By Reianthong Vongsangkam/ Edited by College of Management

On 8th October 2021, it was a wonderful honour for the IBMBA and GHRM MBA students at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) and the student association (SA) to welcome Pavel Čejka, one of the outstanding alumni from NSYSU's MBA program, to share his experience and how he succeeds in his professional and academic fields with 17 IBMBA and GHRM MBA students.

Pavel Čejka (MBA, International student at NSYSU 2008) currently works as Regional Vice President (CEE, Russia & CIS) at Tableau, a Salesforce Company. He is also reading for a MSt degree at Cambridge (UK).

Academy-wise Pavel has lectured for NSYSU (TW), UHK & VSE (CZ), Katz Business School (US), Emory University (US), or the University of London (UK).

In this event, Pavel shared about “How to truly unlock your global potential” which enables the students to study and work anywhere in the world.

There were two parts to this sharing event. Along with his thirteen years of experience, the first part of the interview focused on his educational background, which included three masters from NSYSU (TW), UHK (CZ), St Andrews (UK), and a Ph.D. from VSE (CZ). The second part of the discussion focused on his work from Taipei, Prague, and London.

He shared that his journey in Taiwan started when he was an exchange student. He was impressed with incredible scenery, amazingly friendly people, and the most delectable cuisine. During his NSYSU MBA studies from 2006 to 2008, Dr. Cejka not only gained knowledge of business administration but also joined many sports activities, especially Dragon Boat & Basketball league. It was a great fulfillment of his life and the most unforgettable memory as an international student in Taiwan.

After graduation, he worked for ASUS. This was possible mostly because of the previous student project whilst studying an independent study course at NSYSU. Furthermore, he mentioned that most global companies in Taiwan have many career opportunities that may not require local language skills. What matters more are the individual values one brings to those companies.

Pavel landed his jobs predominantly as a result of active recruiting rather than due to his applications. One of the participants asked him how to build a personal brand. He told us that your brand comes from a personal vision statement and values. The main thing is, one should ask what makes her/ him happy. LinkedIn is just a canvas to reflect individuals in their honest form.

Last, Dr Čejka asked the participants what they planned to do after attending the event. Various responses included thesis completion, studying abroad, and special project development. Following that, he underlines that while you could have different goals, the most important thing for everyone is to consider the level of individual happiness and Genuity.

“I was impressed with this event.” Alan Wu (3rd-year IBMBA) shared. “It has greatly helped me in reflecting on my career path and receiving advice on how to choose a path for my life.". "It wasn't the standard sharing as I imagined", Ruby Liu (1st-year IBMBA) said. “Instead, it was insightful and touching. I felt the human connection and heard practical advice. Thank you for organizing this meaningful event.”.

To unlock your global potential, Pavel argued, is that you need to have self-awareness first, which includes knowing who you genuinely are. That is the starting point on which one should build their career outlooks. You will succeed if you are happy on your journey. And, success is determined by how you feel about what you've accomplished. As a result, make your life enjoyable first, and then success will find you!