Flashback - I remember the first time that I traveled to India: September 2016. I was somewhat thrilled to go to a new country that I literally knew nothing about but terrified, as it was going to be the first time that I would present the McGill MBA to an audience.
I was told that the Indian fairs were very busy and that I would meet dozens of applicants in a heartbeat so I prepared myself, rehearsed the presentation and took a few deep breaths before I went into the presentation room. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty, I started forgetting the words I had played back in my head over and over... Was I ready? Would I ever be ready?
I had no idea that I would walk into a room filled with 100 people... and that I would love it!
The audiences in India are the largest ones (in my young recruiter career, I haven't seen any that were larger) but their size doesn't make them terrifying.
As I entered the room, I tried to make eye contact with as many people as possible and the contact was warm, inviting. I could tell that the audience was eager to hear everything that I had to share. It became a conversation between this recruiter and 100 pairs of eyes.
We talked about McGill but also about the weather in Canada vs. India, our poster Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (McGill BA'94) and the importance of making one's mark at every step of the MBA path.
Twenty minutes can seem a long time when you are scared, but those twenty minutes went by in the blink of an eye! There was too much to tell, not enough time for all the questions and certainly not enough time to hear everyone's story...
Fast forward to September 2017.
This time was my third trip to India and I am still amazed at the unmatched customer service in the hotels, the beauty of this country's culture (even if there is never enough time to visit and see all the hidden wonders of each city!) and the eagerness of the candidates to listen to your story and share their own.
It still is a very special feeling to walk into a room full of people that you don't know but walk out of it with this warm feeling of familiarity. If there is one thing that I have learned during my 3 trips to India, it is that MBA recruitment is not just a job, it is the opportunity to build very unique connections.
The recruitment and admissions process makes us go through so many different types of emotions: the eagerness to meet new people, the feeling of joy when they make it, the disappointment when they don't, the encouragement and inspiration we pass on to those who can still improve, the proud feeling of accomplishment when they finally come to Montreal... and so on!
All in all, I can truly say that it is an honor to be recruiting for the #DesautelsFamily and I am eager to see what's in store for our MBAs in the future.
About the author
Keum-Yeo (Anna) Brochet is a proud graduate of McGill University (BA'10) and has worked in marketing and recruitment for 5 years in a few private organizations before becoming a recruiter of the McGill Desautels MBA program. She joined the team in August 2016 and travels for recruitment mostly to East-Asia, UAE and South East Asia. Her work has taken her to over more than 10 countries and countless cities.
Desautels MBA Program
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