- Name: Ola Mirzoeva
- Age: 26
- Current location: Toronto, Canada
- Home town: Moscow, Russia
- Education: Queen’s University, Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) ESCP Europe, Master in Management (Academic Exchange Semester)
- Current position: Senior Commercial Officer, High Commission of Canada to Tanzania, Seychelles, and Comoros
- Organization description: High Commission of Canada acts in the same role as an Embassy. They assist Canadian nationals in the country, help Canadian businesses operating in the country, improve or maintain political ties, and run development programs.
- Bio: Ola Mirzoeva was a Senior Commerical Officer at the High Commission of Canada to Tanzania. Graduating with a degree in commerce, Ola took advantage of opportunities abroad in the Ukraine, as well as an Aga Khan Fellowship in Tanzania, before finding her most recent position at the High Commission.
- Countries I've worked in: Ukraine, Tanzania, Kenya, Canada
- Sector / subsectors: International Development, Economic Development, Global Affairs, Diplomacy
- Areas of expertise: International Development, Economic Development, Global Affairs, Diplomacy
- Country: Tanzania
- Region: Africa
- Sector: International development
- Degree subject: Business & commerce
-
-
How did you get to where you are now? Tell us about your career trajectory.Ola talks to us about why she decided to take a business degree, and how she was able to get her job at the High Commission in Tanzania.
-
You first went to Tanzania with the Aga Khan Foundation. Can you tell us more about that opportunity, and the application process?Ola talks to us about paid internships abroad with the Aga Khan Foundation.
-
The Aga Khan Fellowship program was very competitive. What do you think set you apart from the other applicants, and eventually got you the position?Ola breaks down three things she thinks set her apart from the other candidates.
-
What is an average week for a senior commercial officer at the High Commission in Tanzania?Ola breaks down her role between daytime events and nighttime events.
-
What were some of the challenges you faced, moving to and working in East Africa for the first time?Ola talks about the shock of not being able to blend in with local populations, and the emotional toll of living in ex-pat communities.
-
What professional challenges did you face?Ola talks about getting over her fears of feeling unqualified, and dealing with the ‘old boys club’ of the mining industry as a young woman.
-
What advice would you give to someone about to embark on this path?Ola gives us three pieces of advice, including the benefits of living outside of the ex-pat community.
-
-
What’s out there for someone who’s interested in working in this sector? What are the various fields and streams?Ola tells us about a few roles within the international development sector that would be great for business graduates.
-
Talk to us about education. Is an advanced degree necessary? Are there other valuable certifications?Find out what courses and certifications Ola says could give you an edge in this sector.
-
Are there common mistakes that young people make in this field?Ola tells us about a common “missed opportunity” that she sees young people make.
-
Do you have tips for networking or cold calling?Ola tells us the one thing you can arm yourself with that will make networking so much easier - and it only takes 30 seconds.
-
Any last bit of advice for students looking into get into this sector?Ola tells us what you can doing right now, in your group projects at school, that will ultimately help you when trying to enter the world of international development.Tags: international development, creativity, confidence, working overseas, technical skills, hard skills, langauges, excel, software, coding, graphic design, soft skills, personal development international development creativity confidence working overseas technical skills hard skills languages excel software coding graphic design soft skills personal development
