Hired!

Well, it has been over 7 months since my last test at Queen's and over 300 CVs sent out, but I now have a job. It has been a struggle to find opportunities as the economy is down and even harder to secure interviews as there are a lot of qualified people looking for work too. However, by persisting, using all the tools available to me and being able to show some adaptability it all turned out in the end.

I will be working as a Market Analyst for a company in Calgary, Alberta, Canada that manufactures and sells drilling pipe. This is not where I saw myself when I entered the MBA program, but the company is a great fit and the position require both my oil and gas engineering background as well as my MBA education, which is exactly what I was looking for. In addition, this will put me back in the heart of Calgary and if for some reason this doesn't workout, which I don't see why it wouldn't, I will be in a good place to see what else is around.

The main job hunting method that helped me get this job was networking and my school's alumni network. By attending a Queen's School of Business event I was directed to contact an alumni relations person who in turn forwarded my resume to this company. As it turns out, this company has a strong relationship with the school and that helped too.

All the other methods were very helpful too, but this was the one that got me the opportunity I signed on with. Sending resumes to specific advertised position worked. Sending resumes to companies "cold" worked, but only if the timing coincidentally happened to be right. Sending resumes through recruiters (a.k.a. headhunters) worked. However, it was through face to face networking that I found this opportunity.

Most positions I found were advertised on company websites. Although eluta.ca and indeed.ca were helpful, I found that they were not as thorough as going though the company websites myself. They will likely improve in the future, but at this time they seem only to find jobs posted on larger companies' websites or jobs that have been posted for a few weeks. Their major weakness was finding jobs posted by smaller companies. Sometimes these companies don't post a html job description and instead opt for a PDF of a scanned print of the job description. A bit low tech, true, but effective none the less. These PDFs, however, do not get "crawled" by the job search engines and as a result you do not see them in the results. So I recommend going through a list of specific companies once a week to check postings as well as using job posting search engines.

Because I found this job so close to Christmas, my start date has been delayed to the new year. By the time the company can get all the required IT and HR items in place, a lot of people will be gone on vacation and the company doesn't think there will be any point in my starting prior to the new year. So, I am unemployed for another month, but it will give me time to look for a suitable place to rent and spend some time with my family.

Overall, the hardest part has been keeping my moral up. Nobody wants to interview or hire someone who is "down in the dumps", but it is hard not to feel that way when you graduate from an excellent MBA program and can't find a job for months. Talking with the career counsellor at Queen's, working out regularly and getting out to network were the three major things that I did to stay positive. Having a supportive wife, family and a group of understanding friends were major factors outside of my immediate control that helped me through this tough time as well.

My advice to anyone going back for an MBA is to make sure you "plan for the worst and hope for the best". Make sure you have your support system in place prior to entering the program just in case you need it. With luck, you won't, but it sure helps to have it there if you need it.

Six Months After Completing My MBA

Six full months have passed since I completed my MBA at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I find myself sitting at the kitchen table of my in-laws. When I returned to school, I definitely did not think I would find myself still looking for employment six months after completing my degree. I am very thankful for the support my family has given me during this trying time. It has not been completely without opportunity, it is just that none of those opportunities have turned into job offers.

I have been fortunate enough to be included in an article in Canadian Business magazine that was just released and is centered around MBA degrees. I am one of several people they profiled. The Business Career Centre and Marketing Department at Queen's University recommended me as a potential candidate when asked by the magazine. This may turn up some leads, but it might also not. Great exposure to get during a job hunt and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

A lot of my classmates have found employment. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, but next month the school is due to publish the class stats. Although I have been counting the days since my last test, the career centre counts them from graduation. Their"six months" employment stat count is a month further away. Speaking of the career center, the career centre saw two of their most experienced people depart. A loss for the students, for sure, but the opportunity for new people to try a new approach perhaps. Should be interesting to see where things go.

There has been a lot of opportunities since my last post three months ago. One alum I met with contacted me to see if I would work on contract for his newly forming oil and gas advisory service. However, after this initial contact I have heard nothing. After tracking him down, it turns out that he is doing okay, but there is no room to take someone on with no experience. Although it was flattering to be contacted regarding this opportunity, there is no way it will actually result in a position, which is frustrating.

I have also been exploring traditional engineering jobs that would not make use of my MBA. A recruiter that contacted me had a client who was looking for an A&D/Exploitation Engineer and I was the first name that came to mind. Again, however, this turned into months of delays. First it was that they were "taking their time to review candidates". Then it was "the VP is on holidays for two weeks". Next it was "they are very busy". Then I hear they bought another company. All of these delays are understandable. After all of these delays, they went with another candidate and I never even got a call for an interview. I was a perfect fit for the job description, but with the economy the way it is, there is a lot of highly qualified people in the market making competition tough. Once again, it was flattering to be thought of for this opportunity, but very frustrating it hasn't turned into anything substantial. Following this same stream of job hunting I have found a Development Engineering position with a great organization in Calgary, but I still need to see if anything happens with this position after meeting with the recruiter trying to fill it.
Yet another opportunity came from the Queen's Business Career Centre (BCC). A former alumni asked the BCC , in confidence, to provide a few candidates for a potential position. They did not want to post an advertisement and they had not been happy with the results of the internal recruiting process they had almost completed. So, myself and one other classmate were recommended. I met this individual for coffee. It seemed like a dream fit and that everything should be a "go". This was just after the middle of August and the next round of interviews were promised for the first week of September. Then it was that it would take four to six weeks for HR to get things going and get an official interview. Next it was that he had been "too busy to start the process". After that it was that he would be on vacation for the next week. Then he gets back to me only to tell me he has been too busy with merging different division to start the process so it should be another four to six weeks. Then I get a message that a job posting has been sent out that closed on Oct. 7th and I will find out on Oct. 13th if I make it to the next round. It was delayed, again. Now interviews are supposed to be happening on Nov. 11th, but with a track record like the one this potential opportunity has, I won't be holding my breath. I was fortunate enough to discuss this with a career coach at Queen's and the conclusion I have come to is that all I can do is keep being "nice" and find other jobs. Yet again, it was flattering to be thought of for this opportunity, but very frustrating it hasn't turned into anything substantial.

The opportunity with Hatch that I mentioned earlier has dried up. They sent a few e-mails delaying the process and now they have just gone silent.

One of the best things I have done is contact and meet the Queen's University alumni in Calgary as well as attend a Queen's School of Business alumni event in Calgary. Both of these have resulting in strong leads. I couldn't believe that Queen's University has a person in Calgary that they pay to stay in touch with alumni and put them in touch with each other where appropriate. Contacting and meeting this single individual has resulting in an excellent opportunity I would never have found on my own. I have already had a first round of interviews for a position in the Marketing Division of a Multi-national company that sells pipe and the second round is for next week. This could be the opportunity I have been waiting for.

On another note, there have been some interesting consequences of expanding the class. The class size is 111 people. However, there are only a maximum of 80 people per class allowed in the electives. As a result, when it came to choosing electives there was a line-up of people outside the office at 6:30 AM, which opens at 8 AM, as people tried desperately to get the classes they wanted. I'm sure with different students having different goals and people going on exchange that everyone will get what they want for the most part, but its still tough on the students.

All that aside, I have strengthened my resolve to simply find a position that uses my skills and has decent compensation, whatever that may be. I am casting my net as wide as possible, applying for anything that I could even plausibly think of doing and that my skill set could fulfill, even if it is a long shot. From all business (i.e. Investor Relations or Financial Analyst) to all engineering (i.e. Exploitation Engineer or Development Engineer) and everything in between. I have designed myself a business card and put a three bullet point "mini-CV" on the back so I could network like never before and continue to look for and attend any possible alumni or professional event as I can. This "new" approach is starting to bring in a number of opportunities to apply for. 28 in the first week alone. Will this new approach work compared to the careful targeting of individual organizations and positions encourage by my career councilors? Who knows? Only time will tell...

Three Months After Completing My MBA

Three full months have passed since I completed my MBA at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I find myself sitting at my in laws still without full-time employment. I split my time between my in laws and my parents living in subsistence as I job hunt. I'm very thankful I have this safety net to fall back on as I don't know what I would do if I didn't have it. The previous few months have not been completely without opportunity, but none of them materialized into a full-time position. As a result, I remain on the sidelines as the economy continues to improve and my bank account continues to empty.

I have not heard what the official class employment stats are, but from what I have heard through the the people I have been talking to, I am guessing we are more than 25% but less than 50% placed. (Aside: one of my readers wrote me and said they asked about this in their entrance interview and they says it is close to 65%) Many people have found and started jobs, but some have had to return to their previous employers which I know was not their first choice. Additionally, I have heard of one person who had signed on with a consulting firm last fall and had their position put on hold. As a result they are now looking for other opportunities as this may no longer pan out.

I understand that this year is by far the exception with the economic downturn, but it doesn't help ease the situation for those of us caught in the thick of things. If this had been next year, or two years earlier, most of the class would have been hired by this time. I'm curious how long it will take until everyone is employed. The only saving grace seems to be the work experience we brought with us into the program.

Through my face-to-face networking, I was able to secure an opportunity to interview with the business consulting practice of Deloitte with their Calgary practice. After countless hours of case interview prep and two interview session of three hours in length each, Deloitte informed me they had decided to go with another candidate. This is what I disliked about the "consulting" route from the outset. The enormous investment of time and energy just to hear "no". However, that isn't what really got to me about this process. Deloitte didn't pay or offer to pay for the expenses I incurred to travel to these interviews. I have interviewed with many different companies in a variety of industries in the past and all the companies, except the very small "ma & pa" outfits, offered to pay for the expenses incurred. Deloitte is not a small company and for them to pick-up a few dollars of gas wouldn't affect them, but it would make the world of difference to an unemployed MBA saddled with debt. Other than this factor, Deloitte was very professional and the interview process was an excellent experience. I would advise others considering this route to keep the time, energy and capital requirements in mind at the beginning.

Another consulting opportunity that has been slowly working through the process is with Hatch Management Consulting. Hatch has traditionally been a technical consulting company providing engineering, construction management and project management for very large mining, metal and infrastructure projects on a global scale, but they are looking to add management consulting to their other offerings. Although the company has been taking their time to launch their projects and hire people, they do seem to mean business and I'm interested to see where this opportunity could lead.

Additionally, I have been seeking out business development opportunities related to my previous oil and gas background. When I find an opportunity, I look for alumni who are in the ranks of the companies I have been targeting via the alumni database. Through these contacts I have been able to learn a lot about the position(s), people and future outlook of the organizations I'm hoping to join. Furthermore, these conversations often lead me to other opportunities. One specific case led me to a finance position with CIBC under a top energy analyst as a research associate. As luck would have it, one of my former classmates from my undergrad was working in a similar capacity with CIBC. After discussing with him the details, I decided this position would not work for me. Research associates are expected to work 12 to 14 hours a day, starting at 5 AM, 6 days a week and potentially more during "peak" periods like quarterly reporting. They spend half their day finding data and crunching financial models in excel for the companies they are covering. The other half of their day is spent writing research reports on the data and correcting the reports after their analyst has reviewed them. When I asked my friend about life out side of work, he didn't have one. No time to workout. No time for a relationship. No time. The compensation isn't even that good. Most of these positions start at 80,000/yr salary, no overtime and the "potential" for a bonus of 100% of your salary. The hourly rate on these jobs just doesn't seem worth the HUGE sacrifice required and the career path is simply to move up the ladder one rung to do slightly less work for more money or to move to managing a portfolio for an investment firm. As I am married and would like to stay that way, this is not the path for me, but for someone who was willing to sacrifice this much for a few extra dollars, there are opportunities to do so in the way of Equity Research.

Other opportunities I have been considering have been more in line with my previous background in oil and gas engineering. These positions wouldn't specifically make use of my MBA, but I need work and I figure if I brought the skill set to the table it would get used as I proved myself. More importantly, there are positions being posted in this area, but these positions have only been showing up in the past month and not nearly in the same quantity as when I left industry. Although the economy is "improving" and the Bank of Canada has declared the recession "over", things are still limping along. Yes there are more positions being posted, but when I discuss with recruiters about being considered for these positions, I am told that companies are waiting for individuals with significantly more experience. As many companies went through downsizing, mergers and acquisitions, there are highly experienced people displaced by these events available to fill these positions. This makes the job market very difficult. I have heard this all before when I graduated from my undergrad. "If you just had five more years experience...". Well, if over five years of experience, a professional engineering designation and an MBA doesn't cut it, then nothing ever will. I can't think of a better candidate to hire into an organization. So, I continue to persist and ask simply for the opportunity to be presented as a potential candidate.

At this time I have been reduced to looking for any opportunity that offers fair compensation and a chance to expand my knowledge while providing a reasonable work-life balance. I am no longer holding any grand delusions that I will find my "dream" MBA job right out of school. That will have to wait for the next position I take down the road or perhaps the one after that. I have invested a lot of time, money and energy into my education and I need to start seeing a return on that investment. The loans and lines of credit I used to finance my education will need to be paid back and sitting on the sidelines unemployed will not accomplish that goal. To top it off, I'm bored. I want a challenging job that requires me to use my skills and knowledge to solve difficult and dynamic problems.

Overall, the best method of seeking out information and potential positions has been contacting alumni and either conducting informational interviews via phone or over a cup of coffee. Meeting for coffee has by far been the best. This method has worked so well that I have received an e-mail concerning a potential opportunity that I would never have found on my own from one of these previous contacts a few months after our meeting. Moreover, during a different meeting my contact provided me with a different perspective and list of ideas to continue looking for opportunities when I thought I had exhausted all avenues. Also, sending "thank-you" cards after these meetings is essential. These people are taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and I really appreciate it. In addition, I think they like to be recognized for the gift of their time and it sets me apart from anyone else they meet. Meeting with them has also helped boost my moral and keep me in a positive state of mind. Both essential when conducting a full-time job search. In addition to this method, I keep checking eluta and indeed as well as the school's job website and many company career websites for postings. This is my holding pattern for the moment until I find employment.

In summary, most of the class still does not have a job. I have seen good results using the methods encouraged by our career center, but it still has not resulted in a full-time position. I have explored the traditional "consulting" and "finance" avenues taken by MBAs to no avail and I don't think I would find them especially rewarding. My expectations have been significantly reduced and I'm curious to see where I will find work as well as how long it will take for my cohort to do the same.

One Month After Completing My MBA

A full month has now passed since I completed the full-time MBA program at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I now find myself sitting alone in my parent's house at this keyboard in Alberta, Canada and have had a lot of time to reflect on the past year.

After the program I took a fairly substantial road trip to see the Maritime Provinces as well as some of the major eastern US cities. The trip was a good way relax after the program. When the trip was over, I was back in Alberta and three weeks had passed.

I know that I should feel pretty good about life right now. After all, I'm a a professional engineer with a MBA from a top business school. However, I don't feel that way. I'm actually kind of down since I don't have a job and I have no idea where I might end up. The only comforting fact is that I have felt this way before, when I completed my engineering degree.

Right now, though, I am of the opinion that going back for the MBA at Queen's was a great decision and a solid investment. I learned so much about business, myself and others. After discussing just few of the topics we covered with friends and former work colleagues, I know that what I learned is of HUGE value. The MBA will definitely position me well for my future career aspirations.

I heard that convocation was a good time and a lot of the class attended. However, I did not return and only two of my six team members were in attendance. As I currently do not have a job lined up, spending the funds to return to Kingston for a couple days did not seem wise. The day after convocation, the school took out a whole two page spread in the Globe and Mail to post the photos of all the MBA graduates this year. This included graduates from all Queen's MBA programs (i.e. Exec, Accelerated, etc.). I remember how stoked I was last year to see that and know that I would be in there in a year. Seems a year has come and gone.

Just after the convocation ceremony, I received several text messages and even a phone call from my classmates congratulating me on our graduation. It was nice to know I was missed and even nicer to hear the familiar voices. That is one thing I miss the most - the people. I miss being part of a community of so many smart, driven, positive and fun people. You are often fortunate enough to have a few friends of this nature, but to be with 74 others is something else. I hope I get to see them again soon.

Other than the odd e-mail letting me know about a job prospect, I really have not heard much from my former classmates. The "water cooler" (i.e. online web portal space for posting messages) has gone quite. Only the odd e-mail from the Business Career Center staff.

As I mentioned earlier, I am without a job. To my knowledge, the employment stats one month after the program are pretty much the same as when we all left. This is likely due to the fact that a lot of people were moving, needed a little time to rest up after the end of the program and haven't had a chance to really further their job search, but I haven't heard from anyone, so this is just my speculation.

Now that I am in Alberta, I am ramping up my search for full-time employment. I have found positions to apply for through company websites, the Queen's career website, recruitment agencies and other industry career websites. In addition, I am arranging to "network" with past work colleagues, friends, and alumni that I have been in touch with over the past year. This is all part of the strategy imparted on us as we went through the program. It will be interesting to see how this job hunt compares with my previous ones. The economy is quite different from a year ago, but I am confident that I will find a job with in two or three months. All that being said, I didn't necessarily anticipate that I would be in this position. I really believed that I would find a job prior to graduation.

On another note, I still find myself with a kind of "highway fever" after going so hard. You get conditioned to ALWAYS being busy with learning, socializing, planning, studying, etc. that you find yourself constantly "chomping at the bit" when there is nothing better to do but enjoy a sunny day.

That is all I have to report one month out of the program. Hopefully in my three month posting I will have good news to write about. In the mean time, I will keep watching the blogs of the new cohort to see how they are fairing...

One Week After Completing My MBA

It has now bee one full week since I completed my MBA at Queen's. This past week has been filled with sad "good-byes" and promises to visit people in the future. We have also had several dinner gatherings. One of these was after spending a day cruising the country side in a pair of SUVs loaded with classmates to seek out local foods which we then cooked and ate. This particular activity has been done a few times and has become known as "super-happy-fun-day". It is amazing what you can find around Kingston.

I thought that one week would be enough time to reflect on the past year and write some key insights, but, alas, it hasn't. I will try to do this in a later entry. There is just too much going on with everyone moving and my search for full-time employment going strong.

A lot of the people who will make up next year's class have arrived in Kingston. Some have made contact with a few people in this year's class and some have managed to meet-up with their fellow classmates. From the few that I have had lunch with, during their trips out to the school, as well as those I have traded e-mails with, I can tell next year's class promises to be a fun group with many great minds. Very similar to this year's cohort. I wish them all the best.

Several people are planning to stay in Kingston as they help with "transition". This is an afternoon/evening full of events where our class passes along the student council to next years class as well as introduces them to Kingston. Since Queen's is a one year program, there is no second year students that can serve as a "knowledge transfer". "Transition" is our answer to this challenge. If all goes as planned, "transition" should happen on the 16th of May.

Convocation is on May 26th and quite a few of my classmates are planning on attending, but several will still be on exchange or will be travelling and they won't be attending. Although I am not planning to attend, as I will have just arrived back in Alberta, I may reconsider since it will be a last chance for us to see everyone together. Apparently convocation is really a spectacle at Queen's and more importantly I could see all my friends again.

After saying "good-bye" to many others over the past week, it was my turn yesterday. My wife and I finished packing and left Kingston yesterday. Today we are in Quebec City and will be in New Brunswick by this evening as we continue our trek to the east coast of Canada. We drove this far out from Calgary, so we figure a few extra days to complete the trip to the Atlantic is well worth the time and money. After that we will turn south and visit a few key US locations before heading west. Since we drove through Canada out here, we are driving back through the US. Should be a good trip.

My "team", team 426, from the program has dispersed to the four corners of the earth. Two of them are in Brazil on exchange, one has gone to Hong Kong and China to visit family, one is headed to India to visit family, one is headed to Toronto to look for work and I am headed back to Alberta.

The blog. It has taken on a life of its own. It has been very useful to help me keep track of time as it flew by and to help me appreciate just how much I was learning. However, it was started with a purpose, written with a purpose and will end with a purposed as I stated when I started this blog. Therefore, I will only be making a few more entries and all of them will be focused on the MBA and my experience at Queen's. I will write one month, three months, six months and one year post-MBA entries. There may also be the odd entry to update employment stats, when I find a job and if other significant events occur, but only if they are relevant to the purpose of this blog.

On a final note, I would like to thank the many readers who have taken the time to comment or e-mail me about the blog. It was great to know that people were finding this information. Even if it wasn't necessarily useful, I surely hope it was entertaining. I hope it has provided those looking at MBA programs with some of the answers they were seeking and I hope it has provided alumni with chance to reflect on their own MBA experience.

Week 51: Electives - Block E (t-minus 0 week)

Week 51 is over and I have completed my MBA! It has not sunk in, but I know this is something special. Here is what happened this week:

Classes ended this week.

Sales Management had a final and "sales call" with the professor.

Corporate Finance had a final.

Project Management did not have a final exam, but they did do a PERT exam in class.

Now everyone is packing up their various binders. A lot of extra stuff is getting thrown out. A lot of sad faces and happy faces. Sad to be leaving, but so happy to be done!

Enough said. I'm off to join some of my classmates for a last pint at the Grad Club.

Graduation Dinner and Valedictorian Address

Saturday the class had our graduation dinner at Ban Righ Hall. Everyone showed up dressed to the nines. Quite a few of our professors came out and the entire administration was there. A nice meal served and some nice words said were said by Dr.Bill Blake, Director of MBA programs at Queen's, and Dr.Scott Carson, Director of the full-time MBA program at Queen's.

After dinner the class president and valedictorian addressed the class. The Elizebeth Hand and Team awards were also given out. Finally, there were the "fun" awards with a slide show (i.e. who was voted most likely to get arrested, kicked-out of cricket match, lick their own belly button, etc.). Once all that was done, the class headed out to the Joy Supper Club for a night of fun and dancing. All and all it was great, but at the same time bittersweet as we realized the end is very near and soon we will be saying good bye to many of our friends.

Our Valedictorian, Adam Grahn, really hit a note with his address to the class. I am posting it here, with his permission, so that our class can have access to it in the future.

First, I’d like to say a couple thanks you’s. I’d like to thank all of you, first for nominating and then for selecting me to represent you as valedictorian out of 75 people who could just as easily be standing up here.

I want you all to know how much I appreciate this, so I thought I’d give you a 30 second snippet to help you understand how much this means to me. I grew up in a very small town in BC as the third eldest in a family of 12. If asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, kids from that town dreamed about 3 things: heli-logging, driving a truck, or winning the Stanley Cup. I can tell you I only shared one of those dreams with the other kids, but I never could have dreamed that I might one day graduate as valedictorian from one of the most prestigious programs at one of the most prestigious institutions in Canada.

I can tell you that this moment, being able to stand up here, is the thing I am most proud of in my life… with one exception. That being getting married to my friend,
partner, supporter, and champion, Deedra. She is just as much a reason for me being up here as anything I’ve done, so thank you Deedra!

Almost exactly one year ago, 75 people gathered in the atrium of Goodes Hall. If you’re like me, it feels more like 5 years ago but what I recall of that gathering is how awkward I felt and how I kept repeating a mantra in my head… “What the BLEEP am I doing here?” I then recall Drs. Carson and Blake speaking about Queen’s and teamwork and what a transformational experience we were going to have… I have to admit, I was still a little unsure…

Then, over the next few weeks we were teamed up, bombarded, psycho-analysed and introduced to that wonderful team-building exercise known as 0.4. Over the course of the next 8 months, we worked our asses off and our teams became more than just a part of a marketing brochure… They became a part of who we are. Through the course of the year, through our efforts, our struggles and our triumphs, we HAVE been transformed. Of course we have learned the technical knowledge required to be considered an MBA… I think we’ve all seen enough 2x2 matrices and Discounted Cash Flows to validate that…

but what we’ve learned is how to lead and be led, how to take a group of people from different nationalities and with different personalities and turn it into a well-oiled machine that can tackle near any challenge. These are not skills that can be learned on-line or through a text book, but only through trial and experience. We, each of us, now has the ability to step out from here, this safe place, and walk confidently into the “real world”, comfortable in ourselves and our abilities. Comfortable working with, for and leading others, and, perhaps most importantly, with the knowledge that should the time come that we need help, there are 74 others standing behind us, ready with a shoulder to cry on, an arm to lean on, a joke to pick up our spirits or a smile to share. We have 74 friends.

And in my estimation, it is friendship that has been the ultimate benefit of our time here. If you do the math, we’ve essentially spent $60,000 and come away with 74 friends. That’s just a little under a $1000 a friend. Friends that have shared experiences and shared understanding. A very good investment, I assure you, especially given the economic uncertainty we are facing. I am sure that a year and a bit ago, when we all signed up for this program, none of us thought that we would be graduating into a market where jobs are scarce and the value of MBAs had been called into question. Yet, that is the situation, and at times like these, the value that friends provide may be the difference between success and failure.

So I’ve never performed a valedictory address before and hadn’t had the opportunity to hear one either, so I did what anyone would do in that situation, I looked it up on Wikipedia. While I was doing that, I discovered an interesting thing about the roots of the word. It turns out, that Valedictorian comes from the Latin “vale dicere,” which means – To Say Farewell… So I thought to myself, that’s pretty depressing… It sounds like I’m saying I’ll never see you all again. That would make this valedictorian address more bittersweet than sweet… a bit like the difference between marmalade and jam… So I’ve chosen to break with tradition a little bit and to say “See you soon” instead of Farewell, since I’m sure it is more accurate and since it’ll just make me sad to think otherwise.

So in a little over a week, as we venture out and each of us makes our mark on the business world and the world in general. As we work to better the lives of ourselves and our families. Think back now and then to the times we have shared here at Queen’s and conduct yourself with the grace, dignity and ethical standard expected of a Queen’s MBA grad. And above all, if ever any one of you should need a friend, you know where to look…

Thank you and See You Soon!

Links to youtube videos in parts (1), (2), and (3 w/ speech).

Week 50: Electives - Block E (t-minus 1 week)

Week 50. Just one week to go! Summer has arrived, or at least it feels like it. Most days are sunny now and its fairly warm during the afternoons. However, the evenings still get quite chilly.

Project Management continued with the class covering PERT and critical path. Everyone in the course seems to be enjoying it and the team teaching style seems to be working well. Students cannot miss even a single class or they will not complete the required 35 hours of classroom instruction required by the PMI to earn the PMP designation.

Marketing of New Ventures had a few guest lecturers. Topics covered were public relations, advertising and market entry strategies. People also seem to be enjoying this course.

Sales Management is still ongoing. I don't have an update on the class material covered as I'm not in this elective and I haven't had a chance to talk with anyone taking it. This is typical of the situation the class finds itself at the moment. We are all in different classes, some people are not even taking classes, and as a result we are rarely all in the same place at the same time.

Corporate Financing and Capital Budgeting Decisions has been interesting. The professor, Alex Faseruk, is here from Memorial University in St. John's Newfoundland for the 2 weeks required to teach the course. Material covered has been Real Estate project selection, Economic Value Added, Biotech/technology company valuation along with a review of pretty much all the finance material we have covered (i.e. different kinds of debt and equity, WACC, NPV, etc.). The professor is quite entertaining and realizes that we are all pretty tired after what we have been through. Students have assembled themselves into groups to complete a case analysis and 2 abstracts on other cases. The case a group analyzes is also the case they present to the class. Overall this is a very useful course as it really brings all the different pieces of the finance puzzle together.

This week we had a final class session with the BCC. They will be offering some basic consultation until mid-May when the next class starts. After that they will try to assist us, but their priority will be focused on the new class.

Also, there is a series of items we have been given to complete to graduate:

• Update mailing address on Alumni site
• Update mailing address on QCARD
• Meet with BCC for 5 minutes one-on-one
• Return keys & swipe cards
• Complete MBA exit survey
• Pay outstanding debts to the University and return all books to Library

All of these need to be signed-off by various people to ensure we can graduate

This week was the final point four. It was held at the Toucan and a lot of people came out. I'm sure there will still be gathers occurring, but the official "point four" has been put to rest.

Tomorrow we have our graduation dinner. This is a formal dinner being held in Ban Righ Hall and the results of the various awards the class had to vote on will be revealed. Should be a good evening and a great way to cap off the year.

This weekend will be filled with packing and some homework. Perhaps I will find some time to hangout with my peers. Only one week to go.

Week 49: Electives - Block E (t-minus 2 weeks)

Week 49. Gone. 2 weeks to go. 2 weeks is only 14 days or 336 hours or 20,160 minutes. That is all that is left of my MBA experience. It is hard to believe it has gone so fast, but as I look back on this blog and all the entries that I have made, it become apparent to me that the end is near.

This week we started off with rain followed by more rain and then topped off with a little more rain. Then it was snow with some more snow. All this with over cast grey skies. Very cheerful weather. You would never know it today, as the sun has come out and everything has dried off and melted. Who knows what next week will hold.

This week the last block, Block E, of electives started. Project Management has a fairly full class. This class will allow students to complete the class room requirements for a PMP certification from the PMI. After writing a test and submitting the appropriate work experience you can have a PMP designation. The class is being team taught by two professors. One is covering the actual PMI material. The other is covering more of the practical implementation of project management. So far everyone seems to be enjoying the class.

Marketing of New Ventures also started this week. Again the students seem to be enjoying it, but I'm not quite sure what they are covering. The course is supposed to be focused on marketing management challenges faced by tech start-ups with a major component to get new ventures "sustainable".

Sales Management has also started this week. This course is supposed to help students develop key skills, behaviors and strategies needed to succeed in sales. Specific issues included are prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, trial close, determining objections, meeting objections, closing and follow-up.

Corporate Financing and Capital Budgeting Decisions will start next week. This course is 3 hours every day for the next two weeks and is based entirely on cases. The focus is exactly what the name states: bank credit, corporate financing policies, shares, convertible securities, optimal debt, dividend policies, project analysis, optimal investment decisions, hurdle rates, capital budgeting procedures, etc. Should be intense.

Most Consulting Project papers have been submitted. This was the course where students picked a project/organization to do consulting work for and completed a paper with their final recommendations and work.

The New Venture Project is coming to a close. I am only aware of one group who has taken this course. This project course paired students with mentors/advisers who helped them through the creation and review process of a business plan. After a few official stages of preliminary review the final business plan is due either this week or next.

Lots of people have started to pack-up their desks. I have no idea where I am going to find enough boxes for all my binders and textbooks.

This week's point four is a gathering at a fellow MBA student's pad to play some "Rock Band 2" prior to heading to "The Royal Tavern" for a pint. The Royal Tavern is supposed to be the bar that Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister, purchased as no other bars would let him in. Rumour has it they have a copy of the original deed inside. Also, this bar is rumoured to be very unfriendly as it is a biker bar. Should be an adventure.

A lot of people are headed out of town this weekend on some last excursions. My wife and I are headed to Toronoto to see all the sights as we are headed back to Calgary after the program. We have been meaning to do this all year and only now are we actually getting it done. Hopefully we will be able to see the AGO, ROM, Casa Loma, CN Tower and the Bata Shoe Museum. We are also going to see a Raptor's game if everything goes according to plan.

Photo tour of Goodes Hall

Since not everyone can come and visit Queen's in person, I thought I would post a brief photo tour.

Here is Goodes Hall, home to all business programs at Queen's University:

Just inside the main entrance you enter an atrium which can be transformed for different occasions. It can be emptied and filled with chairs for speakers, caterers and tall tables can be brought in for a "wine and cheese" social event or tables can be set-up to have banquets.

Second angle from just above the main entrance:


At the far end of the atrium there is a stair case that takes you to MBA territory. Looking back down into the atrium:

The landing this staircase arrives at also leads to the hallway with the majority of the team rooms:

Now lets take a look at a typical team room. Each door is locked, but it is up to you and your teammates to keep it closed to ensure nothing gets stolen. Everyone has a key and the admin staff and security guard have an extra should lock yourself out. It is up to you and your team to decide what sort of stuff to "decorate" your team room with. This team here has decided on a nice plaque mounted team photo and seems to use the pin-up board to post interesting and insightful news clippings on current events.Opening the door reveals 6 work stations inside and a window on the far wall. Not all team rooms have window, but most do.

A look from the far side of the team room looking back. Note the team room on the other side of the hall:

Here is a look at a typical desk or work area. This is near the end of the program, so there are a lot of different binders and textbooks. Each course has a binder of material. During the core of the program these materials seem to just "appear" as the staff puts them together and delivers them as they are needed. There is room for all this stuff and lots of "pin-up" room as well. Naturally, there is also a LAN connection and plug-in for your laptop. Is that a case interview prep book I see there on the desk?
Each team room is equipped with a black and white bubble jet printer, mini-fridge, coffee maker, recycling bins and various stationary items. It is up to your team to make sure this area is kept neat and tidy. Otherwise you could find your fridge filled with mould...
Lets not forget the coat rack. Handy for storing suits or blazers for those unexpected networking opportunities. Also a good place for those bulky winter jackets needed to survive a Canadian winter. And, as you can see, each team gets a white board to use during team work sessions. Nice city skyline on the wall!
In addition to the team room there is the resource lounge, which most students refer to as the "E-bar" (a.k.a. Energy Bar). The E-bar is stocked by the student government and charges a small premium on the goods sold to fund various MBA activities. The main activity it was used to fund this year was MBA Games. The resource lounge has a couple of fridges, 3 microwaves, fax, phone, scanner, photocopier and laser colour printer. The sports equipment the program provides is also stored here (i.e. frisbees, soccer balls, cricket stuff, tennis stuff, squash stuff, etc.). This is also where the daily papers, other periodicals and magazines are displayed/stored for students to access.
Look from the other end of the room back:
Here is a look at the classroom. Every student has a name plate that has their name on the front and back. This makes it easy for your classmates to refer to you by name even if they are sitting behind you. After a couple of months you know every ones name, but the name plates still help professors who are coming in to start a new course. There are two projectors that show the slides on each side of the room so every student has a good view.Of course the progam would not be what it was if it wasn't for the tireless support of the staff. Here are the real stars of the program: From left-to-right we have:

• Kim Delaney, Program Assistant
• Kerri Regan, Program Manager
• Scott Carson, Professor and Director of Queen's full-time MBA program
• Lori Garnier, Associate Director of Queen's full-time MBA program
• Juanita Smith, Program Administrator
• Ruth Sherboneau, Administrative Assistant

That ends this brief tour. Hope this has been helpful for perspective students and nostalgic for alumni.

Queen's wins UCLA and Boston Tech Case Competitions

So, we have had several teams go to case competitions since our class has had a very keen interest this year. There has been a lot of internal rivalry to get on these teams as well as to be the team selected to go. As a result some pretty good teams have been sent out to competition.

We have had teams that went to:

• L'Oreal E-Strategy Challenge (Online) (Marketing)
• CSR Case Competition (November - hosted by University of Toronto) (CSR Strategy)
• Financial Executive International "Best in Class" (November - hosted at the University of Toronto) (Finance)
• Tata Consulting Case Competition (October) (Strategy)
• John Molson International Case Competition (January - hosted by John Molson School of Business in Montreal) (Everything)
• Boston Tech Strategy Case Competition (April) (Strategy)
• UCLA Global Leadership Competition (April - hosted by UCLA Anderson School of Business) (Strategy/Everything)

Last week the Queen's team that went to Boston Tech won first place! You can check it out on the blog for the event. First place got them $25,000 they got to split between the 4 team members

Just yesterday the Queen's team that went to the UCLA Global Leadership Competition won first place! Here is the official event website. They also won $25,000 to split between the 5 team members. Last year Queen's came in second and there was quite a bit of pressure for this year's team to perform. The competition is invitational only and the schools that attend are some of the best in the world:

• Fudan University School of Management, China
• HEC School of Management, France
• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School, Hong Kong SAR
• Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM), Mexico
• London Business School, England
• National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
• Peking University Guanghua School of Management, China
• Queen's School of Business, Canada
• Seoul National University, Korea
• Tel Aviv University (Recanati), Israel
• University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management, USA
• University of Chicago Booth School of Business, USA

To be asked to attend is an honour, but to win...wow. Congratulations to all the teams and I hope next year's class will embrace case competitions the way our year did. They are fun and you learn a lot.

Week 48: Electives - Block D (t-minus 3 weeks)

Week 48 is over...finally. Only 3 weeks to go. As spring approaches the skies are pretty much constantly overcast and it rains quite a bit here in Kingston.

Managing Innovation ended last week, so there is no update for that course.

Consumer Research ended yesterday. From what I could tell everyone was in groups completing some sort of group assignment/analysis with the professor going from group to group.

International Finance ended today with a Saturday morning exam. Everyone found it quite difficult and everyone was up late last night trying to study and get their formula sheets finalized. As much as I am going to miss my classmates and this time at Queen's, I am NOT going to miss the late night cramming and Saturday morning exams.

Either last week or this week the students in the Consulting Project course had to submit a 75 page paper. No word on what has been happening with the New Ventures Project course, but I will post something next week once I talk to some people in the course.

This week's point four was at Fanatics, a sports bar, where the class was able to reserve an upstairs area that comes complete with it's own bar, big-screen TV and a Nintendo Wii. Also, this weekend there is a big party/social gathering to see several of the exchange students off. A lot of them are leaving in the next week.

While all this has been going on I am busy booking a moving company and filing my taxes. Also, the job hunt continues, but it is difficult while studying full-time. Guess I should get some boxes this next week to start packing.

Next week, to kick-off Block E electives,"Marketing of New Ventures" and "Sales Management" courses start to the final block of electives. The following week the "Corporate Finance and Capital Budgeting Decisions" and "Project Management" courses start. Now that I have completed my required 5 elective courses I find myself presented with the decision of whether I should take anymore courses.

Week 47: Electives - Block D (t-minus 4 weeks)

Week 47 is over. Only 4 weeks to go. It is absolutely awesome outside and there are so many other things I would rather be doing. Therefore this will be a short entry.

Managing Innovation ended today. The class wrote their final exam at noon. This class had a series of individual memos for each class in addition to the final. I got the impression that people enjoyed this class, but that it might not have been as useful as it could have been. Also, the professor was not enthusiastic.

Consumer Research had the class complete an in-class assignment where the students analyzed survey results using the Systat12 program mentioned previously. The final is next Thursday.

International Finance covered more on exchange rates, hedging strategies and a little on accounting methods. The professor has been summarizing the chapters assigned for reading as well as providing updated readings and articles. A lot of the time students are not quite understanding what the professor is expecting of them when we review in-class examples. Also, groups have started presenting their cases. This is part of the marking scheme. Each group is responsible to analyze and present a case that represents a particular topic in the course. Furthermore, there is a problem set due for each group next week and a final next Saturday.

This weeks point four was trivia night at the grad club. One of the exchange students is leaving tomorrow and several others will be leaving in a couple of weeks. It feels like they just got here. Also, some of our fellow classmates will be back from their Mannheim exchange in Germany this weekend.

Scott Carson, the director of the full-time MBA program, hosted a wine and cheese event to talk with the class today. It has been confirmed that an extra lecture hall will be added. It is looking like there will be 17 teams of 6 to 7 people with a total class size of 110 (55 students per lecture hall).

With only 4 weeks left people have started to discuss their plans to move away. Also, there is some discussion on the upcoming transition week for the incoming class. I wonder what kind of hazing our class will decide to put them through...

Week 46: Electives - Block D (t-minus 5 weeks)

Week 46 is over and spring has pretty much arrived. There is barely any snow left, but the temperature still continues to hover just above or below zero. This week I heard the familiar sound of Canadian Geese returning from their hiatus to warmer climes, which has always been a sign of the changing seasons for as long as I can remember.

With only 5 weeks left a lot of us are trying to coordinate our move out of Kingston and some people have started to pack-up their desks. The end seems to be coming way to quickly.

This week saw the class complete the first week of the penultimate block of electives. The courses offered are International Finance, Consumer Research and Managing Innovation.

The International Finance course this week has covered foreign exchange rates and international trade. Topics included how countries measure trade, decide on currency exchanges and the underlying arbitrage laws that keep everything in check. Although the math is very simple and the concepts are fairly straight forward, it is amazing how complicated this topic can get very quickly. The professor is pretty dry, but very knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. The workload is quite light compared to other finance courses. Couple of chapters and some cases to read for every class.

Consumer Research started off with a lot of bland theory, but has since picked up now that the class is focusing on the analysis of the data. Initially the course focused on how to design questionnaires (ie yes/no questions vs. pick one of five options vs. 1 to 7 scale for strongly agree to disagree questions). Then it focused on applying statistics to this kind of information with a lot of statistic theory. Now the class is bringing laptops to class and using a program called Systat12 to analyze the data. The professor is entertaining and has a dry sense of humour that the class is finding engaging.

Managing Innovation also started this week. I haven't been able to get an update from someone in this class, but I will and either edit this post or just include it in next weeks posting.

This week the point four was at Tir Nan Og, an Irish pub, for karaoke night. This was also the last evening with one of our classmates who is headed to France on exchange. A lot of the exchange students have taken this block off and have decided to travel. Some are going out to the west coast to Vancouver and others are headed to New York City. This weekend the MBA hockey team has their first playoff game and fit-to-lead has arranged a trip and tour of a "sugar bush", which is a maple syrup production site.

There are still a few prospective students coming for interviews. It is close to the start date, but apparently there is still room for a few more students. Strange to think that all of us in the program were in their shoes only a year ago.

On the job front, I am aware of two of my classmates that have received offers and are in the process of negotiation the final details. Both are good offers that represent a step-up from their previous positions with good compensation. This has been encouraging to a lot of us and is proof that even in economic conditions such as these there are opportunities to be had.

Queen's expands program for class of 2010

A note from the director of the full-time MBA program, Scott Carson, has been circulated confirming that the class size will be larger for next year along with a few other changes.

Here are the changes that have been made:

• First, Queen's is going to be piloting a three day pre-MBA in the week before the orientation begins. It will take place over three days, one day on each of statistics, accounting and finance. The objective is to help students to become familiar with the subjects and get a head-start before courses begin.
• Second, the MBA Curriculum Committee is going to strike a subcommittee to review the electives section of the program to see what changes could or should be made.
• Third, the class size will be increased to 110 students. The benefit is that some employers who currently don't recruit on campus would find it attractive to come if there were more candidates for them to meet. Also, bringing senior business people to the School to speak would be helped if they could be assured a somewhat larger audience.
• Finally, if the class could be split for teaching purposes, the class size could be lowered. Having 75 students in class is not a problem, but having two classes of 55 could create a more intimate setting. In order not to lose the community feeling that students enjoy at Queen's the administration will ensure that each student and team has the experience of working with all of the others. One way of doing this is to rotate one quarter of the teams between the two classrooms every second module.

Week 45: Electives - Block C (t-minus 6 weeks)

Week 45 ends and so does Block C of electives. There are now only 6 weeks left till the program is finished. Spring is definitely on it's way and the wind never seems to stop blowing, even when its raining. I imagine soon there will be green grass showing in the parks and leaf buds on the trees, but my focus on school, seeking employment and planning my move home seems to occupy all my time and as a result I likely won`t notice these changes.

Advanced Topics in Marketing was concluded with a series of presentations on Wednesday. Each group was responsible for pitching a mode/aspect of tourism in Canada (i.e. air travel, road travel, etc). This was the final assignment and with no final exam, this marked the completion of the course. Overall people really enjoyed this course and most got quite a bit out of the material.

Services Management finished with no really big events. Everyone completed their required papers and projects. My understanding is that people enjoyed the course, but many people who were taking Advanced Topics in Marketing enjoyed that course more.

Investments was the toughest course this block. This seems to be a common theme for the finance courses in the elective blocks. Friday morning was the final exam and everyone agreed that the test was nothing like what the assignments or the lectures had made us believe it would be like. It was very difficult and very demanding. Almost nobody left before the time was up, including the "finance" people who seem to enjoy this topic. Hopefully the professor is kind on the part marks.

This week the Business Career Center set up some one hour sessions on a variety of topics. One was on case interviews with an individual who used to work with BCG pre-MBA and had an offer with Bain post-MBA before turning it down to pursue other career options. Another was with Peter Copstake, the Executive in Residence and former Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Manulife Financial. Peter's session was more centered on how to really come across strong in an interview and more on his take on seeking employment. These sessions were smaller, 5 to 10 people, and therefore offered people more of a chance to get the information they wanted.

Also, the MBA office has arranged a special tax session for the international students in the class. This session was designed to help familiarize people with the Canadian tax system who have never filed taxes in Canada. Many people assumed that if they are not a permanent resident (PR) or citizen that they do not need to file taxes, but that is incorrect. Simply being in Canada for a certain period requires that you file an income tax statement whether you are a PR/citizen or not.

In other news, two of our classmates are in Pittsburgh this week as they were accepted to a business plan competition. So far things are going okay for them as they have made it past the first round. The idea they are pitching involves gold from tailings. 1st place is supposed to be a significant amount of money with part of it in cash and part of it in professional services (i.e. lawyer fees, marketing, etc). In addition, there is another pair of students finishing up a tour of 4 business plan competition through the US. Not sure how they are doing, but I hope it has gone well for them.

The MBA hockey team managed to get a much needed win this week to allow us the chance to make playoffs. People continue to meet-up to play squash and workout. Wednesday the exchange students had a gathering to celebrate a birthday and a good portion of the class showed up. Also, this weeks point four will be at the Merchant. Finally, Brian Adams was in town and some people went to check out his performance at the K-Rock center. As it turns out, Brian Adams was born in Kingston.

People are continuing their search for full-time employment. Some of my classmates are negotiating the details of offers recently received. Others are taking the next block of electives off to focus purely on their search. In addition, people continue to contact alumni to get advice and see what opportunities might be out there.

There is a rumour that the class size has been expanded for the incoming cohort. This is in response to the overwhelming demand for spots this year. In the next couple of weeks there is supposed to be an official statement released by the program director. I will be sure to post the details so that the incoming students that follow this blog can see the details.

Surprisingly there are still a large number of perspective students coming to the school for interviews. I met a few this week over lunch and will likely meet some more this coming week. Most seem nice and they really appreciate the opportunity to discuss the program with the students.

Finally, a few official administrative e-mails have been sent out. One is for convocation concerning who will be attending and how many seats they want to reserve. The other is for awards as voted by the class for who should be given the instructor award, team award, valedictorian and individual leadership award. Nominations are due the end of March with voting taking place sometime soon after. These awards will them be bestowed during the graduation dinner on Saturday, April 18th.

Next week Block D of electives starts. This weekend will be filled with some much needed RnR, while getting any prep work for the next set of electives out of the way.

100 Best Blogs for MBA Students

Today I received an interesting e-mail informing me that my blog, and many others, had been included in a “100 Best Blogs for MBA Students" list. Looks like I made #35. This looks like it could be a good sources of information for people considering an MBA.

Week 44: Electives - Block C (t-minus 7 weeks)

Week 44 is ending leaving one week left in Block C of electives and 7 weeks left in the program. Also, the weather has started to warm up (e.g. it is currently 6 degrees C in Kingston as I write this), which means spring is on the way. This also means rain and continuously grey, overcast skies.

Investments was focused on Equity Valuation techniques. Specifically, using dividend discount models, free cash flow to the firm and other methods to establish what a good price for a stock should be. Today we have a guest speaker. Brian Shaw, the CEO of CIBC Capital Markets from 2005-2008, will be talking to the class. Also, we are all working on evaluating the company we chose as the assignment is due Monday morning at 8 AM. After that assignment there is just the final next Friday.

Advanced Topics in Marketing continues to be a course focused on marketing more difficult products/services (e.g. hybrid cars, solar panels, etc.). This week the class had a speaker from Proctor and Gamble, who was the brand manager for Olay in Canada. She discussed her efforts for online marketing and various issues surrounding brand management. Today is a class focused on Canadian tourism. One of the main group assignments is for each team to present an aspect of Canadian tourism sometime next week.

Services Management continues to be based on discussions surrounding different cases that present issues surrounding services in a variety of industries (e.g. Hotels, pharmacies, etc.). Throughout the course there are 7 cases. Each student is expected to complete a write-up on any 2 of these cases. In addition, each case is presented by a certain group to the class. Overall people seem to be enjoying this course and the work. A few people completed the very first 2 cases for their individual write-ups and had their group present one of the first few cases. As a result, all they have left to do is to attend class to get participation marks.

This week the hockey team played their 3rd last game. It corresponded with this week's point four, so the stands were full of rowdy MBA students cheering the team on. This weekend will likely be filled with work as people push to get any final assignments complete.

Julia Blackstock has been having a series of smaller sessions to assist people with preparing to continue their search for full-time employment after the program. The good news is that there are still people managing to secure interviews and offers. I just heard of a friend of mine who has been made an offer.

As for myself, I have been taking advantage of the alumni network to continue to learn more about other areas I had previously thought my skill set would not apply. As it so happens, the management consulting companies in Calgary may like my credentials and not all of them focus on IT and telecom, despite my original impressions. This means that I need to begin getting ready for a potential "case interview". At first I was a little hesitant, but preparing for a case interview will make me that much better at interviewing in general. With any luck I will find myself in an interview with a management consultant that values my oil and gas experience and background.

Week 43: Electives - Block C (t-minus 8 weeks)

Week 43...gone. Another week passes and we are have completed the first week of Block C electives. That leaves 8 weeks of classes until the program is finished. Also, it is raining hard today and as a result I suspect the vast majority of the remaining snow will disappear. Unfortunately this also means the outdoor rinks are going to go with the snow.

A Facebook group for the incoming 2010 class has been established. Only accepted and confirmed students are allowed to join. A number of us from the current class have been asked to join this group and answer any potential questions the incoming students have to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Nothing new with the Tri-Colour Fund, New Venture Project, or Consulting Project courses. They are still in limbo and working pretty much on a self-directed basis. A couple of our classmates were in Louisiana for a business plan competition (I think this is the one, but could be wrong). In addition, a couple of our classmates are out in Vancouver trying to see if their plan to find gold will pan out.

Investments is the finance course this block and the one I am enrolled. The professor, Sean Cleary, is very knowledgeable, but lacks the enthusiasm and passion some of our previous professors have exhibited. The text for this course is selected chapters from the CFA "investment series" (ie "Managing Investment Portfolios" and "Equity Asset Valuation"). This week is on portfolio management for individuals and institutional investors. Next week is focused on the asset valuation material. Today we had Peter Jarvis as a guest speaker in class. Peter is the Executive Director of Toronto CFA Society and has held a number of very senior roles with various investment and retirement boards.

Services Management, the consulting&project management course, has also started. From what I have heard it is a fair bit of work, but all of it rather fun. People are working in groups to present and it looks like there are some individual memos that need to be completed for the cases/material covered in the classes.

Advanced Topics in Marketing, the marketing&sales course, is the final course. This course has started off on a good foot and there is a group presentation involved. I will find out more for my next posting.

I would like to again mention my classmates blog on his experience in India at ISB. His experience may not be representative of all exchange experiences, but it does bring to light some of the challenges that studying abroad can present.

This week the point four was at "Fanatics", a sports bar. We are also having a mixer with the law and medicine students this evening at "The Joy Supper Club", but prior to that a bunch of people are planning to attend a local OHL game. Saturday is a "scrabble" party where attendees wear a letter and go around trying to make as many different words as possible. Also, fit-to-lead has arranged a ski trip to Calabogie. The MBA hockey team also had a game this week and a few people are still making time to play squash.

Not much else to report on. The BCC has been helping me to continue to find opportunities to apply to. In addition, I have been contacting alumni for informational interviews to see what potential opportunities may be available both now and in the future.

I'm still having trouble believing there are only 8 weeks left.

Week 42: Electives - Block B (con't)

Week 42 comes to an end and so has Block B of electives. The weather took a turn for the worse this week and we are back in the heart of Canadian winter. The tease of almost spring weather, combined with the slight reprieve in workload, has only made the sudden onset of renewed cold, snow, tests and papers at the end of this week seem more dubious than usual.

Global Strategy has ended, but it still lingers. There is a large research paper due and the deadline has been graciously extended into the weekend. We formed groups for this assignment. Almost all of the groups have some members that have not been able to focus on this particular assignment, given the workload from other classes. As a result most of us will be making use of the extra time given. Also, those of us in the class have been invited to join the professor's "listserv", which he uses to send out current global strategy and management papers that he finds from time to time.

Risk Management ended today at noon with a final exam that I'm sure everyone is glad to be finished. Louise apparently has been a very good professor, but that doesn't make the material covered any easier.

Dynamic Pricing (aka Revenue Management) also ended with a large project being completed today. Apparently the groups also had to give a presentation on their final models. I haven't heard much concerning this course since everyone taking it has been far too busy to discuss it.

No news on the Tri-Colour fund, Consulting Project or New Venture Project courses.

People continue to seek employment. The BCC continues to do what they can for the students who are still looking, but the fact remains that the economy is sluggish and continues to slow down. Last week we had a brief Q&A with the BCC Director, David Edwards, and the BCC Manager, Julia Blackstock. Both have been excellent to work with and continue to do their best for us. They revealed what we all already knew; numbers are down from previous years. This is true across all business schools, but nobody is willing to talk about it between schools (aside: as one professor put it "the moose in the room"). What's interesting is that the school has actually seen more positions posted at this time than for the same period last year. What appears to have been happening is that a lot of employers have been putting candidates on "hold" prior to the first actual interview or just after the first interview. This is likely because of the deteriorating business conditions they find themselves. With that being said, the class still remains optimistic and people are re-doubling their efforts. What else can you do but remain positive and keep looking?

This week some people found time for a game of "shinny" on one of Kingston's many outdoor rinks. The point four was moved from Thursday to Friday to accommodate all the Risk Management and Dynamic Pricing students and will be at "MyBar". Also, the Kingston Canadian Film Festival is coming up next week. The weekend should be filled with some much needed R'n'R while people prepare for Block C next week. Now back to that Global Strategy paper...

(Aside: One of my classmates has started a blog about his exchange experience to the Indian School of Business)

Week 41: Electives - Block B (con't)

Week 41 has ended and I find myself in Quebec City on Valentine's Day. My wife and I decided to take a trip to this frozen wonderland to see Carnival (2nd link), the ice sculptures, the ice castle and get a picture with Bonhomme. Also, this weekend is a long weekend. With most people caught up on their assignments and reading they have decided to use the extra time to take a trip or continue job hunting.

The Strategic Leadership paper was due this past Wednesday. Finally that course has been put to bed.

Global Strategy saw us involved in several in class discussions on how subsidiaries should be run and what the roll of the home and host countries plays. The professor also came back with the results of a feedback exercise for use in the class about what was going well and what was not. This was very helpful and I think other professors should look into doing something similar. This week we submitted the final individual case analysis assignment. This just leaves the final team research paper due at the end of this next week.

The Dynamic Pricing course has been a fair bit of work. This past week has seen a lot of work put in by the students. In addition, I here the classes are bit overwhelming for some as the professor makes everything seems quite easy, but when they go to do it themselves it is actually quite complex.

Risk Management continues to be very similar to the Finance Strategy course. One individual has found the material quite similar to the level 2 CFA material he is studying. Combined with the other finance courses this will likely compliment his studying well and put him in a good position to write the exam this June.

Not too much has changed with the project courses, Consulting or New Venture projects. In addition the TriColour Venture Fund was supposed to be getting going, but it seems as though the professor, Elspeth Murray, is a little busy. The students are hoping for some sort of syllabus and timeline in the near future.

This week for fun the class had the point four at the Grad Pub so we could compete in Trivia Night. Some people are taking trips this weekend and those staying behind are looking to take in some curling. Because of the very warm weather in Kingston this past week all the outdoor skating rinks are pretty much melted. Also, we said goodbye to two more of our classmates as they are headed on exchange to the Indian School of Business.

One more week down and one more week until this block of electives is over.

Week 40: Electives - Block B

Week 40 has seen us start the next block of electives, Block B. The weather remains cold, but we have had a few "warmer" days. In addition Kinston has "feb fest" on, which is the city's winter festival with a wide variety of activities to take in (ice sculpting, figure skating, old-timers hockey game, etc.).

Although Strategic Leadership ended in Block A, most of us are still finishing our interviews to write our papers. My colleague found a particularly interesting person right here in Kingston to interview thanks to an article in the local paper. James Hultquist-Morrissey purchased "Zoom" airlines and plans to turn it around. He was a pretty interesting person to meet. The paper is due by the middle of next week and then this course will be done. It is nice to have the extra time, but it has added to the work load of all the new courses.

Risk Management is being taught by Louis Gagnon who is one of Queen's more popular professors with the media as of late. He specializes in derivatives, credit swaps and other forms of financial risk management, which is what the course is about, and given the current economic crisis these topics have been of interest in the media. Everyone is liking the course a lot, but there is quite a bit of work if you don't understand what is being taught since you need to spend extra time studying. From what my sources tell me this course has been a deeper look at the topics covered in the Financial Strategy course in the core of the program.

Global Strategy is being taught by Doug Reid and it is challenging. His teaching style is a little more toward the Socratic method where he helps facilitate a discussion and the works to pull the content out of the students. The professor expects a lot of readings to be completed for each session and you need to have them done to ensure you can follow the topic of discussion. In addition, this is also my first class with a large number of our new exchange students and I am finding their unique perspectives very interesting and educational.

It is also my understanding that the two project courses, New Venture Project and Consulting Project, are also underway. These courses are a little more "self directed" and have students work on an idea they have once the professor running the course approves it. I have also heard of a few students submitting their business plans for their new ventures to competitions. If they win they will have some seed money to see if they can grow these ideas into viable businesses. Some of them seem like they are really strong ideas with good business plans to back them up. Last year a student was able to win several of these competitions and use the money to continue moving her idea of starting a caviar farm closer to reality (see this news story for more information).

Fun stuff going on...this week a large group from the class went skiing at Tremblant for a few days. The point four this week was at "the Ale house" and was a joint venture with the grad student society for a valentine's day themed party. (Aside: There has been a lot of talk about the class leaving the AMS and joining The Society of Graduate and Professional Students.) Last Sunday's "learn-to-curl" outing was so popular there are plans to return next weekend. There are also a couple of networking events this week where our full-time class has had the opportunity to meet the Cornell-Queen's MBA students.

The search for full-time employment has been ramping up for everyone. A lot of us are feeling a bit under the gun with graduation just over 3 months away. The current economic condition is not helping, but there are still people getting interviews and finding jobs. However, our numbers are definitely down from pervious years.

I had a conversation with the director of our program and spots for next years class are filling up fast! 64 spots are filled compared with 32 at this time last year! There has been some talk about how to accommodate more students (ie 2 classes of 50 students), but who knows what the administration will decided. I do know that they will not let anything compromise the quality, which is good for the students, but it puts the administration in difficult situation. I think expanding the program to that size would be ideal. It would still be small enough that everyone would know each other, but the increased size would allow Queen's to attract speakers and employers that require a larger audience before they will come a school. Only time will tell what they decide. (Update: article from The Star (Toronto) on rising MBA applications in general)

(My apologizes to the visiting student whom I talked to on Friday. I did try to find you afterwards, but you disappeared. If you have any other questions please e-mail me and I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.)

Week 39: Electives - Block A (con't)

Week 39 has ended and so has Block A, the first block of electives. It has been snowing quite a bit this week. Feels like at least 2 feet has fallen in the past couple of days.

The Marketing course is over. Most people seem to have liked it. It was nicknamed "story time" since the professor liked to share his learnings with the students through stories.

The Strategic Leadership course is over. It was pretty good, but most of us felt a lot of the topics covered would have benefited all and should have been covered in some of our career planning sessions earlier in the year. The course was nicknamed "group hug" since the instructor like to frequently reference the "good" feeling of hugs.

The Financing New Ventures course is over. Everyone I talked to seemed to have a different opinion, but overall people liked it. The biggest comment was that the course was an interesting split between structured and unstructured delivery. The course required a structured curriculum, but the guest lecturer who delivered it was a very unstructured teacher. Mainly because he was a VC from industry and not a professor from the halls of academia.

The Corporate Valuation course is over. Everyone found this course to be extremely demanding, but we all agree we learned more than a ton. Last night almost everyone was working in their groups well past midnight to complete the final case. There was even a few individuals who did not sleep at all and still made it to class at 8 AM. As if that wasn't enough, we still have a review session tomorrow and a test on Sunday morning. Looks like those of us in this course will not be letting loose this weekend.

The school has also picked the team to attend the UCLA case competition. Queen's placed in this competition last year and is returning again this year at the beginning of April. To ensure a solid team is ready, the faculty hand picked the team.

The class is still planning several fun events coming up. Fit-to-lead is going to be taking a bunch of us curling on Sunday (yes, this is during Superbowl, but you can't have everything). Furthermore, there was a winter BBQ at the Dutch exchange students' place last night, a social gathering at another classmates pad tonight and likely an "I'm done Corporate Valuations" gathering on Sunday. This might seem excessive to those on the outside, but really it is about getting together with some of our colleagues who are leaving us for exchanges next week. In particular our Social Coordinator is headed to Mannheim and I'm sure everyone will miss her.

Next week we are starting Block B of the electives. There is some work and reading to be completed, but it all seems very reasonable after the workload that Corporate Valuations required.

Week 38: Electives - Block A (con't)

Week 38 has ended. Winter is still in full swing, but it did warm up for a few days. However the temperature has dropped again.

All the courses are in full swing. As we are all discovering some are more work than others. The finance course on corporate valuations is more than a lot of work. This week saw us put in some very serious hours with a lot of people working on their team assignments until 2 AM to hand them in at 8 AM on Friday. I definitely know CAPM, DCF, Consultant's, FSASVM and many other valuation methods better than I ever thought possible after completing this assignment.

The Marketing course seems to have a lot of reading, but almost all the learning takes place in class. I'm not in the course, but from what I hear most people are enjoying it and the work load in fairly low when compared to the finance course.

The Strategic Leadership course is the other elective I'm taking. It is pretty good, but there is a fair bit of reading if you want to stay ahead of it. In addition we have had to do some self reflective assignments which aren't necessarily difficult, but I have always found these types of exercises challenging and therefore have had to invest significant time.

The Financing New Ventures course started with a bang, from what I have heard, but since the drop date it hasn't been as engaging. Apparently the instructor for this course is also teaching the cohort of students from the "Cornell-Queen's MBA" program and therefore hasn't been able to properly prepare material for the students taking this class in the "Full-time MBA" program. I haven't been able to confirm it, but some of the students mentioned that earlier in the program they were told the "Cornell-Queen's MBA" program gets priority for professors and resources because the school is trying to ensure the quality perception of the students graduating from that particular program. The end result is that other course for other programs suffer. I will have to keep asking around to see if this continues.

The class is still keeping up with point fours. This week we hit up the outdoor skating rink at Victoria park. Those of us with skates brought them and everyone else when and rented skates. A lot of people came out and I was very surprised to see how many "first time skaters" were out! We also had some sticks and pucks around to get a shinny game going. To day one of our classmates has secured his parents house just outside of Kingston for a day of skating and tobogganing. Should be a blast even if the temperature has dropped.

Overall people are finding the course load not as heavy as the first part of the program, unless they are the small minority of us who decided to take the finance course. Also, people who have not secured a job are starting to get a little concerned. I know a few people who are starting to consider if they should be taking up their former employer's offer to return if they have one, despite the fact they entered the program specifically to make a change. With the economy on a downturn who knows where we will all end up working. All is not lost though, there is still several months until we graduate.

Week 37: Electives - Block A

Week 37 is ending and we are seeing the end of our first week back in classes. Kingston has taken a turn for the colder as temperatures have been dropping to -25 C (-13 F). I'm guessing the exchanges students, all 21 of them, that have joined us are finding the temperature a little surprising.

The electives that are currently being offered in this first block are:

• Corporate Valuation & Mergers and Acquisitions
• Marketing Strategy
• Financing of New Ventures
• Strategic Leadership

I'm currently in Corporate Valuation & Mergers and Acquisitions (taught by Bill Cannon) and Strategic Leadership (taught by Tina Dacin). Both are good courses. The Corporate Valuation & Mergers and Acquisitions course is quite a bit of work, but I am learning a lot. The Strategic Leadership course is a little more relaxed, but there is still reading that needs to be completed.

From what I have heard the Marketing Strategy course taught by Ken Wong is pretty good. People are enjoying it and the work required isn't too demanding. The same is true of the Financing of New Ventures course taught by Elspeth Murray.

The exchange students seem to be friendly and settling in nicely. Not all of them are from other MBA programs and therefore are only taking certain select courses. I'm sure they all had a blast at this weeks point four which was at a local bowling alley.

In addition, I have heard that some of our classmates have had some interesting adventures already. One in particular had to vacate the dormitory they were living in when a fire was started in the parkade.

Overall the work load is considerably less compared to the pace prior to Christmas. A lot of people are looking forward to taking some of their free time to look for work. In addition everyone seems happier and more relaxed.