In this series, blog writers Austin Chan, Hannah Argiloff and Cordlyne Nwankwo interviewed three HBA2 students on their experiences with recruiting in the pandemic. Here’s what they had to say:
Question: How do you picture your career after Ivey? Has the pandemic changed any of your plans? If so, how have you adapted?
Brad Perez: The pandemic has not changed most of my plans moving forward. It was an earlier decision to find stability in the industry that I wanted to work in. Looking five to ten years in the future, it was not as a short-term goal, but rather, staying true to my interests and seeing where I wanted to work. For the past couple of years, the finance sector has stayed relatively resilient, which was a major factor in why I remain optimistic for the future.
Jordie Wilkinson: The pandemic has completely changed my plans. I was looking forward to this question because when you’re in Ivey, a lot of students tend to be very ambitious and goal-oriented. The bar is just high – and it definitely makes sense, considering you have to work really hard to get into the program. So that makes it harder to take a step back and think – wait, I’m 21 or 22 years old. Do I really want to start working in an office right away? I’d definitely like to get there at one point, but right now, is that what I really want? Before the pandemic, I definitely would not have had the perspective to stop for a second and think about that.
The pandemic helped me realize that I don’t immediately want to start working in a corporate office in Toronto. Nothing is set in stone, and the pandemic has made me a bit more comfortable with not knowing exactly what is going to happen. I think I want to go to Europe and work there – I might even work in a café or a clothing store. I want the experience, and I want to see the world a bit more.
I also might write my LSATs this summer so I could potentially go to law school, which is another thing that I wouldn’t have done had it not been for the pandemic. Overall, I think the pandemic opened a bunch of doors that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered by allowing me to step back and have this perspective.
Give yourself the space to be okay with not following the typical path. We’re still so young. Of course I want to be successful and of course I want to get that big job, but that day does not have to be today.
Lena Robinson: As someone entering the consulting space with a focus on healthcare this August, I believe that the pandemic will have dramatic effects on the way I will begin my career. It will be interesting to see how consultants will adapt their historically travel-oriented and in-person interactions now that they have spent a year in a virtual setting. Moreover, with society’s elevated focus on healthcare, I am hopeful that I can have a greater impact on both business strategy and societal outcomes.
My experience leading to my post-Ivey career was not all smooth sailing though. With my summer internship changed to a professional development program, I had to quickly adapt and find new opportunities to gain experience and learn new skills. By accessing my academic and personal networks, I was able to perform strategy-focused research, write a case, and learn new skills that I could apply to my future career. I recommend looking back at your past experiences if you find yourself in a similar position and leveraging these connections to find new opportunities.