Olivia Cons is a third year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in accounting. A Montréal native, Olivia was drawn to Dalhousie because of the co-op program. “The benefits of co-op were an advantage Dal offers that I could not find easily when looking at other schools and their programs,” she says. She was also drawn to Dal because of its location. “I fell in love with the city of Halifax. Halifax is a beautiful place to spend your university years, with all the nature and beauty by the water, I truly appreciate and cherish every moment I have here. For a new student, it offers the university lifestyle with a sense of home and tranquility.”

During her first co-op, Olivia worked as a Captive Associate at Marsh Canada Limited, a global leader in the insurance sector that helps clients manage risk and growth potential. In her role, she produced financial service guides and prepared audit confirmations, among many other things. She also had the opportunity to work on special projects, such as assisting Marsh’s New York Office in creating a new survey platform. “Working at Marsh for my first work term has been a significant learning experience as it established and fine-tuned my accounting skills,” says Olivia.

After her co-op, she reached out to her team to inquire about extending her work with the organization as a part-time employee during the summer. Marsh agreed and extended the offer, excited to continue to have her on their team.

Reaching this place of confidence in her job search process is a result of a lot of time and hard work, as well as support she received from Management Career Services (MCS). During the initial application process, Olivia reached out to MCS for help. “They were able to assist me step by step,” says Olivia. “They provided numerous job postings, and with the help of MCS, I was able to secure my co-op at Marsh.”

Olivia’s advice for you:

• Never give up during the application process. Keep applying to as many places as you can. The more organizations you apply to, the greater your chances of securing your co-op opportunity.
• Once you have secured your co-op, be positive and do not feel shy to speak up. Your fellow employees will appreciate your confidence. Creating conversation and relationships in the workplace makes work more fun!