[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/eby_matt.jpg” caption=”Commerce student Matt Eby (Blackberry in hand) at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo.”]When commerce student Matt Eby entered the commerce internship program offered through the DeGroote School of Business, he had no idea it would land him a full-time position on the other side of the world.

Beginning his commerce undergraduate degree in 2002, it was in his third year as a student at DeGroote that Eby accepted a 16 month sales internship position with Research In Motion (RIM) in Waterloo, Ont. A position that in turn brought him to where he is today — in Tokyo, Japan.

The commerce internship program was created in 1994 to complement DeGroote's focus on experiential education by allowing students to enhance their classroom learning with real world experience. Students venture into the workplace on an eight, 12 or 16 month paid placement with companies such as RIM, IBM, State Street, KPMG and GE Canada.

Eby explains, “I started at RIM as a sales co-ordinator on my internship and after eight months was hired full-time changing roles to be a carrier channel sales manager. After being in this position for a year, I then moved to Japan to become a global strategic account manager.”

This was an opportunity of a lifetime that Eby could not pass up, and for the past 16 months, he has balanced work and school to complete the final 10 credits of his commerce degree. He will graduate from the School of Business this June, however he will not be attending the convocation ceremony on Monday, June 4 at 3 p.m. as he will still be in Tokyo.

Eby is a global strategic account manager for RIM and works with some of RIM's multinational customers in Japan.

While language barriers can be challenging, Eby's love for a global environment makes up for any obstacles.

“One of my favourite things about this job is working with a global group,” he explains. “For example, once a week I have a call in the morning with our global team in Europe, which has people from Germany to London on it. Then in the afternoon, I have a call with all of Asia Pacific from Australia to China. Later that night, I have a call that includes all of North America, Europe, South America and Asia. Therefore, every week I am speaking with people who literally represent the entire globe. It is quite an amazing feeling.”

While he credits the case-based education he received at DeGroote with helping him to develop his analytical and decision-making skills, it is the commerce internship program that Eby says is responsible for allowing him to be where he is today in his career.

“Going through my third year of school, I knew that I would need some experience to accompany my degree if I was going to attain that perfect job,” he says. “I signed up for the internship program and the Centre for Business Career Development matched me perfectly with the type of position I was looking for.”

Eby encourages students thinking of pursuing the commerce internship to take advantage of the opportunity. “There is no better way to get the experience you need as well as the knowledge that comes from working.”

And where does this soon-to-be DeGroote grad see himself in five years? He can't make that prediction quite yet.

“All of the amazing things that have happened to me so far in my career I could have never planned or predicted,” says Eby. “I am so grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me. I do know that I will continue to work to the best of my abilities and try to learn as much as I can from the people and teams that I work with.”