Lokiy Wang is a Bachelor of Commerce student from China. She is wrapping up a co-op work term with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in Moncton, New Brunswick as an International Business Development Assistant in the International Business Development department. Her role is to assist with trade missions and conduct market research with a focus on the Asian market. We caught up with Lokiy and her supervisor, Gilles Gaudet, to find out how the experience has been thus far from both the student and employer perspective.

 

Lokiy’s Experience

“My experience with ACOA is incredibly amazing! I created a business guide book for Canadian exporters who want to do business with China, which will be used in the Atlantic Canada region by both government missions and individual company missions. I am so glad that I am able to contribute my background knowledge and experience to the company. Being an international student is no longer a disadvantage; it has turned into my advantage! And I have had chances to build and expand my personal network with some local industry-leading companies and government officers through sector meetings.”

Lokiy felt it was important to stay in Canada for her work terms because she had already traveled so far to learn, therefore working in Canada gave her the opportunity to learn about Canadian culture and business practices. She now feels she has a better understanding of international business trade development and public service operating processes.

Lokiy’s advice for other international students who want to work in Canada is to be confident, and to realize that communication skills are not the same as English skills. She suggests that students build their resume with Canadian work experiences by doing volunteer work and joining student societies.

One of her best experiences was going on the Toronto Corporate Tour organized by Management Career Services. “I highly recommend it for international students,” said Lokiy.  The tour allowed Lokiy to figure out which industry she was interested in, and introduced her to professional Canadian work environments.

Lokiy’s advice for international students who have secured Canadian work terms is to ask for work if you don’t have enough to do. Lokiy feels that this is a great way to learn during the work term and also suggests that students can benefit by networking with colleagues and clients.

 

Gilles’ Experience

Lokiy’s supervisor at ACOA, Gilles Gaudet, manager of ACOA’s  Atlantic Business Initiatives department, realized the value of hiring Lokiy because she possessed insight into, and first-hand knowledge of, what consumers in China want.  They also benefitted from Lokiy’s understanding of how business processes in China differ from Canada. Lokiy added a fresh perspective to the team and prompted them to explore whether those processes could work in the Canadian business environment.

For Canadian companies looking to do business internationally, international students can offer consumer insight beyond the domestic market. Mr. Gaudet suggests that international students promote their differences and their knowledge of other cultures, because they can be assets to companies involved in international business and marketing.

Mr. Gaudet believes that companies doing international business should consider hiring international students to leverage their knowledge and experience in foreign markets.  He also believes that hiring these students encourages greater cultural awareness and, “a potential future promoter of the company to family and friends of the student in their home country, what better way to get a product known outside of Canada? And it’s free!”