Denny Tian
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2017
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
Job: Consultant at Boston Consulting Group
Would you be surprised to learn that a degree in mining engineering can launch a career in business consulting? Denny Tian says that the knowledge and problem-solving skills he acquired in mining engineering have enabled him to build a successful career helping top international companies develop new products and implement innovative growth strategies.
How did you choose mining engineering?
Before first year, I didn’t know much about mining engineering at all. But the more I learned about it, the more it appealed. I grew up in Vancouver and was going to school at UBC, and I liked the sense of adventure and opportunity offered by a career in mining – the ability to travel and work in interesting places around the world and to be part of a global industry.
What were some highlights of your undergraduate experience?
What stands out for me is co-op. It gave me an understanding of how what I was learning in school applied in the real world, and it enabled me to integrate knowledge from my work experience into my classes. It made the whole learning process much more interesting and engaging.
Co-op also gave me a good perspective on what it means to be an engineer.
Although I might have originally understood engineering to be focused on applying math, science and physics to real-world problems, as I gained more work experience, I realized that engineering is as much about communication, change management and conflict resolution. This helped me approach my studies more intentionally, in terms of the electives I took and the mentors I sought out.
Did you have opportunities to learn some of these soft skills in your courses?
Engineering students do a lot of group project work. Frankly, they could be tough – not everyone is aligned on the goals and some people aren’t doing their fair share. But in learning how to work together, you implicitly acquire a lot of these important soft skills. When you are working in an organization, everything is a team effort, so having competency in communication and teamwork makes it much easier to succeed in a work environment.
What was it like to launch a startup company?
It was an incredible learning experience. We were creating a marketplace like OpenTable, but for health and wellness services.
Our company was very fortunate to be chosen to be part of TechStars, a business accelerator program that provides a capital investment and gives you access to a mentorship program and a venture capital network.
We raised money, assembled a team, built and launched our product, and grew our customer base. About a year later, we sold Zerv to a company that was looking for a digital product to complement their services and offerings.
Any advice for engineering students just starting out at UBC?
Doing co-op or working in engineering-related internships can help you figure out what you like and what you are good at. I had three positions at very different companies in three different locations. These work experiences help you gain the skills to be able to adapt to new environments very quickly – and given that the only constant in life is change, this is an important skill to have! Also, go to where the work is. Being able to pack up to pursue new opportunities can give you a competitive advantage.
