Canadian e-Biz a Compelling Destination for Young Indian
September 22nd, 2006
 Historically, Canada has been known for its lumber and maple syrup, but increasingly, it is Canada’s colleges and universities that are drawing international interest.
Born into a conservative and well-educated family in Chennai, India, Alice Chandrasekaran got swept up in the country’s rapid technological expansion at a young age.
Having completed her engineering degree in electronics and instrumentation from the University of Madras, Chandrasekaran worked for an Indian bio-diesel company for a year. At the same time, she enrolled in some part-time animation courses, pursuing a passion she’s had since childhood.
“I took my dad’s advice to explore the business perspective of my passion,” Chandrasekaran says. “So I took a course which uses animation on the web. That’s how I landed in web development.”
She applied for designing jobs in India and found that the pay was not to her satisfaction. “I wanted to do what I loved, but at the same time make good money at it. I also wanted to be able to work anywhere in the world I liked. Gaining North American work experience makes the whole process simpler.”
Resisting pressure from her family to do a Master’s degree, she instead decided to go abroad to study in a program that combined programming with business. Ironically, it was her aunt who told her about a program in e-business at Centennial College in Toronto.
“The program was the right combination of programming and business, which is exactly what I needed at that point because I had designing skills. I chose Centennial as it was a community college and one of the best for opening a career path for international students,” she recalls.
Centennial’s one-year graduate certificate program is designed for college and university graduates who want to gain some insights and experience in e-commerce – an emerging sector which combines business with technology to define, design and implement e-business efficiencies in the global marketplace.
Chandrasekaran says her Canadian college experience differed immensely from her university days. “In India, we had lectures and classes, but mostly theoretical and some practical classes as well. Centennial was totally different; I learned a lot through practice during main class projects and the capstone project.”
The “capstone” project brought students together as a team to consult with a real business client. Under the direction of a faculty advisor, the student team is required to develop and put into place an e-business solution for an organization; for example, transform a traditional shop into an online retailer and take advantage of cheaper distribution and wholesaling methods.
“I learned the basics of database programming with the help of my capstone teammates who were very supportive. Our professor, Liz Clarke, groomed us in every single detail, such as project management, communication and not to mention the scope of the project.”
Chandrasekaran found time to have fun at college, too. While her e-business studies were rigorous and concentrated (just 30 weeks long), the intensive teamwork allowed her to make friends quickly.
“We all worked together and had fun together, which is the best part,” she recalls. “The college also organized a lot of recreational stuff. I got my first opportunity to go to skiing because of the college, as it was much cheaper.”
Chandrasekaran was so motivated by her studies, the course coordinator noticed and recommended her for a part-time job in Centennial’s marketing department as a web developer, along with two other students from her class.
“That was the starting point. The experience I got in that job helped me to find my next full-time job,” she says. Chandrasekaran graduated from Centennial in June, and immediately flew to Calgary to pursue a job offer. “All that the employer was concerned about is our level of confidence and how focused we are in that specific field.”
Chandrasekaran was tested on her knowledge level and communication skills. “They waived the practical test and gave me a chance to prove myself. Actually, my capstone project helped me to land the job.”
She began working right away, unfazed by the challenge of having to move across a continent she barely had a chance to get to know. Fortunately, Chandrasekaran has a brother who works as a research associate in a Calgary lab with whom she can share an apartment temporarily.
“I am working with Strategic Direct Marketing Inc. as a web developer (database programmer). Currently I am only doing programming, but as time goes by, I will also be designing and consulting.”
“The first day I was really worried and thought it’s too much for me to handle. But then I realized that is the nature of the learning curve. The people with whom I work are helpful and fun to be with, which makes the work process a lot easier.”
It’s been a whirlwind adventure for this 23-year-old woman from a conservative Indian family, but one she wouldn’t hesitate to do again. She has some advice for others who might be contemplating the same.
“My advice for international students is to focus and learn what they paid for. That makes a big difference!” Chandrasekaran says. “If I had to do it all over again, I would not change anything. The friends I made during this program and the professors who taught the courses made a big difference.”
For more information about Centennial’s one-year e-Business program, visit http://www.centennialcollege.ca/future/ebusiness.jsp |
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