UM These days | Asper School of Business enterprise

February 10, 2023 — 

The task lookup is difficult at the most effective of times, but Iurii Shykota [MBA/16], an Asper MBA alum and Ukrainian citizen, has a eager knowledge that in some cases the greatest issues are not the interview prep or the dimensions of the applicant pool. Relocating from Kyiv to Winnipeg in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Shykota discovered a new residence this yr with the James A. Richardson Relatives Office environment with assist from a several Asper School of Business enterprise school members.

Just after graduating from the Asper MBA method in 2016, Iurii Shykota returned to his home in Ukraine to reunite with his wife and mom and dad. Primed with new tutorial qualifications from the Asper College of Enterprise and his earlier degree, a Master of Finance from Kyiv National Economics University, Shykota was set to get started his function as an Financial commitment Analyst for a consulting business in Kyiv City.

“I discovered a good position, and I did not have any motive to immigrate to Canada since every thing was superior in Ukraine for me,” claimed Shykota.

In the following two yrs Shykota was promoted to an Investment Affiliate role and then to a Senior Affiliate position at RSM Ukraine, the main provider of audit, tax and consulting expert services in Ukraine. In 2018 he and his wife welcomed the beginning of their daughter. 

Even so, in early 2022, factors improved for Shykota, his family and for numerous other citizens in Ukraine.

“One winter’s early morning I woke up to a cell phone contact,” mentioned Shykota. “My close friend phoned to inform me that a war had commenced. At that time, I lived in Kyiv, the funds of Ukraine and in just pair of times Russian armed service forces approached to 20 kilometres of Kyiv. Kyiv was 50 percent surrounded by a Russian armed service pressure.”

With that news, Shykota and his household left their house and relocated to the western element of Ukraine, the place they lived for the up coming a few months.

“During this time, I understood that this war may choose much more time than several assumed when it begun,” mentioned Shykota.

In March 2022, Shykota uncovered out about a software for Ukrainians set up by the Government of Canada called the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Unexpected emergency Vacation (CUAET).  Shykota was fascinated in this option to settle again in Canada wherever Ukrainians have been obtained aid from the Canadian federal government.

With expertise of this risk, Shykota applied for a visa and started out wanting on the web for work opportunities in Canada. Nevertheless, Shykota reported the work lookup was not straightforward.

“I spent about three months browsing on line for a task and used for about 200 to 300 distinct positions,” claimed Shykota. “I wasn’t automatically looking in Winnipeg but since of my diploma from the University of Manitoba my knowledge was pertinent to companies in Winnipeg.”

Shykota said the moment he started seeking for work, he achieved out to anyone he realized in Canada, exclusively getting in contact with the connections he experienced made as a student in the Asper MBA system.

“I messaged through LinkedIn and by e-mail to my former professors and my previous classmates, conveying my case and my demands,” stated Shykota. “I communicated with a couple of professors from the Asper Faculty of Business which include Namita Bhatnagar, Lukas Neville and David Stangeland.”

Shykota famous that Dr. Namita Bhatnagar, Marketing Professor in the MBA plan, also related him with Asper Faculty of Company Finance Professor, Dr. Yik Au. When Shykota didn’t have Dr. Au as a professor when he was in the program, he reported he was grateful for the assist Au supplied throughout this changeover.

“Yik definitely assisted me to put together for my interviews and he navigated me in the job industry in Winnipeg, and he gave me a couple contacts, tips and references,” said Shykota. “It was genuinely rough for the reason that incredibly couple of employers want to hire a person from an additional place with not great English, who is not applicable to regional business enterprise culture.”

With assistance from the Asper group, Shykota sooner or later secured an interview for a position with the James A. Richardson Family members Workplace.

“The employing approach for this placement was extensive and it consisted of handful of interviews, about three I consider, and I was assigned a situation review. I prepared, and Yik served me with common interview preparation of the advisor queries. He helped me with some basic directions and common techniques to do in these responsibilities.”

Shiu-Yik (“Yik”) Au, an Assistant Professor in Asper’s Finance office mentioned that Iurii was shy when he to start with started working with him, but that he actually earned his job at the Richardson relatives workplace.

“Iurii is an extremely capable applicant and his work on his check situation studies shown his robust quantitative and qualitative capabilities. Having said that, he was holding back again on giving a recommendation on what need to be done in the circumstance,” mentioned Au.  “I coached him on how Canadian employers want people today who can synthesize info and establish a cohesive plan based mostly on that knowledge. When he understood that, he didn’t maintain back again on offering a complete suggestion and implementation system for his test circumstance.”

In June 2022, right after a vary of interviews, Shykota been given a verbal offer, which was confirmed in creating by July, for the placement of Senior Investment decision and Enterprise Advisor at the James A. Richardson Loved ones Office environment. 

Shykota spoke frankly about the elements that assisted him succeed when acknowledging his enough skills. He famous that the aid from the Asper college members combined with James Richardson’s empathy aided him achieve his new part.

“I am capable to this career in terms of ability because I handed two concentrations of CFA certification. I had my MBA degree, I had 4 or 5 decades of suitable encounter in intercontinental consulting enterprise in Ukraine. I was very good for the task, but 100 other people ended up also fantastic for the task and who could compete with me. I indicate, I suppose the Ukrainian factor weighed in this time.”

In August, Shykota, his spouse and daughter relocated to Winnipeg and are now leasing an condominium shut to his workplace. His daughter is set up at a daycare facility, and his wife is on the lookout for employment. Shykota is also performing on passing his ultimate CFA exam together with learning English.

He commented on his journey to Winnipeg and the assistance he obtained from the local community.

“I definitely respect all this enable. The most valuable point is that no one essentially experienced to do it. Individuals didn’t owe me something. It’s all sincere.”

Asper Employees