Editors Note
The BASS Potential
Moving Out
Ahead of the Curve
5 Ways AIESEC has Prepared Me for the Business World
Making Connections
tableof
contents
editors
note
ISSUE #1
EDITOR- IN- CHIEF
Taylor Ward
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Caitlyn Sue
JOURNALIST
Brendan Munro
Justin Ang
EDITOR
Naina Sethi
LAYOUT DESIGNER
Roxanne Henschke
Judy Zheng
As I read over old copies of The Buzz, I start to question myself. Am
I able to create something like this? I grab my water bottle and take a sip.
Staring into my computer screen in doubt and wonder, I know I have to
make a decision. My head pounds to the thought of this pressure; positives
and negatives. Accept a challenge or miss an opportunity? What if I take this
position and fail? What if I just embarrass BASS? I take a deep breath and
grab my cell phone. I make a decision.
That leaves me to this point right now, writing up this editor’s note. After
all the interviews, articles and deadlines, our first issue is coming to a close.
Surreal. With an incredible team behind the Associate Editor and I, we were
able to put this together; Issue 1 of 9, our first issue of The Executive.
The goal of The Executive is to eventually include a mix of internal and
external articles from different companies, about business opportunities and
the business community in-and-outside of SFU. One of such contributors,
who also happen to be our major sponsor, is the CGA.
The Executive is BASS’ premier publication to undergraduate students at
the Beedie School of Business. With a new school of business, came a new
re-branded magazine.
We, as a team, aim to create a career-focused magazine, while
highlighting different clubs and covering current business events. Our goal
is to create an addictive business magazine. My wish is to be in the line at
Tim Hortons, and overhear someone talking about an article they read in
The Executive. We are writing for business students, for readers who want to
know more about the Beedie community. We created The Executive for you.
Sincerly,
Taylor Ward
“
There is no reason Beedie
undergraduates should not
expect to have the highest
starting salary within 10 years.
TheBASS Potential
Written by: Brock Balfour
A student society has potential
to be a powerful force and a
catalyst for greatness. While
common perception is that there
are many limits placed on a student
society, these are more often than
not self-imposed. When these
are placed on a society by an
external source, they can always be
removed with the right approach,
given enough time and more
importantly, the willpower to do so.
In my experience, organizations
are limited by the collective
willpower of its members and
stakeholders. The vision that is
set, given appropriate levels of
willpower, is what becomes the
new reality.
Undergrad students at the
Beedie School of Business are not
only constituents of the Business
Administration Student Society,
but the force and will behind our
actions. We are constantly looking
for motivated members of our
constituents to join the BASS
Student Council and help make our
visions a reality.
The question that often emerges
is what is BASS’ role in the context
of the Beedie School of Business?
I fundamentally challenge this
question, as it is not the right
question to be asking. I ask what
should BASS’ role for the Beedie
School of Business be?
My answer to the latter is
simple: everything.
BASS is here to serve our
constituents, all undergrad students
at the Beedie School of Business.
We represent students and it is
our duty to represent students in
all aspects of their undergraduate
experience, then as alumni. It is critical that we
continue our integration with all aspects of the Beedie
School of Business and our other stakeholders so that
we can ensure that we are fulfilling our duty to our
constituents.
The following is where BASS can be in X years,
where X = willpower of students * time
Working in conjunction or complementary to the
Beedie School of Business, BASS will be involved in
ensuring the top students globally and specifically in
the GVA chose the Beedie School of Business as their
place of study.
When students enter first year, they go through
FROSH and have an unrivaled introduction to the
Beedie School of Business. They then begin their
studies in the BusOne cohort program and are
automatically enrolled in the Business Mentorship
Program, which in conjunction with BusOne leaves
new students highly supported and in a position to
excel. As students enter their second semester they
attend the Career Paths Conference to see what the
actual concentrations will result in, and start their club
or case competition involvement.
As students go through their second and third year,
working in conjunction with partners whether it is
clubs, SEO, Co-op, CMC, International Exchange or
anyone else, we will provide opportunity for everyone
to get involved outside of the classroom. Promoting
and funding different opportunities, acknowledging
accomplishments at our Student Awards Gala, training
new club Executives at the Student Leadership Retreat
will help reinforce this. Sending our team to JDC West
is an example of a direct approach to this. However for
the students’ developmental phase, it is most effective
to provide opportunities indirectly.
As students enter their fourth and fifth year, it is
all about finding high caliber jobs for our soon to
be grads. Offering networking events such as the
BASS Banquet and Golf Tournament gives a great
opportunity for students to connect with employers.
Meeting and forming partnerships with an increasing
number of world-class firms will increase the number
of undergrads directly hired to high paying jobs.
Supporting top end programs like the new Consulting
recruit will do this as well. There is no reason Beedie
undergraduates should not expect to have the highest
starting salary within 10 years.
As students graduate we need to stay connected
with them. We have all chosen Team Beedie and this
is our team for life. This is something very powerful
and BASS can play a critical role in creating a
culture of ongoing involvement of alumni with our
undergraduate students.
Lastly, when we look at the reputation of the
Beedie School of Business there are many large
initiatives we can tale on that others don’t. Bidding for
major events such as JDC West or RoundTable (major
conference) can help. Something more ambitious
like hosting the first ever Pan-Canadian JDC is more
appealing and within our reach. The only necessary
ingredient is willpower.
Perhaps the question should then be when
will the Beedie School of Business offer the best
undergraduate experience globally? What are you
personally doing to help achieve this? Unlock the
BASS potential with our collective willpower and
everything becomes possible.
Moving Out
So you dream of graduating, getting a career started and finally moving
out of your parents’ basement. Good luck to you on that last one.
With the cost of living in Vancouver is recognized by The Economist as
currently being higher than any other city in North America, it can a difficult
for young graduates to gain traction on their road to financial independence
from their parents. Add to this fact the burden many graduates face with large
student debts and the dream of moving out on your own can seem daunting.
There is hope, however, with a bit of budgeting and creative planning.
The first step is realizing what an independent lifestyle might cost. While
everyone has different priorities, some basic fixed costs remain applicable to
everyone: rent, utilities, transportation, food, and clothing. BC charges some
of the highest rates for student loans, so paying back the average $25,000
loan at 3-5% interest over 14 years becomes a considerable fixed cost. There
are also a number of discretionary costs that should also be included in the
budget such as entertainment and communications costs. Finally, setting up
the new place with furniture and other basics will be factored in on a one-time
basis. For the sake of comparison, let’s look at three different lifestyles for
hypothetical young business graduates employed at a downtown firm: renting
a downtown apartment, renting and commuting from the suburbs or owning a
house in the Fraser Valley.
Written by: Brendan Munro
Downtown Renter
This person likes to live in the heart
of the city, close to the action and
within a short distance of the office. She
doesn’t need a car, which saves her a lot
of money, but will rent one occasionally
on the weekend to do some shopping.
She also sometimes takes a taxi at night
to avoid strange people on the bus.
Taking advantage of all the amenities
of the downtown core, she likes to go
dining or drinking with colleagues after
work, goes out clubbing a few times per
month, and exercises in the park. She
is always connected to her friends and
the office, sporting the latest cell phone.
She will try borrowing Wi-Fi from a
neighbour but will end up paying for
cable. She works as a junior analyst for a
bank and is making $50,000 per year.
Rent: $2000
Utilities: $75
Car Costs (payment, insurance,
gasoline, parking): $0
Other transportation costs: bus pass
$75, taxis $50, occasional car rental
$50
Food (including dining out): $600
Clothing: $100
Student Loan Repayment: $200
Communications (cell phone,
television, internet): $160
Entertainment: $300
After tax income: $40,000 per year or
$3333 per month
Monthly expenses: $3610
Monthly savings: -$277
One time cost of setting up the
apartment with furniture / basic
necessities: $2500
Looking at the above budget,
saving money for her will be a quite a
task. Let’s hope she can get a raise in
her career soon!
Renting In The Suburbs:
This graduate saw the price of
living downtown and recoiled, so
he moved to Burnaby where he is
renting an apartment. He commutes
daily to the office in his new car. He
doesn’t often go out for food or drinks,
unless he’s out snowboarding with his
friends. He’s a big Canucks fan, so he
goes to an occasional game and has
an grand HDTV. He recently began
working at a downtown accounting
firm where he makes $48,000 (before
taxes).
Rent: $1300
Utilities: $85
Car Costs (including payment,
insurance, gas, parking): $950
Food (including dining out): $500
Student Loan Repayment: $200
Communications: $140
Entertainment/Snowboarding: $300
After-tax income: $38,400 per year or
$3,200 per month
Monthly expenses total: $3475
Monthly savings: -$275
One time setup costs for new
apartment: $2500
Just like our friend downtown,
this young graduate’s budget isn’t
sustainable. Whatever savings is
offered by living in the suburbs is
more than offset by the high cost of
vehicle ownership. But hey, at least
the car is sexy and fun to drive!
Owning a home in the Fraser Valley:
Our last graduate enjoys spending
time with her fiancée and hopes to start
a family one day soon. Having been
told that housing is a great investment,
she went East until she qualified for
a mortgage on a $500,000 house. She
just landed a job in investment and
insurance sales. The salary is decent
and when commissions are added in,
she makes $58,000 per year.
Mortgage ($400,000 @ 4.5% fixed,
30-year amortization: $2016
Utilities: $200
Home Maintenance: $300
Property taxes: $250
Car Costs (including payment,
insurance, gas, parking): $1200
Food (including dining out): $500
Student Loan Repayment: $200
Communications: $120
Entertainment: $200
After-tax income: $46400 per year or
$3867 per month
Monthly expenses total: $4986
Monthly savings: -$1119
One time setup costs for new house:
$100,000 down payment, plus $6000
for furniture and appliances.
Sadly, our graduate has bought
a house that she cannot afford, so
hopefully her fiancée or her parents are
willing to help make some mortgage
payments until she closes some big
sales.
In summary, the home ownership
model is completely unfeasible on the
above salaries and even renting an
apartment by ones self is a precarious
situation. Perhaps the clear solution
for any of these hypothetical graduates
is to get a roommate. While living
with someone else may not be ideal,
however, they will help cover rent
costs and would not be concerned with
the time you come home at night. On
the downside, they’re unlikely to make
you dinner or do your laundry for
you. There are no easy solutions here,
which is probably why we hear about
so many young adults continuing
to live with their parents, even after
they have finished school and started
working, but the key is to plan ahead,
know what you’re getting into and live
within your means.
Ahead of the Curve
Book Review:
Philip Delves Broughton
email to which I received a reply
promptly. Informing him that I was
a writer studying business at SFU,
he responded by saying that I was
“the very bulls eye of the target
audience.”
Written by: Brendan Munro
While the Beedie School of
Business is slowly developing its
reputation for educating leaders,
it has a long road to take in order
to reach where Harvard Business
School (HBS) lies. After a
century spent moulding the titans
of industry, HBS has built its
brand by accepting some of the
brightest, most driven, and highly
ambitious students from around
the world. Despite this standard,
it also accepted Philip Delves
Broughton.
His book, Ahead of the Curve, is
an essential read for anyone that
has ever dreamed of pursuing a
Harvard MBA. It is also a must
read for anyone who has ever
doubted their decision to get a
Harvard MBA.
Broughton came to Harvard as an
experienced journalist and writer,
so its no surprise that his fluid
story telling about his experiences
at Harvard drip with delightful
twists, moments of insight,
colourful characters and numerous
instances of self-doubt.
According to Broughton, the big
secrets of HBS include the way
business problems are examined
utilizing their infamous case
teaching system as well as simple
lessons such as learning to return
all calls and emails immediately,
which according to Broughton
“will put you ahead of 99.99% of
your competition.”
To test the statement, I sent him an
It was fascinating to read a book
that felt as if it had been written
specifically for me being a fellow
business student and navigating
the challenges of learning the
language of business. While the
book is a couple of years old now,
it is certainly worth reading just to
learn what drives Harvard MBA’s,
even when they know what awaits
for them upon graduation are
thousands of hours of toil, sweat
and broken families, all for a shot
at making a million or two. If you
approve of this deal, you may also
be interested in his upcoming book,
The Art of the Sale.
5WaysAIESEChasPreparedMe
fortheBusinessWorld
Written by: Tamara Hombrebueno
I first came upon AIESEC in my
second year at Career Days. As a
Beedie student eager to learn and get
involved, I joined and never looked
back! A year and a half later, I am on
the Executive Board as Vice President
Communications and leading a
team of thirteen. So what really is
AIESEC? As the world’s largest
student-run organization, we strive
to develop leaders through running a
Global Internship Program. Basically,
AIESEC SFU is one local chapter
of thousands around the world that
sends students abroad on internships
while at the same time bringing
students from all around the world
to work on internships locally.
Throughout my time in AIESEC, I
have had the opportunity to develop
professionally, preparing me for the
business world!
What exactly has AIESEC done for
me?
Develop My Sales Skills
The first thing I learned in this
organization is the importance
of the brand and how the value
of AIESEC is communicated to
the various stakeholders. This
includes students, professors,
faculties, AIESEC alumni, business
professionals and the community
of Vancouver as a whole. Each
stakeholder has different needs
and interests, and thus requires
different value propositions. I
have learned how to develop my
pitch and tailor it accordingly. In
particular, AIESEC has pushed me
out of my comfort zone and helped
me gather the courage to network
with CEOs and other business
professionals in order to make
partnerships with their companies.
I have attended marketing meetings
and have had used Customer
Relationship Management databases
to gather information and track
our activity with our stakeholders.
I have become more confident in
how I present myself in business
environments and would not have had
this chance otherwise.
Experience a Global Working
Environment
My time in AIESEC has allowed me
to meet people from around the world,
who essentially do the same thing
that our local chapter is doing, but in
completely different ways. Attending
national, regional and sub-regional
AIESEC conferences has enabled me
to develop a network of students from
twenty-seven other local chapters
in Canada that I can collaborate and
consult with. Also, all the interns that
our chapter has recently brought in
from the Philippines, Italy, Tunisia and
Poland have broadened my perspective
on the world. And just the other
day, I was chatting with a member
from AIESEC US about best case
practices for social media and how
we can learn from each other. Paying
attention to how other AIESECers
manage their organization in their
respective countries has enabled me
to understand how I fit in, and how
Canada fits into the global network.
I have no doubt that this global
understanding and the network I have
established for myself will benefit me
in my future career.
Facilitate Human Resources
Processes
Human Resources (HR) planning,
recruitment, selection, training! I
spent the majority of the past two
months planning my Communications
portfolio so that it would be most
effective in achieving the strategy
of AIESEC SFU for the following
year. This included analyzing the
current positions on my team, creating
new positions if needed, writing job
descriptions, recruiting potential
members then interviewing and
allocating them. Though a lengthy
and time consuming process, I learned
exactly how HR processes work.
Funny enough, I’m currently taking
BUS 381: “Introduction to Human Resources Management” this semester, and
some days, I sit in class thinking “hey, I’ve already done that”!
Experiment with Marketing
Before I joined, I had no clue what business concentration I wanted to pursue.
AIESEC essentially helped me define where my passion was. Communications
is the marketing team, responsible for getting the word out about the
organization. Creating value propositions for our stakeholders, planning
targeted marketing campaigns, implementing social media strategies, analyzing
the effectiveness of methods of communication and establishing and maintaining
the brand of AIESEC – these are just some of the things I have been able to do!
And all of that has helped me realize that my future lies in Marketing. Although
I had already taken BUS 343: “Introduction to Marketing”, I didn’t realize that
I loved it until I actually utilized everything I learned from the class. Being able
to experiment and try out all my ideas in this learning environment has prepared
me for the job I hope to have one day.
Explore Leadership and Teamwork
Leaders versus managers. It’s an idea that comes up often, including many of my
business classes. What makes an effective leader? Every day I am learning how
to become just that. I am learning the importance of empowering members and
finding ways to engage and develop my team. Also, being part of the Executive
Board has given me great insight as to how interconnected departments are in
an organization and how important it is for everyone to work together. I am
regularly consulting every portfolio in order to ensure that my Communications
initiatives are aligned with theirs and supporting their own initiatives and goals.
I believe that AIESEC is like taking a crash course in running an organization.
It’s a place to learn, experiment and utilize all the theories and lessons we learn
in our business classes. My experience has been invaluable, and I look forward
to continually learning and developing myself through my business education at
Beedie and through AIESEC.
For more information on how to get involved with AIESEC, visit the website
www.aiesec.ca/sfu or visit us in the AIESEC SFU office located in WMC 2354!
nominees for Most Valuable First
Year - Sonia Cheng, Loretta Yang
and Candy Leong won! Finally, the
question we all want an answer to
is, Fahad Yasin, Why Haven’t You
Graduated Yet?
Last, but certainly not least, to
be announced was the CGA
Club of the Year presented by
Jas Randhawa of CGA BC. The
nominees for the award were
narrowed to YWiB, ASA, HRSA
and SIFE, and the suspense built
as Jas offered a brief explanation
of each club’s achievements over
“
StudentsAwardsGala
Written by: Joel Thom
The First Annual BASS
Student Awards Gala on February
16 was a success, leaving attendees
excited for what next year has
to bring. Despite, a slow start to
ticket sales, the Gala turned out to
be an intimate evening among the
faculty, sponsors and peers. Event
Chair, Erica Rizzo, opened the
evening with a warm welcome to
the faculty members in attendance
as well as CGA BC. Moreover, she
invited all of the attendees to take
their seats for first course to be
served, catered by the Coast Coal
Harbour Hotel.
As attendees finished their second course, Erica took to the
stage alongside her Organizing
Committee with Joel Thom and
Taylor Ward to present awards
to the first half of the night’s
winners. The night’s first award,
Event of the Year, went to the
YWiB Launch Party. This year’s
Best New Operation was claimed
by Amit Bhagat for the Social
Entrepreneurship Challenge,
standing out among its fellow
nominees as an innovative
To her
surprise, Stefania
Brandner and
her Twitter Feed
are Most Likely
to Have a Reality
Show.
competition. Margarita Sanchez, the VP Internal Relations for Simon
Fraser Consulting picked up Executive of the Year, playing an integral
role in the establishment of Beedie’s newest club. An extensive list of
involvement in case competitions over the past year, including 1st place
at JDC West 2011, Stephen Lee won the title of Case Competitor of the
Year. Finally, Project Manager of the Year went to Brian Yan Muk for
his hard work towards the Business Mentorship Program. As the more
serious portion of the evening took to a close, dessert was served.
The Organizing Committee once again took to the stage to continue
presenting awards, on a more comical note. Nicholas Heng and
Margaux Villalpando proudly took home the title of Best Hair, attributed
to 5 kinds of hair gel and flowing black locks. Stephanie Wong and
Brandon Ling won the title of Best Dressed; unfortunately neither was
in attendance, as they were likely out shopping for something to wear.
To her surprise, Stefania Brandner and her Twitter Feed are Most Likely
to Have a Reality Show. Matthew Kwong became Most Likely to be
on the Cover of GQ, striking a pose as he made his way to the stage.
Biggest Bromance was won by Amit Bhagat and Sarnvir Thiara, as it
dates back to early Highschool. Biggest Heart went to JDC West’s Jason
Braich, with the right side of the room erupting into cheer. All three
the past year. With fingers
crossed throughout the room, in
the highly anticipated moment
of the night, Jas announced
HRSA as the first ever CGA
Club of the Year.
Once the awards were
delivered, BASS President,
Brock Balfour, encouraged
attendees to enjoy the rest of the
evening as the music started. You
might ask yourself how the night
ended, but we’ll leave that to
Facebook to tell you!
Making
Connections
share something interesting about yourself
that would bring the conversation to life.
As a note of caution, however, you should
do well to observe a professional conduct at
any point in time.
“
... we forget the purpose
of networking and dismiss it
as yet another requirement
to secure job offers.
Written by: Justin Ang
With every passing job
opportunity, some of us wonder
if networking really does help
with getting your foot in the door.
Whether you are planning on
starting your job hunt now or after
you have graduated, it is never too
late to start building your contacts.
While trying to envision the fruits
of your labour now may seem
challenging, you can never tell
where, or how far your impressions
may carry you.
Every so often, we forget
the purpose of networking
and dismiss it as yet another
requirement to secure job offers.
Such observations are no surprise
to professional recruiters, who
purport that networking sessions
are often confused as a means to
get hired. Networking, in their
opinions, should be a source of
information and an opportunity
to foster ongoing relationships. If
you haven’t already met someone
in your field of study, networking
allows for such an interaction to
occur. Experts are closer than you
know; why scour Bay Street when
so many of our eager professors
who have already been there and
back, are waiting in their offices
right across the hallway. Although
it is necessary to build contacts
outside the classrooms, as students,
we should not oust ourselves from
the campus or its people.
That said, knowledge is not
all that there is to networking. As
much as professionals are a source
of information, we can be sure that they are not just walking databases.
Unlike computers, humans see value in relationships. The following are
some ways to help you foster bonds with your contacts:
Strike meaningful and genuine conversations. In a circle that can
get as large as a tutorial group, stealing the limelight may seem like an
impossible challenge. In order to capture the attention of the professional,
differentiating yourself from others is crucial. While answers to specific
questions do give insights to important facts such as the qualities
recruiters look for in a candidate, being able to hold an interesting and
authentic conversation will ultimately win you the key to your recruiters’
memory. To put this idea into perspective, just imagine opening up to
someone who really cared, after a long day of interviews. Again, what
sets you apart among others is the impression you give, or the lack of it –
Listen Actively. It is not enough to be
physically present and silent while your
contact is speaking. In fact, it becomes very
obvious to someone who is talking when
their audience appears dazed. Make an
effort to understand what the person on the
other end is trying to say, and try to build
on that. Active listening is the hallmark of
a leader and an effective team worker. A
couple of years ago, when Harvard Business
Publishing conducted an interview with
Daniel Goleman, an acclaimed psychologist,
he pointed out that “one of the sure signs
for social intelligence is rapport – when
you feel comfortable with the person” and
when “they are really listening and attuning
to you.” In other words, do not be too
quick to interrupt and impress, whether the
professional is addressing you or someone
else in the circle.
Follow up. As always, do not end the
relationship the moment you step out of
the room. Send an email thanking the
people you want to continue building your
relationship with. Avoid asking for favours
in your first emails, but instead, reserve them
for subsequent emails if you do not want
to come across as taking advantage of your
contacts. Even after the recruitment process,
check-in with your contacts occasionally
and take your time to nurture your bonds.
Just like almost about anything in life,
mistakes are bound to happen. Start early,
and give yourself time to improve on your
networking skills. Before long, your contacts
may have already found you your dream job.