Students and Alumni
OptimalResume I Executive Dialogue Series
MBA Career Services is committed to working with you in your career development and management process. MBA Career Services is an important part of the Edwards MBA Program providing advice, resources, information, counseling, and recruiting services – all designed to empower students to manage their career and to assist employers through the process of hiring and employing Edwards MBA graduates and alumni.
- MBA Career Services educates, trains, and provides advice to students and alumni in the career management activities and attitudes essential to successfully market themselves in the MBA job market.
- We also initiate and maintain collaborative partnerships with the employer community to strengthen the connection between students, alumni, and employers and increase employment opportunities available to our graduates.
It is expected that every student is the primary stakeholder in their career development and management process. We work with our students, encouraging you and teaching you to be proactive in your job search while providing information, impartial and realistic advice and feedback, and employment and networking leads.
We also work in partnership with employers and assist in achieving their hiring goals by providing them with access to our skilled and interested students and alumni in a professional and efficient manner.
Mission and Philosophy
Mission
- To guide, support and provide services to Edwards MBA students and alumni in their job search by giving appropriate tools to conduct their self-directed job search and by making them aware of the opportunities in the marketplace.
- To promote Edwards MBA students and alumni to the business community.
- To connect Edwards MBA students and alumni with employers, recruiters, and businesses matching student interests with employment opportunities.
Career success is guaranteed by taking a proactive job search approach: assessing who you are, what you want, what you have to offer, and what it will take to get you to where you want to be. Each student is encouraged to take full ownership of this process in concentrating on a self-directed job search.
MBA Career Services is designed to empower our students and alumni to achieve their ambitions, to assist them with defining their career objectives, identifying available relevant resources, strategizing opportunities, finessing their job search and interviewing skills, and making critical networking connections. Career planning is a lifelong process.
Selecting a career is a constant process of research, knowledge and acquisition, and self assessment. Learning about yourself – your interests, skills, values, and needs – and the spectrum of possible careers will enable you to make the most educated and appropriate decision for you.
Career Planning and Development
MBA Career Services works closely with students and alumni to identify their career goals and current concerns, and make recommendations for the next steps, in developing a realistic action plan for their job search. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with MBA Career Services throughout their career management process and keep MBA Career Services updated on their job search situation. Developing a realistic action plan includes:
- learning the art of effective resume/curriculum vitae and letter writing, networking skills, interviewing techniques (using mock interviews) to develop a competitive advantage.
- evaluating employment opportunities and negotiating offers.
MBA Career Services assists through hosting workshops on resume development and cover letters, interviewing skills, salary negotiations, and other aspects of the personal job search. Resource asdf of relevance to the personal job search are provided to our students.
Employment Opportunities
Students, graduates, and alumni of the Edwards MBA Program can access job postings at Place Pro – access code for the University of Saskatchewan Edwards MBA Program is usaskmba. You must first register by emailing MBA Career Servicesto receive a username and password to activate your account.
Part of our mission is to provide Edwards MBA students and alumni with the information and tools to market themselves effectively. Optimalresume is such a tool, designed to prepare you to engage employers with professional-quality documents and successful interviewing skills.
You can access OptimalResume at: www.edwardsmba.optimalresume.ca. Using this service you will be able to:
- Design high-impact resumes based on your major and career goals.
- Easily create resumes in several formats including Word Compatible, Plain Text, PDF, and HTML.
- Manage up to 5 unique resumes.
- Include your resume in your own professional website which you can update, deactivate, and reactivate as your career progresses.
Additional features of OptimalResume include:
- Letter Builder – makes it easy to create high-quality professional letters in a matter of minutes.
- Interview Prep – helps you prepare for the toughest of interviews with real-life, multi-media interview scenarios that were developed by seasoned employment professionals.
Career Resource Centre
A dedicated resource centre designed to meet the job search needs of our Edwards MBA students and alumni. A number of resources are available for use in the Centre or for signing out including newspapers, business magazines and journals, directories, and books on a variety of job search subjects.
Through our MBA Executive Dialogue Series, we host MBA alumni and other distinguished members of the business community in presenting to and discussing topics of interest to our MBA students. Past speakers include:
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Angela Schmidt – Vice President, Competitiveness and Strategy, Enterprise Saskatchewan
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Chandra Shekhar – Associate Editor of "The Hindu Business Line" newspaper
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Ron Morris – Morris Interactive
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Ronan Lyons – Managing Consultant, IBM Global Center for Economic Development Research
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Chris Avery – Vice President of Network & Revenue at WestJet Airlines
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Bob Cummings – Executive Vice-President, Guest Experience and Marketing at WestJet Airlines
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Julia Ewing – Director, Community Relations - Shore Gold Inc.
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Bob Gorman – Chief Portfolio Stategist - TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.
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Ken Seitz – Vice-President, Corporate Development - Cameco
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Suresh Kumar – Principal Secretary, Irrigration & Power, with the Government of Punjab
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Colin Robertson – Head of Public Advocacy and Legislative Secretariat, Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC
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Brian Hesje – CEO (retired) and Chairman of the Board, Fountain Tire
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Kevin Peesker – President & Vice President and member of Dell Canada’s Senior Executive Team
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Dr. Les Vertesi – Associate Director of Health Research, Fraser Health Authority
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Robert Watson – President & Chief Executive Officer, SaskTel
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Peggie Koenig – Principal, Koenig & Associates Consultants
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Krista Green – Founder & CEO, Krista Green International
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Lee Whittington – Manager Information Systems, Prairie Swine Centre & Partner, Riverbend Plantation Inc.
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Murray Guy – President, Integrated Designs Inc.
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Nola Jooristy – Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan; “Saskatoon Check Up 2007”
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Karen Mallett – The Civility Group
Corporate Presentations & Interviews
MBA Career Services coordinates various presentations and talks designed to expose students to alumni and other executives who have indicated an interest in connecting with Edwards MBA students, as well as to educate students on different careers, industries, and companies. Speakers will be announced on our website and through email announcements to the student body.
MBA Career Services also assists interested employers with their interviewing needs whether they are interested in coming to campus to interview in person, conducting a telephone interview, or interviewing candidates via telephone conferencing.
Speed Networking
MBA Career Services organizes an annual Speed Networking Event in the fall each year. This event brings Edwards MBA students, alumni, and members of the local business community together to learn more about effective networking skills. Those in attendance then put these just-learned skills into practice in a fun and fast-paced environment. This is a fun, interactive event and one that is enjoyed and highly anticipated by all participants.
Professional Development
Professional skills development sessions are offered throughout the year. Sessions explore various topics of interest including:
- Business Etiquette
- Negotiation skills
- Contract Law
- Employment Law
- Collective Bargaining
- Networking Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Performance Management
- Group Dynamics & Team Building
- Emotional Intelligence
- Privacy Regulation and Application
- Conflict Management
- Personality Styles
Mock Interviews
Alumni of the Edwards MBA generously donate their time to conduct mock interviews with Edwards MBA students. Alumni interested in participating in this program are invited to contact Maryann Ross or call 306-966-2586. Mock interviews are conducted in person, over the phone, or using video conferencing technology, and serve as a valuable learning tool for our students and networking opportunity for both students and alumni.
