This blog was written by Kimberly Nicolasora
Asper in October is a magical time of year. The crisp air, the fallen leaves, and the unpredictable snowfall midway through the month. With many becoming accustomed to life on campus, numerous events are underway to provide students with the best experience at the Asper School.
Most recently, we had a group of students flown to Bangkok, Thailand, to represent the Asper School of Business at the Thammasat Undergraduate Business Challenge (TUBC). A fourth-year finance student, Cole Hutchison, shares, “It was an amazing opportunity. Case competitions helped improve my analytical and presentation skills and have been a fulfilling addition to my degree. The time commitment varies based on the competition, so there are options for everyone to get involved!”
Case competitions are an excellent opportunity for applied learning. Vital public speaking skills, analytical case cracking, and strategic thinking—are only a fraction of the skills developed during case competitions. With each experience and each team, case competitions expand the conception of your capabilities. It increases your ability to formulate convincing arguments and enhances your capacity to create buy-in, skills you cannot gain solely in a class but instead emerges from friendly competition.
Anastasiia Cherniak, a graduating student in Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurship, further emphasizes how participating in case competitions brought one of the best experiences in her undergrad. The Asper School of Business not only hosts internal case competitions but is invited to participate in numerous national and international competitions. “You represent the Asper School internationally alongside top-performing schools worldwide, from Australia to Singapore, and even Berkeley, California. Students from larger universities rigorously compete to secure a spot in these competitions. However, due to the smaller volume of students at the Asper School, coordinators can fully provide immense support to prepare you for success,” she adds.
Cole elaborates, “they can be difficult. With the time constraint, you must work efficiently and think on your feet. Despite the pressure, case competition experience on your resume helps you stand out once you enter the job market. You showcase your skills to analyze situations, adapt quickly, and present effectively in front of company executives who rely on the pitch.”
There are plenty of other good reasons to participate. For example, case competitions hosted at other universities can provide opportunities to travel. And in the end, case competition organizers will have planned fun activities for delegates to take the time to explore a new city and socialize. But practicing critical thinking, gaining experience with situations you may see in your career, and networking with decision-makers and peers make case competitions a must for all students. You may not win each one you do, but there is no reason you can’t be successful at them just the same.
Case competitions will give you a leg up towards employers—and while we’re on the subject, please visit the following link to apply and learn more about currently recruiting case competitions https://umanitoba.ca/asper/student-experience/business-case-competitions.
You can also reach out to Alyssa Houde, the CSA’s Vice President of Professional Events ([email protected]), or Alyssa Crymble and Nikol Sokolosky, the CSA’s Case Competition Coordinators ([email protected]) if you have any questions about any of the opportunities.
Shinerama Recap!
On Friday, October 7th, the Shinerama Committee and its incredible volunteers set up booths across the City of Winnipeg to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research and support.
Shinerama is one of Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraisers involving almost 60 universities and colleges across Canada. All proceeds from our fundraisers go to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, which puts money towards the research, care, and advocacy of people living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
Since 1985, the University of Manitoba’s Shinerama Committee is composed of passionate and dedicated student volunteers who organize several awareness campaigns and fundraising events throughout the summer and midway through the fall term. From fun community activities like jeopardy night to can collection at Super Spike or pieing your favourite executive team member. The Shinerama Committee and its volunteers brought the community together to connect, advocate and raise funds!
