Top Talent: UBC’s Sauder School of Business graduate Marina Tran-Vu

TalentEgg Incubator. 26 August 2010

Marina Tran-Vu graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business in 2010 with a Bachelors of Commerce with a focus in marketing. She is currently working as a media planning assistant forCossette Communications.

Tran-Vu recently placed first in the first annual Endeavor Non-profit Consulting Case Competition for young professionals.

Jenkin Au, a fellow Sauder alumni says that “Marina has profound insight to whatever situation she is faced with.”

This experienced world traveller took some time to answer our questions.

What career paths are you currently interested in?

I am currently interested in anything to do with brand management and advertisement. More specifically, I am interested in consumer packaged goods (especially food products, beauty products, entertainment products and apparel). In the future, I would like to be a brand manager for companies like Nestle, Lindt, Holt Renfrew, Revlon, L’Oreal, LVMH, Gucci, Unilever or EA Games.

I would like to represent these kinds of companies for two reasons. First, these are all brands and product categories I love – if I don’t love the brand, how could I expect to do a great job marketing it?

Second, a brand manager’s role is to see the big picture – my career experiences have been in doing everything at the customer level and working my way up to understand the “big picture.” I believe because I have this understanding of how things work from the ground up, it will give me a big advantage in working in the brand management field.

Tell us about something you’ve done that is completely unrelated to your current career path that shows you’re going to be a superstar in the workforce.

I co-founded the first student-run Investment Banking Competition in Canada in 2009 at the University of British Columbia. I did this because I saw a need for students to get exposure to the incredibly lucrative industry of Investment Banking. The competition exposed them to investment banking professionals in the field and tested their skills solving an investment banking case in an intensive 12 hour competition. This shows my ability to be an innovative entrepreneur who is able to see their ideas through to fruition.

What have your Top 3 life experiences been, and how can you relate those experiences to your career?

My first experience was working internationally at a religious Hong Kong Financial Firm. While I was there I learned how to adapt to a different culture where I didn’t speak the language, learned different cultural etiquette, and I learned about a different religion through my work experience.

Living in a country where I couldn’t speak the language made me learn to not only adopt basic language for the country, but also taught me to use body language in order to communicate with the locals. A big smile when asking a question always helps! In terms of a religious firm, the company I worked for was a Christian-based financial firm. This means that while the company role was to provide financial services to its clients, these services were offered on the basis that they aligned with the religious and moral beliefs of the Christian religion. It was a great work experience because I learned more about a religion that I wasn’t familiar with, and I also go to exchange my own beliefs to a very open-minded organization.

Bungee Jumping in Hong Kong

My second experience was travelling to Toronto for a week to speak with brand managers and marketing executives in the field. While I was there, I learned how valuable it is to build a network, what opportunities are available outside of Vancouver, and the value of looking to others to gain knowledge.

As a student coming from Vancouver looking to build a career in a large city like Toronto, it was important for me to gain knowledge about the marketing industry in the city to ensure it would be an area where I could expect to be able to fully develop my career. The fact that I reached out to individuals who were seasoned in the marketing field and in career roles that I aspired to attain in the future not only gave me insight in to what a brand manager role expected from any potential candidate, and also helped me to build a network of people who I could trust for career and professional advice.

A bonus is when I build such a great relationship that they become a mentor for the start of and throughout the rest of my career. Also when I was looking to get recruited by a firm, speaking to the senior professionals at these organizations gave me an advantage when I was looking to hear quickly about positions that were open.

My third experience was travelling to Korea by myself for two weeks. The experience allowed me to learn how to be open to meeting new people, how to embrace living in new environments, and how to integrate myself in a new culture.

Why do you want to work in the United Nations?

Coming from a family that was originally from Vietnam, my parents taught me about the poverty they experienced growing up. As an individual born in Canada, I could not possibly understand the extent of poverty that is experienced in a country so far away. Therefore, the reason why I want to work for the United Nations is to really gain an understanding of the struggles that the majority of populations in third-world countries experience.

As well, I would love be able to give back to the country that my parents were from. Vietnam is a beautiful country that is bogged down by the after-effects of the Vietnam War and poverty. I know that under all the grief that has stricken the country there is a potential to show the world how extraordinary the people and the land truly are.

What makes you a “Type A” personality, and how does that fit in with your career goals?

My Type A personality is expressed in the fact that I am consistently involved in everything that interests me. I love to be busy, having my time taken up by work, case competitions, volunteering, taking French lessons, playing sports, etc. I have always been heavily involved in volunteer work, athletics, academics and extracurricular activities since high school and hope to continue to do so.

I am also very forward-thinking, always looking for the next thing that interests me, something I want to pursue or that next opportunity. Even though I have a full-time job, I don’t want to revert to a state where I will settle just for working and being content with having that as the activity that occupies most of my brain power for the rest of my life. I like to be constantly stimulated, and I keep that up by being involved in various things, and making sure everything I am involved in, I am on top of and execute well.

Top Talent: Schulich international business student Timothy Mark

TalentEgg Incubator. 22 July 2010

Timothy Mark just finished his second year in York University‘s Schulich School of Business, where he is completing his degree in International Bachelors of Business Administration.

Timothy won Schulich’s 2010 The Apprentice competition by creating marketing strategies for General Mills, Maple Leaf and Kraft.

Additionally, he was a finalist in the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec competition which allowed him and his partner to visit General Motors’ office in Oshawa. While they were there, they learned a lot about GM’s corporate culture and how they use social media, and they also got to test drive some cars, including the Chevrolet Cruze.

Timothy describes himself as someone with “the imagination of an eight-year-old but the maturity of a 28-year-old,” which has created a healthy balance for what he claims to be his recipe for personal success, which he hopes to share with others.

What career paths are you currently interested in?

First and foremost I want a career that I can fall in love with, but with being so young [...] it’s hard to tell what love feels like. I have undoubtedly have had many suitors—sales, human resources, finance, and marketing–but like a series ofThe Bachelor, the contestants are so beautiful that it’s hard to make a final choice.

My entry-level work experience has seen me in sales roles. The first was at an amusement park, Canada’s Wonderland, where I was a supervisor. While there, I developed an affinity with words, a knack for leadership, a disciplined approach to detail, and a tan that refuses to go away from working for so long under the sun.

Currently, I look to grow the sales prospects for a student-run non-profit organization, [AIESEC York]. My closest friends and confidants tell me that I have the brains for finance. My first leadership experience in business school was a vice president role in talent management for the same aforementioned non-profit that is 50 bodies strong.

But, despite all of this, I have developed a propensity to succeed in marketing competitions with my partner in crime, Levon Golendukhin. Shortly after entering our first year of university at the Schulich School of Business, we emerged victorious in an Apprentice case competition that saw us innovate solutions for General Mills, Maple Leaf, and Kraft.

Our greatest successes have come recently with the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec competition, finishing in the Top10 while winning a social media marketing side-competition for General Motors. I feel that I am ready to enter the world of marketing because of my hands-on experience.

After establishing my career, I hope to find a way to positively impact the Canadian health care system to follow in my father’s footsteps—he is a general practitioner and a prominent activist of improving the system in Canada.

Tell us about something you’ve done that is completely unrelated to your current career path that shows you’re going to be a superstar in the workforce.

In any organization where I have held the responsibility of leadership I have simultaneously looked to move up in the world while paying close attention to the paths I have laid behind me for many to follow. I like to call it a leadership pipeline. I recognize that time spent working in an organization is finite so my legacy must be carried out by my successors.

Can you tell us more about your experiences with AIESEC York?

The organization functions at an international level with young professionals leading it, but at the university level, it is entirely student-run. What is unique about AIESEC is that it is a rare opportunity for students to run a business with each other on campus and the large amount of ownership and responsibility taken by the senior members greatly develops their leadership.

Most recently, I have helped students and recent grads at York to gain career-launching and life-changing experiences in France, the UK, Uganda, and Nigeria. With contacts residing in over 20 countries who I have helped further their careers in some way, I know I will have a diverse international network at my disposal that can only grow stronger upon graduation.

Why are you so interested in the international community?

My interest to be increasingly international stems from my unique lack of international experience prior to high school. Being a fourth generation Chinese-born Canadian, I have little heritage that has been passed onto me. My desire to learn Mandarin drew me into Schulich’s International Business program and my interests internationally grew alongside my peers who are also possess globally-focused minds.

Once I became heavily involved in AIESEC I began having opportunities to communicate with young leaders across the world. It is these long distance communications that give me insight into the working culture of other countries.

If an employer called your best friend for a reference, what would they say to get you the job?

Danson Hui, Schulich School of Business alumnus, says, “Rarely will you encounter someone who takes ownership to the extent of Tim. In pursuit of excellent in any professional and personal endeavour, he is always the one who willingly takes responsibility for very consequential duties that most people avoid. Tim is not only deeply passionate and proactive about his own success, but also those involved with him. As a result of these attributes, you’ll see him constantly leading and making a difference on the world and people around him.”

Top Talent: University of Toronto business student Vicky Zhao

June 18 2010. TalentEgg Incubator.

Vicky Zhao, a student in the University of Toronto co-op bachelor of business administration management program with a specialization in marketing, competed in the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec competition this spring. She is currently completing the final semester of her degree, with the hope of graduating this fall.

Zhao describes herself as highly organized, dedicated, scrupulous and an avid list-maker. She grew up in China and South Africa as well as here in Canada. Vicky has also been actively involved in on-campus governments and clubs during her post secondary education, which she talks about further down in this article. Good luck, Vicky!

What career paths are you currently interested in?

I am currently interested in a career in marketing or advertising where I can put my creativity, analytical thinking and problem solving skills to the test. No matter what, I want to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment that challenges me to constantly grow and update my knowledge.

In your application to TalentEgg’s Top Talent Series you said you were torn between the visual arts and business. How would your skills in drawing, painting and digital animation help you in a career in advertising or marketing?

This background defined me as an individual because I realized no matter what I did, I wanted to be creative, and to be able to influence others. For me, working in the visual arts would mean being able to use my creativity come up with new ways to see everyday things.

In advertising, there is that similar sense of influence. In fact, advertising is made to influence people and make them remember your brand. I consider it a type of problem solving that relies on creativity, inspiration and business acumen. Applied to marketing, I appreciate the challenge of taking ownership of a brand seeing your solution come to life. This type of problem solving is my strength thanks to my business background and my thirst to come up with new ideas.

How did your experience with Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec improve your marketing and advertising skills, and help you become an ideal candidate for an entry-level job?

I am the ideal candidate because I have experience being in both paid and unpaid capacities in marketing roles. I’m also a very quick learner, and I found that to be able to come up with creative ideas and solutions, you need be to be quick on the uptake, and weigh the merits of different approaches and new ideas constantly. The fast-paced nature of the Marketing landscape, and especially Advertising, would suit me very well because I like the challenge of staying constantly forward-thinking.

My experiences also allowed me to see that behind the glamour there is always a lot of hard work. Unlike the visual arts, business inspiration is rarely a “Eureka” moment, but the result of plenty of scrupulous research and analysis. This suits me fine, because I’m very determined and meticulous, which is why I majored in business in the first place.

How did growing up in South Africa influence you today?

South Africa was definitely the best place to be growing up for me. A very diverse nation that Nelson Mandela himself called the “Rainbow Nation,” it’s the first place I learned to be open minded, to learn the perspective of different types of people and to be unafraid of taking risks and exploring.

It was a beautiful country and my family did quite a bit of travelling. Even now, I hope in my career I get to travel across the globe. I had a very easy transition when I came here because Canada is also very multicultural, and I was able to embrace Canadian culture very quickly.

Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity

Tell us about your experiences in student government and how that shows you’re going to be a superstar in the workforce.

I’ve been involved in my university ‘s student government for three out of my four years so far. What I learned best from student governance is both how to be a good team player and how to be an effective leader. There is no substitute for getting to work and socializing with people who are passionate and conscientious on a daily basis. You learn tact, and how to adjust your working style to complement the others on your team.

Most of all, I loved making a difference and seeing its impact. I can’t think of a downside and I recommend other students get involved.

I’ve been able to balance the workload of becoming a senior executive with academic success, and been able to participate in many conferences, competitions (including Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec) and pursue my hobbies all at once. If I can rock all the above, I know I can be a superstar at work.

If an employer called your best friend for a reference, what would they say to get you the job?

“Vicky Zhao is a fourth year student at the University of Toronto in the co-op BBA management program specializing in marketing. Having worked closely with Vicky, I have witnessed first-hand her strong work ethic. Vicky is an asset to any team as she is able to prioritize and focus with ease. She is well-rounded and able to effectively balance her studies and co-op placements with demanding extracurricular activities. She is creative and full of ideas that are current, yet novel. Finally, Vicky is self-aware; she plays on her strengths, yet constantly looks for ways to develop to her fullest potential.”

Top Talent: Capilano University business student and “marketing guru” Brad Hallwood

May 21 2010. TalentEgg Incubator.

Brad Hallwood, a fourth-year business administration student at Capilano University in Vancouver, was recently a finalist in the Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec competition this past spring, where he expressed his passion for marketing and advertising.

A self-professed “Marketing Guru,” Hallwood says he has knowledge of many facets of the marketing industry, and is constantly checking out new marketing trends. With the goal of becoming an account executive in an advertising agency, he says Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec gave him an amazing opportunity to experience what this position would be like.

“Advertising is a competitive industry. It’s all about trying to stand out and that’s what everyone strives to do. The people who are driven to come up with that next great campaign or are driven to go the extra mile and create something truly spectacular are the ones who are going to succeed.”

Tell us about something you’ve done that is completely unrelated to your current career path that shows you’re going to be a superstar in the workforce.

I have been a sports fanatic my whole life. Yet one sport I have never played is baseball. Recently, I decided to join a softball team. Joining this league was a way for me to go outside of my comfort zone to better myself. This allowed me to make new friends, and challenge myself personally while getting in shape and having a lot of fun. I was quite hesitant at first, but after joining and putting in a little extra effort outside the normal games and practices, I find myself fitting in very well.

How can you relate your experiences in Costa Rica to your career?

There is something surreal about arriving alone on a continent where you’ve never been and have no itinerary to follow. I spent the majority of my time in Costa Rica on both the Pacific side as well as the Atlantic side and travelled to many different cities and destinations.

Before taking this trip I was at a bit of a crossroad in my life. I had just completed a two-year diploma in business administration and didn’t know what the next step for me was. I booked this trip with no itinerary and took off alone to a country I’d never been to before and no distinct plans as to where I’d go.

Looking back, it was a little crazy, but it was an experience I never will forget and [it] helped me learn so much about myself. I was there for a month and I met so many people from all over the world and was able to experience so much culture. It’s a real eye opener to see the way other people live, especially in countries where the people are less fortunate than you.

The trip allowed me to discover that I wanted to further my education and put me back on track to completing my bachelor’s degree. The experiences during this trip opened by eyes to the world and allowed me to meet new people, learn a new language and have everlasting lifelong experiences. I feel it broadened by horizons and will allow me to be more open-minded in all aspects of my life.

What was it like to attend the Vancouver 2010 Olympics?

Having the opportunity to experience firsthand the 2010 Olympics made me prouder than ever to be from Vancouver and, more importantly, to be Canadian. The buzz that filled this city was indescribable. It was a unique experience having the opportunity to walk down the street and unite with people from all over the world

After my trip to Central America, I came home with a new appreciation for where I live and for my health and safety. It was definitely an experience being in a less fortunate area of the world and at times quite terrifying even just walking down the street. I realized how lucky I am to live in a country and area where I always feel safe, have access to health care and have good family and friends who are always there to help me if I ever need it.

Being Canadian is something I take great pride in. I have lived in Vancouver all my life and every day get to wake up and experience it in all its beauty. Whether I am on the golf course, boating on the Pacific Ocean, or snowboarding on Whistler or one of the local mountains the scenery and landscape of this city and this country are truly breathtaking and should not be taken for granted.

Montezuma Falls, Costa Rica

If an employer called your best friend for a reference, what would he/she say to get you the job?

Petra Zelman, a third-year Capilano University business student and former co-worker says, “Brad is a person who combines his charismatic personality with outstanding ambition and drive. This has shaped him to be a leader and somehow who I personally look up to.”

What’s so special about you that it would make employers climb over each other to recruit you?

A comment I often hear from people is something along the lines of, “I know you’re going to be successful.” I attribute this to my uncanny sense of ambition and drive. I am driven to not only “be successful,” but to continue learning and growing to personally better myself. I am excited to take this drive and passion into a company where I can not only grow personally but help them succeed and grow as well.