?

A) Upon taking the GMAT, you will receive 10 scores in total:

1. AWA score on a scale of 0 to 6 with increments of 0.5
2. IR score on a scale of 1 to 8 with increments of 1
3. Quantitative score on a scale of 0 to 60 with increments of 1, with scores below 6 or above 51 extremely rare
4. Verbal score on a scale of 0 to 60 with increments of 1, with scores below 9 or above 44 extremely rare
5. Total score on a scale of 200 to 800 based on your performance on Quant and Verbal sections only

In addition to the 5 “absolute” scores described above, you will receive 5 “relative” or “percentile” scores that measure your performance against other candidates who have taken the test in the last 3 years.

The Quantitative and Verbal sections use a complex Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) algorithm. Rather than adding or subtracting points for each right or wrong question, the GMAT adjusts difficulty of subsequent questions based on your answers to earlier questions. When you answer the easier questions correctly, you get a chance to work on harder questions, making it possible to earn a higher score.

Ultimately the GMAT is trying to “guess” your level on each of these 2 sections by presenting you with easier or harder questions and evaluating your performance on each of the questions. For this reason, no one question will be that important; it is your overall performance that will count. We teach our students time management strategies unique for the GMAT and provide practice tests that include special “pacer” features that help develop good time management techniques. When studying for the GMAT, make sure not only to learn how to answer questions correctly, but also how to do so within a limited time.

Q) Is the GMAT easier than the GRE?

A) Since more and more business schools now begin to accept GRE scores for admission to MBA programs, candidates now have an option to take either the GMAT or the GRE. While these tests are significantly different, it would not be fair to say that one test is easier than the other. While the GMAT and the GRE attempt to test similar skills, there are some notable differences:

1. The GRE consists of 7 sections: 2 essays, 2 Quantitative, 2 Verbal, and 1 unidentified unscored/research section.
2. The GMAT adapts question difficulty after each question, while the GRE adapts after each section.
3. The GRE Verbal section includes 3 question types: Test Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension. As you already know, by now, the GMAT Verbal section includes 3 different question types: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. The GRE Verbal section involves a lot of vocabulary recall while the GMAT Verbal requires a bit more reasoning. Consider your strengths when making your decision about which exam to take: if you don’t like words, the GRE verbal will be tough for you.
4. While the GRE and the GMAT Math sections are based on the same high school curriculum, the GMAT math questions require more sophisticated reasoning skills than do GRE math questions. For this reason, many students who learn Math theory, but not the advanced GMAT reasoning skills, might find the GRE math easier. Be careful, though – don’t think that you can avoid studying math by opting for the GRE. The GRE math still requires a sophisticated sense of numbers and an ability to solve problems.
5. Both the GMAT and the GRE are significantly different from other exams you’ve taken – regardless of which exam you decide to take, you’ll need to spend time developing the right set of skills and practicing your test taking strategies.

Remember that the GRE was designed as an entrance test for a variety of Graduate Programs, while the GMAT is an admissions test specifically designed for MBA programs. If you’re still exploring your career options and are considering either MBA, or Master’s programs in other disciplines, the GRE may be a better choice. However, if you’d like to develop higher order thinking skills that are critical for becoming successful senior managers, studying for the GMAT may yield better long-term benefits, as long as you follow a study program that focuses on developing these important management skills and not just on teaching you the basic theory or the simple tricks.

Sergey Kouk is a Senior Trainer for Admit Master, a Canadian test preparation and admission consulting company. Having scored 750 on the GMAT on the first attempt and obtained his MBA degree in 2004, Sergey now leads a team of elite trainers, who develop advanced test taking strategies and train hundreds of candidates each year to ace the GMAT and gain admission to their dream business schools.

Sergey will be co-hosting and leading a series of GMAT seminars at the Rotman School of Management, including the Math Refresher Class on August 19th, 2015. Check out our Admission Events page to register!

After a fantastic year away – it is so great to be back at Rotman! In some ways it seems like no time has passed at all, but in others I certainly feel like I’ve been away forever.  I’m very excited to be back in the Admissions world and to dive into recruiting for 2016.  I’ve truly missed the energy of this place – our wonderful students, inspiring faculty and my amazing team of colleagues here at the School.

The building was full of excited international students this morning as my first day returning from maternity leave luckily fell on our first day of international student orientation.  It has been a real pleasure to jump back into the admissions team and meet the bright, talented, and accomplished students that will comprise the Rotman class of 2017!  The Recruitment and Admissions team has done an outstanding job putting together a diverse, accomplished and truly impressive group and I look forward to getting to know the class over the next few weeks as International Orientation, Pre-Program and Orientation events – continuing tonight at our first official reception event for the incoming class. Admittedly it feels a little bizarre to be back in my role as Director of Admissions knowing little about the individuals starting at Rotman this fall but it is going to be so much fun learning about each student joining the Rotman community.

We will be introducing the application for our 2016 intake shortly – stay tuned for key dates and details!

This year Rotman launched its new major in Sustainability (which brings the number of majors we offer at Rotman to 14). To coincide with this, we thought it would be a great opportunity to speak to all of the incredible things our students can get involved in on campus and beyond when it comes to sustainability.

The Sustainability Major

If you are interested in:

• Corporate social responsibility or corporate citizenship strategy and programs
• Environmental, social and governance issues in business
• Social entrepreneurship or social innovation
• Responsible investment or social finance

Then this major might be for you! Here is a sample of some of the really exciting courses we will be offering to in this space:

• Business Sustainability Strategy– Learn how companies design and deliver new business models by employing sustainability as the source of innovation to generate new growth. The course will also involve meeting with senior executives who have successfully made this happen.
• Entrepreneurship for Social Ventures– Learn how entrepreneurs create organizations that address social problems using innovative, sustainable approaches. Students also get the chance to design their own social ventures.
• Leading Social Innovation– Learn about new business models that tackle wicked problems and how to use those models to impact the social economy. This course also exposes students to guest speakers who share their insight and innovation that they’ve brought to the sector as well!

How Our Students Put Sustainability into Practice

• Rotman NeXus– This is a consulting firm housed in the Rotman building that focuses
  

  The NeXus team at Rotman, comprised of 3 of our students of the class of 2016.

  primarily on social enterprise. While it is run by Rotman students (so you can do your summer internship here), it operates exactly like how any consulting firm would, pitching to clients, developing strategies for them, etc.

• Rotman Net Impact– Net Impact essentially operates like a student club but is also part of the global organization of Net Impact, with chapters at schools around the world. The organization focuses entirely around sustainability. Here at Rotman, this means getting students involved in case competitions, meeting with guest speakers in industry and hosting networking events. Fun fact for you- this past year, the Rotman chapter of Net Impact was placed in the top 3 (out of 300) in the whole world!
• The Hult Prize– This is a competition held throughout the world each year, aimed at solving the world’s toughest challenges. The goal of the competition is to identify and launch the most compelling social business ideas. The winner of the Hult Prize competition at Rotman goes onto the regional competition in one of the following cities: San Francisco, Boston, London, Dubai, Shanghai or Sao Paulo; and the winners from those regional competitions go to the finals at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. The winner of it all receives $1 million in seed funding for their venture!

How Our Faculty and Research Centres Are Tackling Sustainability

• Here’s a sampling of what our professors have worked on:
  • Anita McGahan– Health innovation, particularly in developing nations
  • András Tilcsik– Corporate catastrophes, particularly environmental
  • Laura Doering– Microfinance in developing economies
• The Michael-Lee Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship– Specializes in helping businesses (and students!) learn how to integrate corporate citizenship into business strategy and practices. The Institute’s academic director, Roger Martin, has a new book coming out in October called Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works.
• The Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics and Board Effectiveness– Ever heard of the Clarkson Principles for Stakeholder Management? That came from this Centre. 🙂
• The Martin Prosperity Institute– Explores shared and sustainable prosperity as an essential part of democratic capitalism (that is, how can corporations be profitable while also being socially responsible).

Rotman also has a Sustainability Working Group, comprised of faculty, staff and students. This group meets a few times per year with the goal of discussing the latest trends and challenges in sustainability and how Rotman can do more in terms of teaching, research and other activities.

Finally, the actual Rotman building is LEED Gold certified. This means our building demonstrates excellence in traits such as: water saving, energy conservation, sustainable building materials and air quality. Talk about practicing what we preach, right? 🙂

So if you are looking to build your skills and connect to the professionals that are fostering positive change in our environment, you have plenty of ways to make this happen at Rotman!

Wow.

Our inaugural cohort of our Leadership Development Lab (LDL) just ‘graduated’ last week following a very intense and powerful offsite retreat. We are extremely proud of our LDL ‘pioneers’. In addition to their full 2nd year MBA course-load, they all devoted themselves to our weekly experiential sessions over the course of the year, opened themselves to all manner of experiences and feedback from faculty and peers to build on the foundation they built for themselves in the Self-Development Lab in first year.

For those who haven’t heard about the LDL, a brief description follows.

The Joe Weider Foundation Leadership Development Lab is an innovative program that helps students develop personally and professionally across a number of dimensions critical to leadership. The program is offered to qualified and selected second year MBA students in parallel to their full complement of second-year MBA courses. The LDL is distinctive both for its content as its pedagogy.

Designed around the latest thinking in Leadership Development, the program takes powerful concepts such as accountability, responsibility, initiative, self-discipline etc… and creates experiences whereby participants have an opportunity to both understand and self-assess the extent to which they embody the various dimensions of leadership. Rich feedback from faculty and peers provides a means to further develop their leadership capabilities.

The program involves specialized modules as well as an integration and application stream. Each module is focused on a specific dimension of leadership and lead by experienced faculty. In addition to the modules, an Integration and Application stream throughout the entire program encourages participants to draw together the learnings and insights from the modules into an integrated and intentional Leadership Development Plan that would be advanced throughout the year. The plan is informed and refined on an ongoing basis through faculty and peer feedback as well as guided self-reflection.

The program is not a course of study, but a series of experiences and exercises that allow participants to become increasingly self-aware and at the same time supported and guided in their own self-development as leaders. Pedagogy is based on Adult-Learning principles: learning that is relevant to one’s context, immediately applied, active, and provides multiple cycles of feedback and reflection.

For our inaugural cohort, the results for many have been nothing short of amazing! Pushing themselves further than the smart, accomplished, and hard-working young professional they were when they came in, it was rewarding to see many of them leave with a completely different presence and way-of-being about them. More confident, centered, self-directed and in control of themselves and their career.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s LDL cohort, comprised of those students that were most active in the Self-Development Lab in 1st year. I’m getting further excited by the buzz the LDL has created among prospective students, and looking forward to meeting more and more folks who have chosen Rotman because of they are dedicated to developing themselves and their Leadership skills.

Hope to see you soon!

Scott Rutherford
Associate Professor
Desautels Centre for Integrative Thinking
Executive Director, Leadership Development Lab
Rotman School of Management

Last week I received an e-mail from a student I met at a fair several months back.  He was asking me for a follow-up meeting and was interested in booking a class visit with one of our Ambassadors.  He reached out to me via e-mail with the following:

“Hey Afrodite I hope u have been well!  I wanted to take u up on that class visit u mentioned when we spoke at the fair.  Can u book something for me for nxt wk.  Thx!”

Really.  That was the e-mail.  The first thing that ran through my head was – this was typed on a phone.  But the second thing I thought was – wow that is just not good. To help ensure you make the best impression on the admissions team as possible, here are some tips on communicating with us. Always start with you best foot forward and remember that you will make an impression on us with each interaction so make sure you are making a good one!

In person – at fairs, on-campus events and your admissions interview:

1. Be on time.  It may sound simple but you never want to be that person who walks into an info session 5 minutes late and cannot find a seat.  Same goes for your interview.  Please plan ahead whether it is in person or virtually via Skype to make sure that you are ready and on time.
2. Eye contact.  Another very simple one but for some people difficult to do.  Eye contact shows confidence and interest in the person you are speaking to.  Lack of it may be a sign of nerves so one thing that I personally do is smile and look at the person at the same time.  This helps me to relax and feel more comfortable.  We know that interviews may make you feel stressed but a smile to yourself will give you a small boost of positive energy.
3. The handshake.  Too long?  Too hard?  Too limp?  What is the right way to do it?  We are not judging you on your handshake but a good one will leave its mark.  Shake firmly and with the whole hand, in a slight up and down motion and always look the other person in the eyes when you are shaking hands.
4. Dress the part.  Use your best judgement on this one and remember that it is always better to be over dressed than under dressed.  When meeting with schools at a fair it is fine not to wear a suit and tie but when it’s interview time you want to show up dressed to impress.  If you have specific questions on a school’s expectations then speak with current students who will be able to give you great advice on this.  The general rule-of-thumb here is that for class visits you should dress in business casual and for your admissions interview you should be dressed in business formal attire.

Via e-mail – requesting program information, looking to clear up admissions requirements, interview follow-up, etc.

1. Be cordial.  Ensure you are a bit more formal than how you would be writing to your friends.  We are not expecting overly formal e-mails from our applicants but friendly ones which are respectful are always appreciated.  “Hello” and the receiver’s first name is a safe way to begin an e-mail so go with that. Avoid slang and make sure that you pay attention to correct grammar and spelling.  After preparing your email take a few extra minutes and re-read to ensure everything looks good before hitting send.
2. Be specific. Most schools have designated people as contacts for general questions about admissions requirements and  then a specific person who has been tasked with reviewing your file.  Find out who your main contact is (at Rotman it is usually an Assistant Director) and make that person your go-to.  No need to email multiple people with the same question. 🙂 This will also go a long way in building a positive relationship with the school.
3. Be prompt.  Our Admissions team will reach out to you several times during the application and admissions process so please be mindful of the deadlines we are working with internally.  We are working with hundreds of students at a time so it is very much appreciated when you keep us in the loop on the personal deadlines you are working with. This shows your interest and eagerness and will definitely reflect positively on your application!

Building a positive relationship with your Admissions team is the first step to building a lasting relationship with the school.  Make sure you are starting it off well!  Admissions reps will be among the first people to welcome you to the school but we will also be your biggest cheerleaders on your MBA journey.  Keep your relationships going and remember that we too are part of your network.

Rotman never slows down! This has been a fact since I started here in 2010.

Round 4 deadline is already over and the admissions team is very busy with the next round of applications. Although we are fast approaching September, we still have one more application deadline-that is June 1^st!

In the meantime, we’re busy working with our partners at various test preparation centres in the city. We have been rolling out the GMAT Exploration Series for a couple of years now and the feedback has been very positive so this year we will continue with our offerings. We will still be hosting the free practice tests at our awesome Finance Lab but apart from the practice tests, we will be hosting some informational events for those who are preparing for the GMAT test. Regardless of where you are in the process of prepping yourself, we have an event that will suit your needs at Rotman!

Below is the list of the upcoming events:

May 12^th Writing the GMAT sometime soon-join our panel discussion GMAT Myths and Realities. Register now!

May 13^th I will be conducting pre-application meetings at the Board of Trade Toronto between 10am and 2pm, email me to book a meeting at gumus@rotman.utoronto.ca .

May 30^th Free practice test, co-hosted by Quantum between 12:30pm-4:30pm. Register now!

May 21^stJoin us at Rotman for a Math Refresher co-hosted by AdmitMaster. Register now!

June 20^th Free practice test, co-hosted by Quantum between 12:30pm-4:30pm. Register now!

Looking forward to seeing you at one (or more) of these events!

Claire

Here at Rotman, getting to know your classmates, learning from them and having some fun along the way is one of the highlights of our MBA experience. You might be wondering, with 350 students in each intake, how is this even possible? Read on to find out!

Before the school year begins

The weekend before school starts, all of our students take part in orientation camp. You can read more about it in one of our previous blog posts or get a taste of it in this youtube video:

In Class

In the first year here, all of our students are grouped into sections of 70. Students are with the same 70 peers for all of their courses in their first semester and then with a different group of 70 for all of their courses in the second semester.

In second year, class size is dependent on how popular a class is. However it will never be more than 70 because we physically don’t have any more seats in the class!

Outside Class

Most Rotman students live on or near campus. As a result, you can find most of our students hanging out here in the Rotman building for the better part of the day, regardless if they have class or not.

As well, there is at least one social event on campus every single week!!! And that’s at least, meaning on average students can expect even more opportunities to get to know their classmates on a weekly basis.

This was mentioned in a previous post but is worth repeating here- all of our student clubs are required to have a certain number of events every semester or they get shut down. As well, since our second year students usually organize club events, this is another great opportunity for our first year-students to get to know their second-year peers.

From student club-led events, to events hosted by Rotman, our students end up getting very involved on campus and as a result, when they graduate they will have had the opportunity to have made deep connections to most, if not all of their fellow Rotmanites!

Although the admissions criteria for our Full-Time MBA program are quite straightforward, when we look at things from each candidate’s perspective, things can get tricky! For instance, if you’re a young professional, you might have questions around the work experience requirement. If you hold a professional designation – or working towards one – you might be wondering if the MBA is the right degree for you.

The best way to get your questions answered is to talk to an admissions person at the Rotman School! Email me directly to book a one-on-one appointment at gumus@rotman.utoronto.ca

I can give you feedback on your candidacy, resume, review your transcript and answer your questions!

Looking forward to meeting you!

Are we LinkedIn yet?
Follow us on Twitter @RotmanMBA

Claire

Over the last couple of years, our Career Centre has really stepped up its game and is helping our students explore career opportunities in new and innovative ways. Here’s a sample of some of the cool services that our Career Centre offers!

1) Your Career Coach: Your Career Coach is assigned to you at the beginning of the program and remains with you throughout your time at Rotman. Your Coach is there to help your prepare your job hunting strategy, work on your resume, help you with your cover letters, and also conduct mock interviews with you. It’s a personalized process and your Coach really gets to know you and your profile during your one-on-one appointments. (Added bonus? Your membership to the Career Centre is lifelong and FREE!)

2) Your Industry Advisors: The Advisors are busy at work helping to bring recruiters to Rotman and increase the number of job opportunities for students.

3) Career Discovery Week: This is an important week for students at Rotman because it’s the time when you’ll get exposure to a variety of different industries and functions. Students are invited to attend information sessions/workshops on the job market and are educated on strategies and tactics to conduct a job search both on campus and off.

4) Group Coffee Chats: The Career Centre facilitates connections for students by areas of interest with small group coffee chats and one-on-one connections with key alumni and professionals.

5) Career Treks: These are small group trips that students can sign up for and visit different regions locally, across Canada, and the US. In one of my previous blog posts, I talked about the Career Trek to Silicon Valley, the preparation students had to undergo and the companies that they visited. Some of the Career Treks offered this year took students to New York, Silicon Valley, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.

6) Industry Clubs: Rotman’s student-run clubs also play a key role in your career exploration by providing you with industry exposure and interview preparation. Each club will organize various events, case competitions, and guest speakers. The clubs also work very closely with the Career Centre to connect employers with the students.

As you utilize all of the above resources and explore your next career path, you’ll want to keep the following 3 points top of mind: always be prepared, know your personal brand and your value proposition, and be confident in yourself.

As always, let us know if you have any questions!

Dimitra