Interview with Kia-Marie Parsons
Tell us about yourself and why you chose to study Management, Economics & Finance at the University of Guelph?
My name is Kia-Marie Parsons, and I was an international student at the University of Guelph, originally from Trinidad and Tobago. Since graduating, I’ve built a career in the tech industry and currently work as a Marketing Operations Manager at Encircle, a restoration software company based in Kitchener-Waterloo.
I didn’t begin my studies in the Management, Economics & Finance (MEF) program. I initially enrolled in the BA Economics Co-op program. As an international student, I attended presentations from several universities that visited Trinidad and Tobago to recruit students. The U of G representatives spoke of a wonderful campus culture and supportive environment that drew me in as I would have no family in Canada so the university, I chose would be my homebase for 5 years. Knowing I would be far from home and family. It was important for me to find a university that felt like a second home and Guelph offered me that.
My interest in economics stemmed from my high school courses, so the BA Economics program was a natural choice. However, by my third year, I realized that my career aspirations were shifting away from economics. My previous degree overlapped with the MEF program, so I was already taking several courses alongside MEF students, hence it was easy to make the decision to transfer into MEF, where I was able to keep my co-op placement and selected the Management emphasis
What did you like most about your program? Is there anything in particular about the courses or professors that stands out to you?
The range of courses in the program was incredibly diverse. Even the restricted electives spanned multiple industries, including Economics, Marketing, Human Resources, Real Estate, and Corporate Social Responsibility/Community Engagement. I had the opportunity to take both Introductory and Advanced Marketing, which provided a strong foundation for my current role in Marketing Operations. Courses such as International Business and International Trade encouraged a global perspective, prompting us to think critically about the broader economic and governmental impacts of business decisions.
The course that stood out to me the most was Business Consulting, where I had the chance to act as a consultant for a real client. I worked with the Aberfoyle Farmers' Market to develop a customer loyalty program aimed at increasing return visits. This project gave me hands-on experience solving real-world business problems and allowed me to strengthen my communication skills which I continued to use in my subsequent co-op roles.
A standout professor for me was the now-retired Professor Brian Ferguson, who taught Business History and History of Economic Thought. His storytelling approach made the historical context of business both engaging and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on my academic experience.
Did you do co-op? If yes, tell us a bit about your co-op job and your experience.
I had a unique co-op experience as I worked most of my roles at the University of Guelph. My first role was a four-month placement as a Programming Office Staff member for Student Housing Services. In this role, I supported the creation of programming and educational content for on-campus residences, such as bulletin boards and flyers. I also led interactive activities, including designing an escape room for Bio House, which at the time was housed in a hotel which was a fun experience.
My second co-op was as a Faculty and Academic Staff Relations (FASR) Assistant in the Office of the Vice-President. This position provided a rare behind-the-scenes look at university operations and served as an excellent introduction to labour relations and union negotiations. I had the opportunity to observe CUPE bargaining sessions for Professors, TAs, and Sessional Lecturers. Additionally, I helped organize the orientation event for new faculty members and created a comprehensive digital archive of FASR records spanning from 1994 to 2017. I contributed to reviewing and editing CUPE 3913 articles and finalizing agreement documents for mass distribution. One of my most impactful projects was developing a performance evaluation guide that incorporates best practices for providing formative feedback, navigating conflict, and fostering effective communication. Though intended as a summer co-op, I was invited to stay on part-time for an additional semester to complete my projects.
My final role was as an 8-month position as an Event Support Agent at a Toronto tech company called EventMobi. This was an amazing opportunity to see the work culture in Toronto and was my introduction to the tech industry which I have worked in post-graduation in various companies. I provided global customer support via phone and chat for event planners using the company’s app. I also identified, replicated, and triaged software bugs to the engineering team, often delivering temporary workarounds to ensure client success. A highlight of this role was representing EventMobi at IncentiveWorks, a major industry tradeshow, where I worked the company booth at the show. I also participated in company culture by joining the trampoline dodgeball team which was a fun and memorable way to connect with colleagues.
Where are you currently working and what is your role?
I currently work as a Marketing Operations Manager at Encircle a restoration SaaS company in Kitchener-Waterloo. The main part of my role is the administration and creation of best practices for the marketing tech stack (tools like Salesforce and Pardot/Account Engagement) and the evaluation and implementation of new tools. I create frameworks to maintain and update prospect information in marketing automation systems and manage the process of moving leads through the sales and marketing funnels.
How did your degree and time at the University of Guelph help get you to where you are today? How do the skills and education you gained help with your current work?
Although I only completed two Marketing courses during my degree, they provided a helpful foundation in core concepts that I now recognize in my current role. However, the most valuable takeaways from my academic experience were the soft skills I developed through collaborative coursework, co-op placements, and campus involvement.
As my role is technology centred, it is ever changing and the tools you use today may not be the ones you use tomorrow. But the communication skills, problem-solving skills, the ability to work with people in a team, the ability to plan out a project, explain a concept in varied ways so that different people with different communication styles are on the same page and are an integral part of my role that will never change.
My opportunities to do co-ops gave me the opportunity to gain real world work experience and refine the skills mentioned above. For example, in my role as a Support agent I communicated to clients around the world which required me to change the way I explained how to resolve app issues, according to person as some wanted a brief explanation while others wanted a full in-depth tutorial. In my role as a Faculty and Academic Staff Relations (FASR) Assistant I learned how to plan, research and execute a project from start to finish after only being given an overview of what the department was looking to achieve. This taught me how to thoroughly think through the requirements needed to execute a project and get feedback from related stakeholders. Working in Career Services as a Peer Helper to do training sessions, resume critiques and mock interviews with students pulled me out of my shell as an introvert as I had to interact with numerous new people on every shift and lead the conversation with constructive feedback on their resumes or interviews and develop my public speaking and interpersonal skills. In my current role I train users to use various software, do project management for implementing new software or processes, and present new ideas to management so I often find myself grateful for those previous university experiences helping me to grow and develop the needed skills.
What advice would you give someone considering the Management, Economics & Finance program or applying to the University of Guelph?
The program’s diverse courses and electives provides lots of opportunities to explore the many facets of the business world and a variety of industries. While it may be tempting to focus only on one industry especially if you feel certain about your career path, this is one of the few times in your life when you can experiment academically without long-term risk. Take advantage of this freedom. Enrolling in courses outside your initial area of interest can broaden your perspective, reinforce your goals, or even open the door to a career path you never considered. You should truly embrace the flexibility of the MEF program to make the most out of your degree.
Bonus Questions
Where was your favourite place to eat on campus and what was your go-to food order?
The exhibition cooking booth at Creelman Hall was always a highlight for me. The menu changed regularly, featuring new and creative dishes each day or week, which made it exciting to see what the chef would be preparing. Because of this constant variety, I never had a go-to food order as I was always trying something new.
In your opinion where is the best place to study on campus?
The 5th floor of the library was a great pace to study for me as it was quiet and study carrels. Creelman Hall outside of the rush periods was a nice place to study if you don’t need complete silence and had big tables to spread out your stuff while eating amazing food.
What are your top 5 favourite things about U of G?
- The People - Guelph is known for having some of the friendliest people you’ll meet…. sometimes overwhelmingly so if you're from a culture where you are not used to chatting with strangers! As someone new to Canada with no existing ties to the community, this warmth made a huge difference. I never felt like an outsider and was able to quickly feel at home on campus and in the city thanks to how welcoming everyone was.
- The food – There’s a reason campus recruitment often highlights the food at U of G, as it’s genuinely great!
- The Arboretum – It is an amazing place to take a walk and destress after a hectic day of school. It’s especially stunning in the fall when the leaves change and the Katsura trees give off a sweet, cotton candy-like scent. Everyone should experience it at least once during their time at Guelph.
- The campus is like its own little world, since you only really need to leave campus for groceries and everything else is available. The buildings are beautiful and have a rich history. The fall season on campus is truly a sight to see.
- Orientation Week – As someone who worked with Residence Life throughout my time at Guelph, I had the chance to experience Orientation Week five times and it never got old. It’s a fantastic mix of events designed to help you meet new people, bond with your residence community, and kick off your university journey with energy and excitement. If you’re living in residence, don’t miss the pep rally and learn the residence dance
