“Our greatest Glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” – Confucius
What do you want to do when you graduate? That’s a tough question to answer, but for me, I had to be persistent and focused. As an Operations Management and Finance major, I found it difficult to connect with companies that offered positions that were related to my studies and interests. Being in my last year, in order to seek out opportunities that were of interest to me, I started to actively browse the Beedie Community for any networking events and often visited the Career Management Centre (CMC) to see if anything exciting was coming up.
It wasn’t long before I came across a few amazing networking opportunities for some of the top companies in Canada. One that stood out to me was the chance to meet with representatives from Walmart Canada. At the Segal Graduate School, I found myself slightly nervous and intimidated as I was in the same room as MBA students who also wanted to pursue a position with Walmart. Here, I discovered the unlimited learning opportunities available for new hires and I knew I had discovered the role for myself. After the presentation, I spoke with some really great Walmart representatives who made the entire experience of “cold-networking” very easy and enjoyable. Later that evening I submitted my application for their Developing Accelerated Retail Experience (D.A.R.E.) program.
Shortly after, I was shortlisted for an interview. I progressed from a phone screen to a Skype interview and was then flown out to Walmart’s head office in Mississauga for the final round of interviews. Before I left for Ontario, I spoke with CMC advisors and they mentioned the importance of being myself, relating my experiences, and telling my story. I kept this in mind as I went through the final round which consisted of a team activity, Q&A, networking sessions, and five rotating interviews with leaders from different areas of Walmart. As one of only two BBA students from Western Canada and the only one from the Beedie School of Business at the final round, I felt slightly intimidated but naturally honored to be representing SFU amongst other BBAs and MBAs from Queen’s, McGill, University of Toronto, and York. Going through the process, I felt calm with an immense sense of belonging. Soon after I returned home, I received an offer to join the Walmart team. Starting next August, I will be in a job doing exactly the sort of work I want to do and with the organization I want to work for.
If you are planning your career, I want to emphasize the importance of trying new things and not being afraid of failing. In the past five years as a student, I focused on building myself professionally and personally by getting involved with different organizations offered at SFU. Some of those experiences, namely as an Executive for Accounting Student Association (ASA), Teaching Assistant, Co-op Student, and Beedie Endowment Asset Management (BEAM) Analyst, taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone. Each one of the roles in one way or another helped me figure out what I excelled in and what I ultimately wanted to do after graduation. My final word of advice for the future generations of Beedie School of Business is to not lose your momentum – always continue to work on yourself, try something new, and if at first you don’t succeed, do not be afraid to repeat the process with lessons learned.
Umer Rizwan is a 4th year Operations Management and Finance student. He likes to constantly take on new challenges and improve himself. His passion lies in problem-solving and interacting with clients. Aside his academics, he has completed two co-op terms with Suncor Energy Inc. and volunteered as a Student Ambassador at the Surrey Campus of SFU. He loves sports and adventures. His time at Beedie has been highly memorable and he looks forward to the future. Connect with Umer on LinkedIn or by email at urizwan@sfu.ca