Five months into the program, Evening MBA Ambassador Emilie De Caen (‘21) has a lot to say about her experience so far. In this blog post, Emilie shares important information about the application process, her favourite part of the Evening MBA, what students can gain from the program, and why people should choose Rotman:
How does the program select candidates – What do they look for in the application and personal statement?
Top marks and high GMAT scores are important. They also look at your volunteer and work experience because Rotman has a two-year work experience requirement. In general, they’re looking for a well-rounded person: someone who's tried a few different things, someone who is a leader in one area and has experience in another.
What I love is that Rotman is more than just the classroom, there’s so much beyond in terms of opportunity.
For example, maybe you’re an accountant who has experience leading a team of people, you’ve done some volunteer work, and you have a very interesting extracurricular activity that you do. For myself, I work in a finance department, on the weekends I teach a martial arts program, and I volunteer with a co-op. So as much as possible try to including interesting facts about yourself in your application.
What has been your favourite part of your experience so far?
One of my favourite parts so far is how much I’m learning everyday and how much of it is applicable to my work. It’s also just really fun to come back the next day to work and say “hey, I know what that is now!” or “hey, I can now understand what you’re talking about,” because I’m really pushing myself to learn more from the program and applying as much as I can on the day-to-day.
What I love is that Rotman is more than just the classroom, there’s so much beyond in terms of opportunity. Something that I’m currently investing my time in is the Self Development Lab, or SDL. It is a feedback-based learning space, aimed at developing communication skills and interactive skills, as well as that interpersonal connection that I think is essential to management. An example of an activity that we have done so far is a review session of our in-class presentations. I found it to be a very valuable experience; they actually gave feedback about how we spoke, how we stood, general presentation, and how it might have been interpreted by our audience. It gave me an opportunity to see what I’m currently doing and how I can improve.
How will this program help you develop your career?
First off, networking is a huge component of the Rotman experience. There’s so many opportunities with your classmates and professors. As students, we have access to whole Speaker Series where you can come out and meet people in the field and listen to their talks. The series include guest panels, book talks, and lectures.
I think that to see them up there on the panel and to know that was a possibility as women – to see them as role models, as potential peers, and as a resource for when I enter the program – it really motivated me to want to join Rotman.
Also, we have extracurricular activities like clubs and competitions. Even beyond your MBA we have options to do a Phd program. On top of that there’s endless alumni services, so your MBA is not the end, there are many opportunities beyond it.
As well, Rotman has an outstanding Career Services Centre that is available to you. There are so many programs; I’m still learning about them all. To name a few, they assist with networking, offer resume and career building sessions, and provide personal assessment and coaching. They’ll actually sit down with you and say directly, here’s what you’re doing very well, here are some things you can work on. They also have internships, mentorship opportunities, and there’s even support systems for you after you graduate. For me, I’m looking to be an entrepreneur, and already I can feel those building blocks assembling with how much I am learning and how many opportunities are coming my way.
What careers have previous graduates gone into?
There’s a long list, but to try to name a few, there’s finance, accounting, and different kinds of management: management analytics, risk management. People have also go on to do entrepreneurship and developed in areas like marketing and human resources.
Whenever I think Rotman, I think leadership.
To share a story with you, during the time of my application process, I went to a Women’s Night event where they had a panel of women who talked about their experiences at Rotman and what they do now that they’ve graduated. I found it to be a very inspiring experience to hear from them. How one of them is now the Senior Vice President of the Health and Wellness division at Shoppers Drug Mart, and one of them who was an Evening MBA student like myself is now a Program Delivery Lead at TD Securities.
I think that to see them up there on the panel and to know that was a possibility as women – to see them as role models, as potential peers, and as a resource for when I enter the program – it really motivated me to want to join Rotman. This happened right before my GMAT, and I remember thinking, I can do this, I can come to Rotman. So I hope by sharing my story you can feel that way too.
Why should people choose Rotman?
Whenever I think Rotman, I think leadership. That’s ultimately one of the reasons why I think you should come to Rotman: if you want to become a manager, if you want to be at the forefront of your field, Rotman is where you belong. One of the things that I see every day in the halls is Rotman’s slogan, ‘Here’s Where It Changes,’ and I think: this is where people are inspired, this is where creative thinking happens, this is where team players come together to make the future a better one and succeed in their fields.
I think that if these words resonate with you, Rotman is the place to be.