McBC_2002
Chapter 1 - MsBC_2002
How appropriate that Christina Aguilera released the song "Cruz" in 2002.
This is the year that I completed 4 years of undergrad majoring in Honors Business - Finance and Management Science. I didn't think I'd make it, but I DID... When I finished my last and final exam, I felt a huge sense of relief rush all over me. I passed and I'm finally done school! The question now is... NOW WHAT?
The answer - a few months ago I uploaded my resume on Monster.ca and searched for any financial related jobs in the greater Toronto area Ontario (ON), Montreal Quebec (QC), Calgary Alberta (AB), Vancouver British Columbia (BC) and virtually all the big cities in the U.S.A. I wasn't 100% completely done with University, but I knew my marks coming into my exams, and just as long as I passed, I knew I would get that degree/diploma - my ticket to get out of this hell hole that I call "home". Ok, I'm going to go off on a tangent for a minute, so bear with me ok?
Tangent - As a little girl, I grew up in a very small city/town... population approximately 90,000. Virtually everyone knew everyone and there was hardly anything to do that was fun or exciting. I knew the only way out was to get exceptionally good grades in school, offer my personal time volunteering and work part time to save up money. That was my only focus and determination up until I graduated high-school. Fortunately for me there wasn't a University in the scope of the city/town so if you wanted to do your post-secondary education you had to relocate. I applied and was accepted to attend a University that was about 2 hours drive away from home. It was far enough to start a new, exciting and challenging chapter in my life, but close enough that when I did miss my parents, I didn't have to travel that far to see them (or if I needed to stock up on supplies - paid by the parents). The city that I attended University was big enough to satisfy my big city living needs... but after 4 years of exhausting the points of interest in the city, and also the main reason I wanted to leave - I had broke up with my ex boyfriend and frequently running into him, or mutual friends, or his family or locations that we had memories... it was time to up the next level and move onto a bigger and better city. - Tangent End.
So back to my answer, I had applied to those cities as mentioned and hoped for any prospects to secure a position and place so that when I graduated, I didn't have to move back to my boring, snoring old city/town and move back in with my parents, and I definitely couldn't stay in the city where I attended University - for the main reason explained (the big X). After 3 weeks of idleness, I finally received a phone call for an interview in Toronto, and then slowly more phone calls, emails, and letters came pouring in from various places and different companies/organizations/institutions. I was able to attend the interviews in Toronto (a few hours of driving), but unfortunately for the other locations I had to interview via phone. I had 7 interviews altogether. The one I was most interested in and was the furthest along in the hiring process was for a private financial investment firm located in BC. The position was for "Junior Investment Analyst" at company (of course I'm not going to mention the real company name for confidentiality reasons... but let's call it "XYZ Investment Firm") XYZ Investment Firm. I would work under the Associate Director (researching companies, analysing company accounts, regularly meeting with company managers, making informed recommendations with the Associate Director, coordinating and administering the Associate Directors schedule and etc… ) The annual salary starts at the lower range of the position, but after 6 months probation it bumps to the average range of the position and then at the annual review there's potential for a raise based on my performance. I'm also eligible for bonuses based on our monthly sales targets. Work hours are 8am to 5pm with 1 hour lunch and two breaks. Because I'm relocating, they offered me 6 months of free living expenses. There's a hotel 1 block from the company that they have a discount rate with. It's a bachelor room with bed, sofa, coffee table, kitchenette w/ appliances all included and private bathroom. There's also a workout room and indoor swimming pool that I can use. With the position the company supplies a company cell phone, laptop and credit card (for company expenses only of course). There's also access to a company car! There's also potential for company lunches/dinners and business travel - expenses all paid. Who would turn down an opportunity like that?!?!?! The phone interview went well, where I was teleconferenced with 3 people, the Associate Director (the boss), a Human Resources (HR) rep and the Executive Director of the department. A week after the phone interview I was called in and asked to fly in for a face-to-face interview - all expenses paid! I was dying with excitement, nervousness and HOPE! Everything was scheduled, booked and confirmed.
The face-to-face interview - When I exited the baggage/luggage area of the airport I was greeted by a nice man all dressed in black waiting by a black car holding a sign with my name. My heart started to race knowing that I was about to step into something new and exciting. I greeted the man and he introduced himself as “Tom” from XYZ Investment Firm. He then took my suitcase and placed it in the trunk of the car and then opened the door to the backseat of the car and ushered me in. As he was driving, he was listening to the radio and I was looking out the window in awe of the big city buildings. This could potentially be MY CITY, the city that I LIVE IN!!!! I started acting out scenes in my mind of me wearing a power suit walking down these streets with a purpose and places to go. About 45 minutes of driving we finally arrived at the Investment Firm. I took my things and he led me to the Human Resources area where I sat in the waiting room. About 10 minutes I was greeted by a woman, about 45 years of age, she was tall, blonde hair pulled back in a perfect bun, wearing a white silk blouse and black penciled skirt that flattered her slim body very well. Her stiletto shoes were very fancy, probably Jimmy Choo shoes… maybe that’s what made her seem so tall. “Hello, my name is Sharon”. She was the Associate Director - my potential boss! She then led me to a conference room where I was greeted by two other individuals, Kelly, who was the HR rep and Ben, the Executive Director of the department. I sat down, the door closed and the interview began… I will spare the boring details, plus the questions asked were in confidence and truly, I have forgotten them all by now… it was just an hour and a half of trying to make myself look good and impress those three people that could potentially change my life FOREVER! There were lots of smiles, nod of the head, them writing things down and me trying not to stumble on my words. After the interview they showed me around the building… the investment firm is divided into 4 levels. The first floor is where the administrative people are (payroll, hr, finance, accounting and marketing), the second floor is where the junior investment analyst and associate director for the Asia and Europe division is located. The third floor is where the junior investment analyst and associate director for the North America (Canada and US) is located. That would be my floor - Sharon is in charge of the Canada division which covers all the major cities from BC to QC. The fourth floor is where all the executives are located (Executive Directors, VPs and President). I saw where my desk was located and the lunch area, sitting area, filing room, supplies room, Xerox room and etc… The US division is separated by a wall, but even with that wall, the whole floor seems to be an open concept type of style where you can see out of the windows from any angle you stand. After the tour Sharon took me to the hotel so that I could check in and get settled. She told me that at 6pm she would pick me up at the hotel and take me out for dinner. Did they treat all their potential employees this way??? Wow - I was so impressed! So I got to my hotel room (I’m guessing this would be the hotel that I would be staying at, however, this room was your standard hotel room with a king size bed and private bathroom.) I unpacked my suitcase, took a shower and changed my clothes and freshened up. At 6pm I went down to the front desk and Sharon was already there. “Gosh, I hope she wasn’t waiting long!” I thought to myself… luckily she just got there as well… PHEW… so we went to a nearby restaurant that was in walking distance… It was a very classy restaurant, with dim lights, people well dressed and a pianist playing classical music softly in the background. I was expecting to just order a main entrée dish, but Sharon insisted on starting with an appetizer, so we shared calamari with roasted tomato sauce and bruschetta with goat cheese. For our main entrée dish I ordered filet mignon with a side of mashed potatoes and veggies. Sharon ordered a gourmet salad named “Miso Melange”. We passed on dessert since we were both full and opted for coffee (for Sharon) and tea (for me). During dinner we talked about my education experience and my past jobs. Sharon didn’t want to get into my personal background or family life due to conflict of interest with the hiring process, so we switched gears and she talked about living in BC, the company, the people in the company, the job position and the expectations. It was a pleasant and cordial dinner. I wasn’t bored, but it wasn’t personal. After we finished our dinner, Sharon walked me back to the hotel and we exchanged our farewells, and I ended with “I hope to hear from you soon.” She smiled and left. After a long day I slept so well… plus the pillows and blankets were so soft and comforting that it made it so easy to drift off to sleep. At 9am I checked out and the hotel shuttle bus took me to the airport and that was my interview. I never experienced anything like that before. But I left feeling good... actually GREAT!
A few weeks ago I completed my last exam. From the time I had my interview to the date of my last exam, I hadn’t heard back from XYZ Investment Firm, so I thought I didn’t get the job. I felt disappointed and uneasy about myself, but I had exams to get through and knowing that this would be my last set of exams, I forced myself to put all of that aside and focused on my studying and completing my final semester and aimed at acing each exam to get my self confidence back. A day after I completed my last exam I got a call from XYZ Investment firm. It was the HR rep, Kelly, which called to confirm my final marks and if I had indeed graduated. I told her that I completed my last exam just the other day and didn’t receive my final marks yet, but that I was confident that I had passed all my exams and completed all the required courses to get my degree. Kelly then congratulated me that I got offered the job, but on the condition that I had graduated. Therefore, the final condition on the job offer was that I had to wait for my final transcript and print it out and send it to them so that they could complete the hiring process. I had mentioned the date of my last exam at the interview and also during dinner with Sharon (which I totally forgot). That’s why they were waiting to extend the job offer to me. I was in shock and screamed for joy that I got a job, a REAL job, a full-time permanent job with full benefits type of job! OMG…
So that brings me to the present time. I went to the Registrar’s Office early in the morning and they printed out my transcript which shows that I passed all of my exams (the icing on top of the cake was that I aced all of my exams) and that I completed all the required courses for my degree which means I GRADUATED!!!! Commencement is scheduled in October so I won’t get my diploma until then, but the transcript shows COMPLETED, and that’s all XYZ Investment Firm needs for me to get the job.
Now it’s packing time!!!! Farewell party for finishing school, saying goodbye to my friends and family, starting a new “ADULT” job and starting a whole new chapter in my life in a new city with new experiences. Who knew my life would take a huge turn at 22 years of age??? I’m ready… bring it ON!
I'm leaving today / Living it / Leaving it / To change
How appropriate that Christina Aguilera released the song "Cruz" in 2002.
This is the year that I completed 4 years of undergrad majoring in Honors Business - Finance and Management Science. I didn't think I'd make it, but I DID... When I finished my last and final exam, I felt a huge sense of relief rush all over me. I passed and I'm finally done school! The question now is... NOW WHAT?
The answer - a few months ago I uploaded my resume on Monster.ca and searched for any financial related jobs in the greater Toronto area Ontario (ON), Montreal Quebec (QC), Calgary Alberta (AB), Vancouver British Columbia (BC) and virtually all the big cities in the U.S.A. I wasn't 100% completely done with University, but I knew my marks coming into my exams, and just as long as I passed, I knew I would get that degree/diploma - my ticket to get out of this hell hole that I call "home". Ok, I'm going to go off on a tangent for a minute, so bear with me ok?
Tangent - As a little girl, I grew up in a very small city/town... population approximately 90,000. Virtually everyone knew everyone and there was hardly anything to do that was fun or exciting. I knew the only way out was to get exceptionally good grades in school, offer my personal time volunteering and work part time to save up money. That was my only focus and determination up until I graduated high-school. Fortunately for me there wasn't a University in the scope of the city/town so if you wanted to do your post-secondary education you had to relocate. I applied and was accepted to attend a University that was about 2 hours drive away from home. It was far enough to start a new, exciting and challenging chapter in my life, but close enough that when I did miss my parents, I didn't have to travel that far to see them (or if I needed to stock up on supplies - paid by the parents). The city that I attended University was big enough to satisfy my big city living needs... but after 4 years of exhausting the points of interest in the city, and also the main reason I wanted to leave - I had broke up with my ex boyfriend and frequently running into him, or mutual friends, or his family or locations that we had memories... it was time to up the next level and move onto a bigger and better city. - Tangent End.
So back to my answer, I had applied to those cities as mentioned and hoped for any prospects to secure a position and place so that when I graduated, I didn't have to move back to my boring, snoring old city/town and move back in with my parents, and I definitely couldn't stay in the city where I attended University - for the main reason explained (the big X). After 3 weeks of idleness, I finally received a phone call for an interview in Toronto, and then slowly more phone calls, emails, and letters came pouring in from various places and different companies/organizations/institutions. I was able to attend the interviews in Toronto (a few hours of driving), but unfortunately for the other locations I had to interview via phone. I had 7 interviews altogether. The one I was most interested in and was the furthest along in the hiring process was for a private financial investment firm located in BC. The position was for "Junior Investment Analyst" at company (of course I'm not going to mention the real company name for confidentiality reasons... but let's call it "XYZ Investment Firm") XYZ Investment Firm. I would work under the Associate Director (researching companies, analysing company accounts, regularly meeting with company managers, making informed recommendations with the Associate Director, coordinating and administering the Associate Directors schedule and etc… ) The annual salary starts at the lower range of the position, but after 6 months probation it bumps to the average range of the position and then at the annual review there's potential for a raise based on my performance. I'm also eligible for bonuses based on our monthly sales targets. Work hours are 8am to 5pm with 1 hour lunch and two breaks. Because I'm relocating, they offered me 6 months of free living expenses. There's a hotel 1 block from the company that they have a discount rate with. It's a bachelor room with bed, sofa, coffee table, kitchenette w/ appliances all included and private bathroom. There's also a workout room and indoor swimming pool that I can use. With the position the company supplies a company cell phone, laptop and credit card (for company expenses only of course). There's also access to a company car! There's also potential for company lunches/dinners and business travel - expenses all paid. Who would turn down an opportunity like that?!?!?! The phone interview went well, where I was teleconferenced with 3 people, the Associate Director (the boss), a Human Resources (HR) rep and the Executive Director of the department. A week after the phone interview I was called in and asked to fly in for a face-to-face interview - all expenses paid! I was dying with excitement, nervousness and HOPE! Everything was scheduled, booked and confirmed.
The face-to-face interview - When I exited the baggage/luggage area of the airport I was greeted by a nice man all dressed in black waiting by a black car holding a sign with my name. My heart started to race knowing that I was about to step into something new and exciting. I greeted the man and he introduced himself as “Tom” from XYZ Investment Firm. He then took my suitcase and placed it in the trunk of the car and then opened the door to the backseat of the car and ushered me in. As he was driving, he was listening to the radio and I was looking out the window in awe of the big city buildings. This could potentially be MY CITY, the city that I LIVE IN!!!! I started acting out scenes in my mind of me wearing a power suit walking down these streets with a purpose and places to go. About 45 minutes of driving we finally arrived at the Investment Firm. I took my things and he led me to the Human Resources area where I sat in the waiting room. About 10 minutes I was greeted by a woman, about 45 years of age, she was tall, blonde hair pulled back in a perfect bun, wearing a white silk blouse and black penciled skirt that flattered her slim body very well. Her stiletto shoes were very fancy, probably Jimmy Choo shoes… maybe that’s what made her seem so tall. “Hello, my name is Sharon”. She was the Associate Director - my potential boss! She then led me to a conference room where I was greeted by two other individuals, Kelly, who was the HR rep and Ben, the Executive Director of the department. I sat down, the door closed and the interview began… I will spare the boring details, plus the questions asked were in confidence and truly, I have forgotten them all by now… it was just an hour and a half of trying to make myself look good and impress those three people that could potentially change my life FOREVER! There were lots of smiles, nod of the head, them writing things down and me trying not to stumble on my words. After the interview they showed me around the building… the investment firm is divided into 4 levels. The first floor is where the administrative people are (payroll, hr, finance, accounting and marketing), the second floor is where the junior investment analyst and associate director for the Asia and Europe division is located. The third floor is where the junior investment analyst and associate director for the North America (Canada and US) is located. That would be my floor - Sharon is in charge of the Canada division which covers all the major cities from BC to QC. The fourth floor is where all the executives are located (Executive Directors, VPs and President). I saw where my desk was located and the lunch area, sitting area, filing room, supplies room, Xerox room and etc… The US division is separated by a wall, but even with that wall, the whole floor seems to be an open concept type of style where you can see out of the windows from any angle you stand. After the tour Sharon took me to the hotel so that I could check in and get settled. She told me that at 6pm she would pick me up at the hotel and take me out for dinner. Did they treat all their potential employees this way??? Wow - I was so impressed! So I got to my hotel room (I’m guessing this would be the hotel that I would be staying at, however, this room was your standard hotel room with a king size bed and private bathroom.) I unpacked my suitcase, took a shower and changed my clothes and freshened up. At 6pm I went down to the front desk and Sharon was already there. “Gosh, I hope she wasn’t waiting long!” I thought to myself… luckily she just got there as well… PHEW… so we went to a nearby restaurant that was in walking distance… It was a very classy restaurant, with dim lights, people well dressed and a pianist playing classical music softly in the background. I was expecting to just order a main entrée dish, but Sharon insisted on starting with an appetizer, so we shared calamari with roasted tomato sauce and bruschetta with goat cheese. For our main entrée dish I ordered filet mignon with a side of mashed potatoes and veggies. Sharon ordered a gourmet salad named “Miso Melange”. We passed on dessert since we were both full and opted for coffee (for Sharon) and tea (for me). During dinner we talked about my education experience and my past jobs. Sharon didn’t want to get into my personal background or family life due to conflict of interest with the hiring process, so we switched gears and she talked about living in BC, the company, the people in the company, the job position and the expectations. It was a pleasant and cordial dinner. I wasn’t bored, but it wasn’t personal. After we finished our dinner, Sharon walked me back to the hotel and we exchanged our farewells, and I ended with “I hope to hear from you soon.” She smiled and left. After a long day I slept so well… plus the pillows and blankets were so soft and comforting that it made it so easy to drift off to sleep. At 9am I checked out and the hotel shuttle bus took me to the airport and that was my interview. I never experienced anything like that before. But I left feeling good... actually GREAT!
A few weeks ago I completed my last exam. From the time I had my interview to the date of my last exam, I hadn’t heard back from XYZ Investment Firm, so I thought I didn’t get the job. I felt disappointed and uneasy about myself, but I had exams to get through and knowing that this would be my last set of exams, I forced myself to put all of that aside and focused on my studying and completing my final semester and aimed at acing each exam to get my self confidence back. A day after I completed my last exam I got a call from XYZ Investment firm. It was the HR rep, Kelly, which called to confirm my final marks and if I had indeed graduated. I told her that I completed my last exam just the other day and didn’t receive my final marks yet, but that I was confident that I had passed all my exams and completed all the required courses to get my degree. Kelly then congratulated me that I got offered the job, but on the condition that I had graduated. Therefore, the final condition on the job offer was that I had to wait for my final transcript and print it out and send it to them so that they could complete the hiring process. I had mentioned the date of my last exam at the interview and also during dinner with Sharon (which I totally forgot). That’s why they were waiting to extend the job offer to me. I was in shock and screamed for joy that I got a job, a REAL job, a full-time permanent job with full benefits type of job! OMG…
So that brings me to the present time. I went to the Registrar’s Office early in the morning and they printed out my transcript which shows that I passed all of my exams (the icing on top of the cake was that I aced all of my exams) and that I completed all the required courses for my degree which means I GRADUATED!!!! Commencement is scheduled in October so I won’t get my diploma until then, but the transcript shows COMPLETED, and that’s all XYZ Investment Firm needs for me to get the job.
Now it’s packing time!!!! Farewell party for finishing school, saying goodbye to my friends and family, starting a new “ADULT” job and starting a whole new chapter in my life in a new city with new experiences. Who knew my life would take a huge turn at 22 years of age??? I’m ready… bring it ON!
I'm leaving today / Living it / Leaving it / To change