People generally join MBA programs to gain management skills to excel in their career. For me, I want to continue working in Human Resources and was looking to interact with someone who could guide me to the next step in this field. When I joined the Mentors in Business (MIB) program, it benefited me to such an extent that I feel participating in this program was one of the best decisions I made in the recent past. The kick-off event that was organized in January was full of mentors from varied professional backgrounds and mentees from other Beedie graduate programs. I had the opportunity to interact with my mentor, Om Mogerman, who has 18+ years of experience in management in different industries.
I joined the MIB program with an expectation to learn more about the business world, to develop business relationships and to receive career guidance and advice from my mentor. So far, I have experienced a great deal of interaction and guidance from my mentor. I gained immense understanding of the market and work-culture through his experience. He provided me assistance on building my network via different channels, my resume and how I can target the jobs I am interested in.
My mentor’s understanding of realities of life in business helped me enhance my awareness of the business in this dynamic environment. LinkedIn is one of the channels of networking with people, however, personal introductions are more effective than connecting with people through social media. Om introduced me to different professionals working in different functions in Human Resources. For me, this process of networking with people is a chain reaction and the learning I took from each one of them was enormous, making me a more confident and interactive person.
With this program, I have a platform to speak freely about my career aspirations and I know I will get an honest unbiased opinion. Before this, I was focused on academics and was unaware of good websites such as Indeed.com, TNet.com, etc. where I could look to find relevant job opportunities. Building a network of connections is as essential as having a good resume. Now I know the industries specific to my interests and am participating in volunteer opportunities in my field to be a part of the community and establish a trusted network. Building reputation is something that I have started working on and this will reap benefits in the future.
Neha Sharma is a full-time MBA Candidate at Beedie School of Business, SFU with extensive experience in the Human Resources industry. She is serving as a Beedie student Ambassador and is an active member of the Graduate Business Women’s Council (GBWC) and Human Resources Management Association (HRMA). She has a B.Tech degree in Electronics, Instrumentation & Control. She is passionate about serving people and is looking forward to new opportunities upon completion of the MBA program, specifically in strategy and transformation in the Human Resources industry. Connect with Neha on LinkedIn or via email