鈥淪o, this is your first time in Canada?鈥�, the cab driver smilingly asked. I replied: 鈥淣o, sir, I have visited Vancouver before, but this is my first time in Montreal.鈥�
Then the thirty-minute drive from Trudeau Airport to my friend鈥檚 house was very pleasant because the cab driver, a true Montrealer, proudly told me stories about the city along the way. My tiredness after the 24-hour journey from my home country faded away as it was fun to practice my limited French with the cab driver.
In the next following days after my arrival, I adventured around the city downtown to explore tourist spots as if I were a tourist. I have been to many great cities in North America, and no word is enough to describe the uniqueness of Montreal鈥檚 Old Port. It鈥檚 not Paris, nor Boston, nor Philadelphia.
Montreal is simply Montreal; the city stands in its own league on this continent, and you have to come here to fully experience what cannot be felt through postcards or videos.
Leaving behind friends and family was not an easy decision.I had a great job as a trade marketing manager for a big oil & gas company back home. In fact, I was the youngest person that has ever been promoted to a managerial position at the company. I also had opportunities to travel around Asia and enjoyed the unique cuisines and cultures offered wherever I went.
However, I wanted to do something more than just trade marketing, and here I am at McGill to begin a challenging journey that will greatly shape who I will become in the future.
Do I miss my life in Vietnam? The answer is absolutely yes, but with new friends that I make in the MBA program and new activities waiting for me in Montreal, I am sure I will not feel homesick at all. The MBA cohort at McGill is relatively smaller than at other programs; we have less than 70 students, and this helps you get to know each other more closely. I had a wonderful experience during the Orientation week and base camp, especially when attending workshops hosted by Career Services.
I really liked how one of the Career coaches said that: 鈥測our career is not a point, it鈥檚 a path鈥� of what eventually makes you satisfied with your life-long goals.
I have a passion for small and medium enterprises because I own a small coffee shop in my hometown while holding my full-time corporate position, which was mainly working with retail outlets. Therefore, I understand the struggles that many business owners must go through.
What I want to do post-MBA is to become a marketing consultant that supports businesses in marketing planning, strategy, and implementation. The full-time MBA here at McGill has more than enough resources that can help me to realize and achieve my goals. Let鈥檚 see how exciting聽the next two years will be.
About the author
After completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Oregon, went back to his hometown Ho Chi Minh City where he worked in Trade Marketing for 5 years at Castrol BP while starting his own business. To achieve his career goals, Duy joined the McGill Desautels MBA program in 2017. Post-graduation, he aims at becoming a marketing consultant.
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.
