Ellen Bode is in her third year of studies in the Bachelor of Management program and was recently awarded one of four $5000 RBC Capital Markets Scholarships for Women which includes a four-month internship next summer with RBC Capital Markets in Toronto. In addition to the internship, Ellen will be matched with a RBC Capital Markets mentor to provide her with career development insight both before and after her internship with RBC.

In order to receive the scholarship, Ellen endured an extensive application process including an in-person interview with a panel of RBC Capital Market and Human Resource experts in Toronto. Although Ellen had not taken a finance course in her University career, she sought out advice from her network of contacts. It is this type of initiative that Ellen believes students need to show when applying for scholarships:

“The first step is obviously to have the initiative to apply no matter how complex the process may seem.  Also do not be afraid to ask for help. When I was given the question I had to discuss in my interview I was pretty overwhelmed as I had never taken a finance class before, but I met with two contacts I had in the finance sector as well as two Dalhousie finance professors who really helped me prepare a great answer.”

Beyond drawing from the expertise within her network, Ellen knew how to incorporate her experience into an effective application and claims that recognizing opportunities to gain experience is crucial to improving your career development:

“It’s important to know that your efforts today in obtaining good grades and participating in activities, be it volunteering, work experience or involvement in sports, could play a big role in landing an interview.”

Visit the RBC Capital Markets Scholarship for Women webpage for more details on the scholarship and to see the full list of this year’s winners.