DFS with BMW gives student the chance to test drive career

An international exchange program has put a third-year Computer Information Systems and Business student on the road to an exciting career with one of the world's most prestigious automakers.

Chris Ogston was recently offered a job at BMW in Munich, Germany and will be heading to Europe this summer after he graduates.

"This is a dream come true for me," said the 25-year-old. "When you have an opportunity like this you have to go with it. BMW has raised my career outlook. The opportunity to start my career at such a highly-regarded company is very exciting. I can't wait to get there."

Last spring, Ogston was in Germany as part of the EU-Canada International Academic Mobility Project in Computer Network Security. As the exchange was winding down, he found himself wanting to spend more time in Europe.

Ogston still had another Directed Field Study (DFS) to complete and seized the opportunity to stay in Germany to do it. A professor he met during the exchange encouraged him to apply to BMW. Ogston gathered up his courage and his resume and approached the company.

"What I learned in my program at Mount Royal gave me the confidence I needed to approach BMW for my DFS," he said.

When he applied for the internship, BMW requested a list of the names and descriptions of the courses he had taken at MRC. "They were really impressed and said the course material covered in my program was what they require to work for them."

The project Ogston worked on during his four-month work term is confidential, but he did say that it was IT-based and involved a software application inside BMW vehicles. "The classes I took at Mount Royal helped me enormously in areas like advanced knowledge for databases and systems analysis."

Ogston says he is looking forward to being part of the implementation of the project this summer.

"During my time at BMW, I learned about big business culture and how to really make a large company work efficiently and effectively while keeping employees happy," he said. "I want to put the knowledge I gained there, and in my program at MRC, to good use this summer.

"The Computer Information Systems and Business program and the instructors at Mount Royal really opened my eyes to my capabilities. The program is working and here's the proof."