Keeping up the momentum
The Department of Management hosts motivational conference for second-year students
The 2017 Momentum Conference was a full-day event packed with workshops helmed by a diverse group of experienced thought leaders as well as break-out sessions by faculty on accounting, finance, marketing, and human resources.
“Thank you for joining us as we help get you prepared for a life in business,” said Heather Hines, director of undergraduate programs and student services at the Department of Management, urging her young audience towards soft-skill development and student involvement.
Next, she introduced a panel of alumni, each of whom have made outstanding extra-curricular contributions to the Department, including Aditi Shah, a recent Bachelor of Commerce graduate and current alumni blogger for the new student-run UTMBIZLIFE blog.
As an undergrad, Shah’s involvement didn’t end in the classroom. She participated in many activities such as the Annual Stock Market Challenge, the Work-Study Program and FASTtrack, an initiative that runs five sessions each year on topics such as personal branding, building career and professional connections, and coping with stress.
These sessions are part of the Professional Skills Development Program (PSDP) that is available to all undergrad Management students.
Shah was extremely grateful for the various office hours held by staff and faculty at the Department.
She also took advantage of the many services offered by the Li Koon Chun Finance Learning Centre (FLC), a hub for students, faculty and staff interested in finance, investing and business, that provides specialized information resources, services, and expertise.
“A lot of the skills I learned there proved to be very helpful in the workplace…initiatives such as Advanced Excel Modelling and Breaking into Bay Street were also quite insightful.”
Student and guest alumni panelists touched on subjects such as networking opportunities on campus and the importance of Microsoft Excel, as well as addressed common student concerns and queries.
During the afternoon reception some students approached Shah, who is currently employed as a Fund Accountant at CIBC Mellon, to get her advice on how to “land internships and put themselves out there”.
“I truly believe that the Momentum Conference was of great value and I hope I was of some help,” she said, adding: “I strongly believe that the second-year students this year are highly motivated in getting to where they want to be.”
Also in attendance were Mihkel Tombak, chair of the Department of Management, Eckhard Schumann, director of undergraduate programs, and Soo Min Toh, director of the Institute for Management & Innovation, all of whom had plenty of words of encouragement and inspiration for students embarking on their journey to discover their leadership potential.
“It was so rewarding to plan and witness the first-ever Momentum Conference,” said Yuki Zhong, acting undergraduate program assistant, UTM alumna and organizer.
She hopes more second-year students will take advantage of the plethora of professional development opportunities and resources offered at the Department of Management.
“Thank you to the undergrad team, the wonderful work-study team, our alumni and student groups for supporting this initiative.”
