When I applied to McGill, I was passionate about two things: moving to California and working in international business. McGill was a great fit for achieving both these goals given its global reputation and international student body. I was also drawn to McGill given its unique law program with bilingual classes and materials, the opportunity to earn degrees in both civil and common law, as well as class sizes significantly smaller than at other top law schools. And, of course, Montreal was an incredible city, made even better by the fact that I had a friend playing for the Montreal Canadiens at the time!
My time at McGill was amazing. Above all, what stands out to me are the lifelong friendships I made. To this day, I am in a daily chat group with ten former classmates and stay in close contact with several others. Culturally, McGill had a strong mix of academic rigor and social engagement. I worked hard when needed and took advantage of everything Montreal and the surrounding area had to offer.
As someone who grew up in Winnipeg and had a limited understanding of the world beyond the Peg, my experience at McGill broadened my horizons. The city, law program and diversity of the student body equipped me to work outside of Canada across a broad range of cultures. In my first job after graduating from McGill, I worked alongside graduates from top US and international law schools and McGill gave me the credibility and confidence needed to be successful in that environment. McGill prepared me well and, to this day, I remain grateful for that.
I always knew that I wanted to work in international business and across cultures in a role that allowed me to travel and see the world. I’m doing that today and my career decisions ultimately led me here. I started as a lawyer in an international law firm and later worked as a consultant for big international technology companies. I then joined the management team of an international company and have taken on expanding responsibilities from there.
My advice to McGill graduates is to take calculated risks in your career decisions. A risk or even a step backwards may be necessary to build your career in the direction that excites you. It is also important to always be building your reputation and relationships by working hard and with integrity. Your reputation is everything and you should invest in this, given that the relationships you build will pay dividends in the long run – even in ways that might not be obvious today.