As a first year student at SFU Beedie School of Business, you get introduced to so many different opportunities. These include co-op, student clubs, events, workshops, mentorship and skill development programs, and case competitions. With so many to choose from, it is hard to narrow down which direction you should go.
It was during my Introduction to Business class where a student presenter came to share his case competition experience that I was peaked. “It was an experience of a lifetime. You get to meet so many different people, travel, and represent your school.”
At that time, I took the talk as an exaggeration because the idea of being kept in a single room while being pressured to create a recommendation and present it to a panel of judges was not very appealing to me.
However, intrigued by the opportunity to travel to Kelowna, I signed up for my first case competition. It was a three-hour case competition followed by an 8-minute presentation and 5-minute question and answer period. We were a team of four with no case competition experience and no training. We competed against 15 other teams from five different schools throughout the Lower Mainland. Saying that I was out of my comfort zone is an understatement.
While my team did not perform well, getting the opportunity to network with the judges afterwards, meeting other competitors in different fields of study, and traveling to a location I have never been to before were all things that made this experience a non-exaggeration. It really was an experience of a lifetime. Since then, I have loved participating in case competitions and will recommend it to anyone I come across.
So take a deep breath, there are many different types of opportunities at Beedie – you just have to say yes. You can start out small by joining student clubs and make your way to engaging with professors and networking with industry professionals. Compete on the regional, national, and international stages while representing Beedie. Travel, expand your horizons and see the world from multiple points of views. It is by getting out of your comfort zone that you are able to experience growth and develop yourself on a personal and professional level.
Samantha is a third year BBA student pursuing Accounting and MIS. Currently, Samantha is a Program Manager for Enactus SFU. She looks forward to meeting others and is happy to share her experiences at the Beedie School of Business. She will be taking the Bus 492 – Business Case Analysis course this upcoming Fall 2015 to build her skills in order to compete in external cases. Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn or Twitter.