Abby Desveaux is in her fourth and final year of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program, majoring in Finance. Hailing from Miramichi, New Brunswick, she chose Dalhousie because she felt it would be a great and practical way to discover her career aspirations.

Abby completed her two most recent co-ops in Sales and Trading at TD Securities. “I had the opportunity to sit on three different teams throughout that time, two within Fixed Income – Money Markets and Credit, and one newly formed group called Senior Relationship Management,” explains Abby. “My role as an Associate in Money Markets and Credit were similar. I supported both sales and trading teams – booking trades, assisting clients, and preparing morning and end-of-day reports. My role as an Associate on the Senior Relationship Team was more project-based. I was challenged to unlock a deeper level of strategic thinking. The autonomy in my day-to-day allowed me to use my entrepreneurial spirit, which I really enjoyed!”

For her final co-op term this past summer, Abby was hired into the Global Markets Summer Associate program at TD Securities, which matches each student with a Sales and Trading team based on their interests and capabilities. At the beginning of the summer, she was placed on the Senior Relationship Management team. Several weeks later, there was a need for an associate on the Credit team. “Since program placements were already formalized, the managing director of Credit decided to ask me if I could fill the role. My SRM manager signed off on the dual-mandate and I began supporting both teams simultaneously,” Abby says.

What originally appeared to be an unexpected combination – credit and SRM – turned out to be a very constructive one. “I was able to support both teams, and in the process, gain a greater sense of the holistic structure and goals of the organization. Realizing this, my managers wanted to make this job a permanent one. They even asked me to help them pitch the idea to Human Resources! Being a part of a positive change to the program felt like a huge accomplishment.”

Abby credits securing her two consecutive co-ops with TD Securities to her involvement in the Dalhousie Investment Society (DALIS) as Vice President. Former DALIS President Stefan Wippel, who was also recommended to TD Securities by another former DALIS president, helped Abby get a foot in the door and has been her mentor for the last two years. She shares that MCS helped her develop a strong resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile, which are all necessities in a highly competitive environment such as Sales and Trading.

Abby advises students to get involved in extra-curriculars pertaining to your desired field and reach out to Dalhousie students and alumni who have worked in positions you are interested in. “And try to find a healthy balance between school work and enjoying your time as a student, as four years flies by!”