Krista Kisiloski-Cope began her MBA program at the Sandermoen School of Business with the goal of advancing her career, and more specifically, growing her abilities in the field of analytics. Before even beginning her MBA program, Krista had reviewed the potential for career growth in data analysis, AI, and predictive modeling as it had been an area that she had been interested in for some time. Once she determined that using data in her sales role was something she enjoyed, analytics felt like a natural path for her growth.

While Krista knew she wanted to develop her learning in this area, she had to find a university that covered the topic of analytics while meeting her need for balance. During her research, she was drawn to the Business Analytics courses offered at the University of Fredericton (UFred) and was overjoyed to find it also offered her the ability to pursue further education without disrupting the rest of her life.

Applying her learning in real-time and adding more value to her role

Throughout her MBA, Krista was able to directly apply the lessons learned in courses to the different roles she held. The program helped her better understand how organizations function and operate holistically, and how integrated various business functions can be.

“This learning gave me the ability to ask more insightful questions to business stakeholders and create solutions that supported the alignment of organizational goals and priorities.”

In addition to better serving her clients, Krista found that she could support her company using what she learned in her courses, stating “I used almost every project to enhance my organization.” Her learning also allowed her to interact with departments she may not have previously connected with, and better understand how all departments work together within a single entity.

Making strides in her career while advancing her education

As a part of the Strategic Human Resource Planning course that Krista took during her foundation level courses, her professor suggested to students that they find a mentor in their area of interest if they could. Little did she know that this prompt would significantly impact her career moving forward. What began as an informal mentorship request has led to a new role at her company within the analytics area that she had sought to enter from the start of her degree.

“Thanks to my mentor, I am now in an analytics role in the organization. My mentor supported my development and connected me with the right people to change my career from sales to advanced analytics.”

The beneficial impacts of mentorship cannot be understated for Krista, who is now looking forward to seeking opportunities to mentor others and share her knowledge. She believes that becoming a mentor will allow her to give back to those around her in the same way her mentor did with her.

Advice for Current and Future Students

When asked what advice Krista would give to new or future students pursuing their MBA programs, she urged students to step out of their comfort zone and push themselves in ways they may not typically be used to. Pushing yourself may look different for each student: “For example, some people may want to challenge themselves to be a group leader if they wouldn’t typically. Your UFred MBA is the opportunity to gain valuable experience in areas like this in a safe learning environment”.

She also suggests that students use this time to understand their limitations and take advantage of UFred’s flexible program. For Krista, it was necessary to take time off and temporarily allocate more time to her work as she transitioned into a new role. The ability to put her program on hold put her at ease while she integrated into the new position. She was then able to pick her program back up when she was ready and continue on successfully.