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I am a firm believer that Telfer case competitions are the best extra-curricular opportunity available at Telfer. Participating in case competitions pays dividends in your academic, professional, and personal spheres. If you haven’t heard of case competitions before - no worries! At its core, a business case competition involves presenting a solution to a real-world business problem to a panel of judges. You often only have a short amount of time to analyze the case, formulate your solution, and deliver your presentation. As such, the competition truly puts your skills to the test. But don’t worry! You’re not alone in this feat. Teams are often composed of 3-4 students, so you will have other like-minded students to work with. Additionally, each team has a coach with extensive experience in your case’s field and they will guide your team through weeks of practices. Here is how Telfer case competitions will enhance your university experience:
Case competitions are a great opportunity to develop soft skills that will serve you in your academic and professional careers.
Communication
Being able to communicate your solution clearly and effectively to industry professionals is key to success. Over the course of your weekly practices, you will deliver dozens of presentations on a variety of business topics. Each practice will help you become more comfortable in a public speaking position and make presentations feel more natural.
Teamwork
Case competitions are an excellent way to develop your collaboration skills. Working in a close-knit group requires teamwork among group members to succeed. Group work can become stressful, especially under the stressful conditions of a case competition. Your ability to keep a level head and work together, rather than against each other, is essential to succeed.
Problem-solving
Finally, case competitions will put your problem-solving skills to the test. A solid case presentation involves many different components, including a detailed analysis, a realistic solution, an implementation plan, and impact analysis. The time-restricted format of a case competition will force you to think on your feet and act quickly to deliver a complete, quality presentation . Additionally, it is important to deliver exciting and creative solutions to stand out to judges. Telfer case competitions will enhance your ability to analyze information and deliver a solution to a problem.
Case competitions are a great way to discover new interests. Competitions can cover virtually any business topic you can think of. For example, take the PrimeTime Sports & Entertainment case, where students developed a business solution surrounding sports management. Or the Omnium Financier stock pitch, where students had a month to develop a purchase recommendation for a specific stock. These are just some of the possible topics a case competition can cover.
Participating in Telfer case competitions gives you the opportunity to dip your toes in new fields of interest you may be unfamiliar with. You may be a marketing student who is interested in sustainable businesses, or a finance student wanting to learn more about human resource management. Case competitions are a low-committal, high-impact way to test the waters and discover new business passions in an exciting and educational way.
Case competitions are an excellent addition to your resume because they demonstrate practical, hands-on experience in solving real-world business problems (a skill employers highly value). They show that you can apply theoretical knowledge to competitive and high-pressure situations, proving your ability to think critically and deliver results under deadlines. Employers also see extra-curricular participation as a sign of initiative and ambition, indicating you're willing to go beyond the classroom to develop professionally. Teamwork and leadership skills gained in these competitions are directly transferable to the workplace, highlighting your ability to collaborate and lead.
One of the best aspects of a case competition is the opportunity to network with industry professionals. Companies pay large amounts of money to sponsor case competitions to gain access to young talent. At a competition, your presentations are judged by real employees of the company involved in your case problem. Presenting to them is a great way to catch their eye, and to have a chance to be invited to a private cocktail where you can network 1-on1 with company employees. If you aren’t invited to the private cocktail, don’t worry - each competition hosts a career fair where all competition sponsors are present and ready to meet with you. Bring your resume and connect with companies interested in your success!
Finally, Telfer case competitions are an excellent opportunity to grow your personal network and make new friends. Personally, some of my closest friends were people I have met through competitions. Competitions bring together like-minded students who are passionate about business and fun, just as much as you are. Throughout the competition, you will spend many long hours working closely with your team. At the competition Gala, you will celebrate your success together as one. Overall, case competitions are an amazing way to improve your social life.
If case competitions sound like something for you, take a look at the Telfer Competitions Instagram page to learn more. Follow their page to stay up to date on all future case competition opportunities at Telfer!