Interviewed by Dulguun Soyol-Erdene (Class of 2021) and photographed by Khaidar Arshad (Class of 2018).

Get to know Saranmandal Dalai (Class of 2005), a Business Development Director at Prestige Engineering LLC. She has coordinated multinational teams on significant projects such as the Biodiversity impact assessment of the Eg River Hydro Powerplant project, which has the potential to solve many of Mongolia’s electricity problems. Saranmandal shares her stories and advice from getting her first job to what current high school students should know.

• Full name: Saranmandal Dalai

• Hobby Alumni: 2005 

• Higher Education:

  • University of Finance & Economics, Mongolia (BA)

  • City University of Seattle (MBA)

• Sector(s): Water engineering, environment, infrastructure

• Current Workplace: Prestige Engineering LLC

CAREER

Please introduce yourself and briefly describe your background.

My name is Saranmandal Dalai, and I work as a Business Development Director at Prestige Engineering LLC. I graduated from Hobby School in 2005 and studied Banking and Finance at the University of Finance and Economics of Mongolia. I also earned my master's degree in project management from the City University of Seattle.

What does a typical day look like for a Business Development Director?

I’m grateful that I can have slow mornings most of the time, but sometimes I manage several projects simultaneously, so I get busy. As a business development director, I network, find, and obtain future clients. Communication is a key aspect of my work, so I often attend meetings with clients, partners, and other project stakeholders. Other times, I would work on developing or reviewing project documents. 

Looks like you have worked on numerous projects. Could you share one project you have worked on? What were the positives and negatives of working on that project?

I worked on many projects with Prestige Engineering LLC. One project I want to mention is the Impact assessment of the Eg Hydro Power Plant on the Biodiversity of Selenge River and Baikal Lake. I was responsible for communication and coordination, especially with our international consultants. We worked with French consultants along with Mongolian and Russian biodiversity experts. Coordinating all these groups was challenging, yet interesting at the same time. The Eg River hydropower plant is one of the Mongolian government's priorities. The reason is that the plant would help with Mongolia’s electricity issues. Therefore, the studies related to this project are significant and necessary. 

A complex aspect of the project involved addressing issues related to shared water resources across borders. Additionally, since Lake Baikal is a World Heritage Site, we had to ensure the project would not impact the lake before moving forward with operations. One other challenge was working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the travel restrictions, our experts couldn’t work as planned. It was pretty hard, but because of the project’s importance, we tried our best to overcome those challenges. I am very proud of what our team and I accomplished on this project, and I’m grateful to have been a part of that project. 

Coordinating people is hard. How did your experience at Hobby School help you deal with your career or life in general?

We had fewer students back then, so our teachers were very hands-on with us. Not only education-wise, but we were taught manners which, I believe influenced our development a lot. Many of our graduates have good morals and a good understanding of Mongolian culture because of our director, Ms. Oyuntsetseg. The after-school classes we had such as dance, music, and languages classes supported our development and created good people.

What is your fondest Hobby memory?

When I was in second grade, we went to Taiwan to participate in a dance festival. The whole experience was eye-opening and unforgettable. Looking back, I can’t imagine how the adults managed to take care of so many young students in another country. That shows how socially active and involved Hobby management was with their students.

Let’s go back to when you got your first job. How did you get your first job after graduating? How did it feel?

After graduating from university, I immediately started working for my family’s company. It felt good because I was getting a salary, I was living on my own, and gaining a lot of experience. But it was also very challenging because I didn’t take a break between university and entering the workforce. I would suggest you take a little break in between.

What skills were most valuable in transitioning from university to the workplace?

I would say knowing English is a big advantage. Nowadays, everyone, especially the younger generation can speak the language very well. But in a professional setting, it is difficult to find a good professional English speaker and translator. I think that is one of the reasons why studying at Hobby was so beneficial for my career as I use my English language proficiency to my advantage.

If you could describe your early career experience in one word or phrase, what would it be?

Eager to learn and not afraid to ask when you don’t know. 

Since you have a finance background and work with many engineers and researchers, do you think people should specialize in only one field or learn about both as much as you can?

If possible, having multiple academic backgrounds might be beneficial. But it depends on the person and the field you are working in. Engineering and business are very different but you learn a lot from having experience in both fields. In any case, having a business background is helpful. That doesn’t mean you have to study business, but being knowledgeable about it will always be beneficial for work. 

What advice would you give to current students about preparing for their careers?

I would say that when you choose a career and get a job, try to be a bit steady, open-minded, and learn what to do and what not to do as much as you can from the good or bad experience. I’ve noticed a lot of younger people who are entering the workforce are giving up very easily. If the path you are on is not for you, then it is okay to change it. But don’t give up too early, try to stick with your career until you understand what aspects you don’t like about your chosen path. Is it the work, is it the company, or is it just the people you are dealing with?

What is your motivation to stay in your current job?

A good company culture, comfortable work environment, and friendly coworkers on top of a meaningful job help me stay in my current job.

EDUCATION

Hobby had a big impact on you, but what led you to choose your career path?

I studied finance and economics at university. It was one of the most sought-after majors at the time, and I don’t regret majoring in it. I still think finance and economics are something everyone should have some understanding of. But after graduating from my university, and working in Mongolia, I had an opportunity to get a scholarship from a project that I was working on. I chose to study project management because it can be applied to any sector and I needed it for my work. 

After getting my master’s degree, I worked for the government for a few years. Which was a good experience, I learned a lot while working there, and now, I am working in the water sector. I started as a project manager, but now I deal with many international partners. The main reason why I stick with this sector is because the outcome of the work I do is always so meaningful which gives me a lot of satisfaction. All the meaningful jobs I do make me feel proud and motivated to continue working in the water sector.

Since you briefly talked about it before, how did extracurricular activities contribute to your personal and professional development?

We didn’t have clubs back then.

If you had the opportunity to be in any club Hobby has or does not have, what club would it be?

Public speaking in clubs like debate club would be very interesting. I am very happy that the Hobby School has a lot more clubs like it now.

Would you have created a club? 

I am not a very social person, so probably not, but I would have participated in clubs. I did attend Chinese and French after-school classes. I also participated in dance after-school classes, and I liked all of them a lot.

What was the most challenging task you worked on? How did it go?

The main challenge comes from dealing with people. Through experience, you learn to deal with different types of people. And like I said, Hobby has all these classes and clubs helping students communicate better and express themselves. These skills will surely help Hobby students in the future.

You mentioned you worked with a team on the Biodiversity study of the Eg Hydropower plant project. What kind of teammates did you work with? What went well and what did not go as expected?

The biodiversity study had to be based on the flow of the river, so we hired a hydrologist, which means a surface water specialist. We had to do modeling and collect data on Selenge River, Eg River, and Lake Baikal. Also, we worked with biodiversity experts like botanists, and ichthyologists who are fish experts, mammal experts, and insect experts. Synergizing all those specialists across different countries was a big challenge. But overall everyone’s goal was the same, which led to the success of our study.

The project covered Mongolian and Russian territories, so we had to work with both Mongolian and Russian experts. Also, some of the consultants and experts were French. As such, the language barrier was a big difficulty. Everything had to be translated into three languages. Translating and communicating was pretty challenging and time-consuming but thanks to our team’s English language knowledge we overcame this issue. 

ADVICE & REFLECTION

If you could go back, is there anything you would do differently during your time at Hobby or your undergraduate and postgraduate studies?

School years are very important when it comes to forming good habits. For example, waking up early or reading a lot of books. If you have that habit formed, it will be much easier for you later in life. Since you already have the habit, you can incorporate it into your daily life very easily. So, I would say try to form good habits during those years, and it will be helpful in the future.

What emerging trends or career fields should current students be aware of?

In Mongolia, we don’t have an extended professional workforce, and in particular the engineering field has very limited resources. However, I still strongly encourage pursuing a career in engineering, as engineers play a crucial role in driving and advancing a country's development.

How do you stay (or wish to stay) connected with other Hobby alumni? Any tips & tricks for recent graduates?

Well, follow the Hobby Alumni page, participate in the events they are organizing, and stay in touch with your classmates.