To be challenged. Stretched beyond your comfort zone to reach new levels of success – both personally and professionally.
After six years of working with Procter & Gamble in China, Sophia Zhao was ready for that to happen to her career.
Zhao wanted a change and – at the same time – to gain international business experience that might open up new doors in her career. As she contemplated her options, she saw information on Ivey’s MBA program and thought gaining international business education might help with the transition.
“I was still in a relatively early stage of my career, so I wanted to explore more. I saw Ivey’s one-year MBA program, with its emphasis on the case-learning method, as the best choice for me to stretch my limits and prepare for a potential new opportunity,” she said. “It ended up being a transformational journey for me.”
Zhao said she appreciated the chance to work with a diverse group of talented people in a new environment. She said the program helped her build confidence and become open-minded to career opportunities in different industries.
“You can see big progress in yourself and the people around you even in only one year,” she said. “The program gave me a chance to reflect on my previous experience and find the transferrable essence. The cases covering different industries really expanded my knowledge pool and got me used to making business decisions based on incomplete information in a dynamic business environment.”
Zhao said she had support from Ivey’s Career Management program, including a course on job search skills and networking opportunities, that eventually helped her to land her dream job. Zhao secured a spot in the Johnson & Johnson International Recruitment & Development Program, where she will work on launching a new product line in China. The Johnson & Johnson program offers individuals the change to accelerate their management skills while working full time.
“I am so excited to change into this domain. In this new role, I will help Johnson & Johnson offer patients access to high-quality products,” she said. “The transition might be tough and need lots of effort, but it is great to know your job can improve people’s quality of life.”
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