The Ivey MBA program attracts students from all around the world. Although students come into the program with different goals and motivations, Ivey’s international students often have one common aspiration: to stay in Canada after graduation.
But international students may face a series of obstacles in making that happen, such as finding a steady career in a tough job market and adjusting to the cultural differences in a new country. Three Ivey MBA graduates shared their stories about coming to Ivey as international students and adjusting to life in Canada.
“Canada is a beautiful country,” said Maria Perekotiy, MBA ’11, who comes from Kiev, Ukraine. Since graduating, she moved to Toronto where she currently works in financial planning at ADP. “My personal long-term goal was to succeed in this country of opportunity, where if you’re working hard and you’re working smart, you can get the desired results.”
Perekotiy achieved her immediate goal, and so did many of her Ivey international classmates. In the past three years, 89 per cent of Ivey’s international students were employed within three months of graduating, just behind the class average of 92 per cent.
What sets Ivey apart?
When Mayank Chadha, MBA ’13, applied to MBA programs in Canada from his home country of India, he already had two degrees under his belt and a few years of work experience. For him, three aspects made Ivey the right choice: the case-method of learning, the alumni network, and Ivey’s proactive and friendly admissions team.
“Among the decisions I have made that I consider good decisions, Ivey was one of them,” Chadha said. Currently, he works at Signal Hill Equity Partners in Calgary as the Vice President of Operations.
The Ivey MBA can be intimidating, and pairing the intensive one-year program with the experience of moving to a new country increases the challenge for international students.
But it pays off. The Ivey MBA sets students up for success beyond the classroom. Ivey graduates who aspire to land careers in Canada are doing just that – regardless of their country of origin.
Preparing for life outside Ivey
Perekotiy, Chadha, and Hayden Chen, MBA ’14, all gave kudos to the Career Management team at Ivey for helping them while they were at the School and after they graduated.
“They are doing a great job,” Chen said. He came to Ivey from Xiamen in China and has stayed in London after graduating, now working as the Senior Supply Chain Analyst for StarTech.com. “They make us feel comfortable, which I think is a really vital step. They help us practice for interviews, but also help us to understand what we really want in a career.”
Ivey’s Career Management goes beyond résumés and interviews to help students build on their reputations, create focus, and set career goals. Career Management is integrated into the MBA curriculum, emphasizing reputation management principles, executive presence, audience empathy, and personal narrative development.
“Having resources like Career Management helped a lot,” Perekotiy said. “Especially for international students. If you’re seeking feedback or want to practice for your interview or go through some questions, they’re the right people to go to.”
The in-class Career Management sessions provide the foundation students need to develop their personal brand. During the one-year program, the Career Management team engages with the students over 20 times, both in group clinics and individually.
Benefitting from diversity
Ivey is well known for its diverse students, coming from around the world and bringing a wealth of different experiences and cultures with them.
“I think it would be really boring to study with people who have the same point of view, way of thinking, and perspective,” Perekotiy said. “There would be no debates, no arguments. As philosophers have said, ‘from clash of opinions emerges the truth.’ The diversity in our class contributed to really deep discussions, reflections, and wisdom.”
“As an international student coming into a new country, it’s daunting,” Chadha said, “but the opportunities that Ivey gave me were really helpful in setting me up with a career in Canada. I really am thankful to Ivey for this opportunity.”
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