What Does a B.C. MBA Look Like: Craig Ryomoto
Apr 13, 2012
The following article was published by BC Business Magazine on April 2, 2012 as part of their MBA guide.
BY KRISTEN HILDERMAN, BC BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Craig Ryomoto, Director, Online Customer Acquisition | HootSuite Media, Inc.
Where did you get your MBA?
SFU Beedie School of Business
What year did you graduate?
2010
Why did you want to get your MBA?
I chose to pursue an MBA because I was looking for a career transition to another industry, and to gain the skills to move into a senior management position.
What do you think clinched your position when applying to your MBA program?
I believe it was both my post-secondary education and my work experience. My background in the science of mathematics paired well with my desire to pursue a career in business. It gave me broader perspective and worked in my favour since much of the MBA program is numbers-driven. Prior to applying for my MBA I also ensured that I had at least 3 years experience in a key decision-making role so I could sufficiently leverage the classroom lessons.
What did you learn from doing your MBA that has most helped you in your career?
Soft skills such as time management, work ethic, problem solving, acting as a team player and building self-confidence have proved invaluable to advancing my career post-MBA. Hard skills can be learnt through courseware, but the MBA’s rigorous program forced me to improve on all the soft skills that are essential to succeed in the workforce.
What was your first job after you graduated?
I secured an internship at an Internet company, Reinvent, where I was responsible for business analytics and online marketing for multi-million dollar web properties. It eventually led to a full-time position.
Tell me a bit about your job now.
I currently oversee acquisition marketing, website optimization, marketing analytics, search & affiliate marketing and marketing automation for HootSuite, a global leader in the social business industry. We have over 3.5 million customers and that number is steadily growing through my team’s efforts.
Is your current career what you had envisioned when you started your MBA?
I had goals to continuously progress in my career but I didn’t expect my career growth to happen so quickly, and with such a dynamic and high-growth company. In short, the MBA was a lot of work but has been a tremendous investment.
See the full article at www.bcbusinessonline.ca/careers-and-employment/what-does-bc-mba-look