Originally from India with a background in Engineering and a diverse experience in sales, disaster recovery management and software development, Akshay聽Kohli just graduated from McGill Desautels with a concentration in Global Strategy & Leadership. A very dedicated and involved individual, he was Campus Director for the Hult Prize at McGill, President for the McGill Business Technology Club and Partner at the McGill Case Competition Association. He also participated in various case competitions and served as Student Ambassador. Previously working part-time as a consultant at CIBC, Akshay has just joined their Technology Leadership Advancement Program (TLAP) as an Associate, in Toronto. We asked Akshay to tell us about his experience at Desautels and his piece of advice for new students.
Why did you choose the McGill MBA?
While I was looking for options for pursuing an MBA, there are three things that helped me pick McGill Desautels over other schools in Canada.
1. The McGill brand name
As opposed to many international students, my reason for studying in Canada was not to immigrate into the country. I preferred to go to the best educational brand in Canada, which was also the most recognized around the world. As I envision myself as someone who wants to work in and travel to various countries, I believe that McGill鈥檚 brand and the university鈥檚 worldwide network are going to help me stay well connected wherever I go.
2. Montreal
I was looking to advance my career in the aerospace and airlines sectors, having worked with airline clients in the last five years, and Montreal was a great fit for me. With companies such as Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney, CAE, ICAO, Air Canada etc., I saw Montreal as the right city for me to pursue my MBA. Also, Montreal has a substantially lower cost of living compared to Toronto or other sought-after cities for international students. Finally, Montreal is a great city to live in, and the vibe of the city is unparalleled in North America.
3. The small class size.
I believed that the small class size would provide me a much better experience and a better access to professors, resources and ability to lead clubs. Looking back, I can say with confidence that our professors were indeed easily accessible and that thanks to the small class size, we had a very close-knit community!
What was the highlight of your McGill Experience?
Definitely, the . I was the Campus Director for the Hult Prize at McGill, which is an intra-university start-up competition hosted by the Desautels Faculty of Management. This was a great opportunity, as I got to interact with students and mentors from other faculties and was able to form an understanding of social entrepreneurship, which is something I want as part of my future. Within 2 years, I was able to interact with over 2000 students and helped generate over 30 start-up ideas for a world cause. During my tenure, 5 teams got an opportunity to represent 香蕉视频 at the regional Hult Finals to win USD $1 Million in seed funding. In the end, I also got the opportunity to network with various mentors and judges in this space and to represent 香蕉视频 at the Hult Prize Social Impact forum 2017.
What would you say is the McGill advantage when it comes to the internship / job search?
McGill has a lot of resources and provides mentors, networking trips, Toronto trips etc. Having gone through the program, I have noticed that McGill definitely has a huge advantage for finance-based jobs. We had access to a vast network. For other jobs or during the internship search, I think that McGill offers a similar visibility to other schools.
It is important to understand that in Canada, the job search is entirely up to the person and so it is up to each student to identify how they are going to take advantage of the school brand and available opportunities. This fact is applicable to any MBA program in Canada.
Please recommend one club / one extra-curricular involvement and tell us the highlights of this clubs鈥� activities.
The which started in 2016 became the most active club in 2016 and in 2017 as well. The MBTC hosted an workshop in December 2016 and in my opinion, it was one the best workshops we have had for MBA's until now. The workshop involved meeting SAP executives on the job, learning about design thinking with SAP experts, and implementing the learning in a day-long session on an actual client problem that SAP was facing. In 2017, the workshop was taken to the next level by hosting a competition among students, who got an opportunity to compete and conduct a market research on a retail client. The winning team got a chance to present their idea in New York.
You are now in Toronto, what do you miss the most about Montreal?
Montreal will always be special and I miss the city as a whole. It鈥檚 a smaller city with a lot to do, compared to Toronto which is huge! I found living in Toronto to be stressful. Distances are longer, things are harder to get a hold of and in general, people seem to be stressed. It鈥檚 the big city problem! I miss the 鈥渃hill鈥� vibes of Montreal, the great picturesque views, and obviously all my friends at McGill and in the MBA. I would love to be back!
Finally, what would be your advice for future applicants and future MBAs?
My advice is three-pronged and summarized in three words: Clarity, Conviction and Patience.
- Be clear as soon as possible about what you want out of the MBA program.
- Believe in yourself and believe that you can achieve your goal and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
- Finally, be patient as the market can be tough for international students. This being said, I know for a fact that good things do happen for those who persist.
Desautels MBA Program
- Find out how Desautels鈥� small-size cohort creates unique opportunities by contacting our Student Ambassadors.
- Connect with a recruiter to learn more about pursuing an MBA at McGill.
