Grad Profiles

New Grad Profile: Courtney Sokay

Name: Courtney Sokay, Honours Bachelor of Business Administration

Concentration: Entrepreneurship

Life at Brock:

My time at Brock has been truly amazing! Beginning in second year, I was involved with the Brock U Marketing Association (BUMA) as a member of the promotions team. This position allowed me to improve my communication and interpersonal skills, which led to my interest in the Mentorship Plus program. In third year, I became a Peer Group Leader with Mentorship Plus, leading a group of second year students through the ins and outs of Brock University. I also became the Promotions Team Lead with BUMA, which really allowed me to utilize my leadership skills. Come fourth year, I was fully involved in all areas of Brock. I became the Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Brock Business Students’ Association (BSA), where I had the opportunity to lead and coordinate students of the Faculty of Business to further enhance their life at Brock. I was also a finalist for the Brock University Nicol Business Plan Competition, and a member of the Entrepreneurship team for Brock’s JDCC Delegation. I also continued my role with Mentorship Plus as a First Year Student Mentor, and a Graduate Student Mentee. By surrounding myself with hardworking, determined, and innovative people, I was able to gain more than just a BA; I gained real-world experience and four years I will never forget!

Life after Brock:

During fourth year, my job hunt was in full-force. After some hard work and persistence, it had paid off. I had gone through a long hiring process and got the position of Management Trainee at Enterprise-Rent-A-Car. At ERAC I am able to use my entrepreneurial way of thinking to do things a little differently! It was very important for me to be a part of a creative, innovative, and growing company, where I can truly be myself. I have definitely found this with Enterprise-Rent-A-Car!

How the BCDO helped me:

The BCDO was pivotal in my job hunt! I submitted my resume and cover letter through the student portal to be reviewed and revised countless times, to ensure it was flawless. The BCDO job board was a very useful tool for finding open positions and great companies. I also used the BCDO’s online resources to prepare for my interviews. The hundreds of sample interview questions were very helpful, as practice was key! I also attended the BCDO’s Networking Breakfast event, where I had the opportunity to sit down with Pepsi Co, the Business Development Center, Canadian Tire, and Hydro One. This event was beneficial for finding out exactly what employers were looking for in new grads. The combined services offered by the BCDO were key to my successful job hunt!

New Grad Profile: Nick Chrzan (right), Shehar Khan (left)

Name: Nick Chrzan, Honours Bachelor of Business Administration

Concentration: Marketing & Human Resource Management

Life at Brock:

I knew coming into Brock that I wanted to be involved on campus while surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. I became immersed in the Faculty of Business Student Clubs from my very first day on campus and never looked back. In first year I became

a member of the Brock Finance and Investment Group (BFIG) and the Brock U Marketing Association (BUMA). My involvement in these groups was small to begin with but through my dedication and ambition, I slowly took on more responsibilities. The following years saw my rise to a Sector Manager, Journalist, Chief Marketing Officer, and finally, Chairman of BFIG. I also was a member of the inaugural pilot program of Mentorship Plus, and provided feedback that helped shape the program to the great resource it is today.

I also became involved with the newly formed DECA U club in second year and competed at the Provincial and International competitions in 2009, 2010, and 2011. In the latter I was President of the delegation (of approx. 75 awesome members) after being the Vice-President of Training the prior year.

During my fourth and fifth year at Brock I took even more initiative and competed in as many competitions and conferences as I could handle. These included the Redefining Investment Strategy Education (R.I.S.E.) Conference at the University of Dayton, the Organizational Behaviour Case Competition at Ryerson University, the inaugural EDGE Business Competition at the University of Alberta, and the JDC Central competition at Carleton University, among several others.

My involvement in all of the extra-curricular activities at Brock vastly expanded my network both within and outside of the university, allowed me to travel North America, win countless medals, give back to the community, and gave me ample experiences to speak about during interviews.

Life after Brock:

In my final semester at Brock I participated in a two-and-a-half month long interview process with Loblaw Companies Limited for their grad@Loblaw program. I was eventually selected as one of 13 from across Canada for the Merchandising stream of the program, two days after submitting my final paper of university! I began my career with them shortly thereafter, and have been enjoying the position so far!

How the BCDO helped me:

The BCDO was a tremendous resource for me to rely on throughout my four and half years at Brock, but in particular my fourth and fifth years when I began to seriously evaluate post-Brock career options. I attended as many events as I could including Dress for Success, Etiquette Dinner, Make the Connection, and countless employer info-sessions. I also attended the resume and interview workshops early in my last semester to refresh before hitting the ground running in my job search. The BCDO was able to critique two separate drafts of my resume and provide job-search strategies that I had not previously considered. I also attended a mock interview prior to my final interview with Loblaws, which helped to increase my confidence and ultimately landed me the job! I can not say enough good things about the entire BCDO staff and all of the resources they provide. The BCDO is an invaluable resource to the Faculty of Business and I look forward to staying in-touch post graduation!