Originally from Sao Paula, Brazil, second-year Corporate Residency MBA student Laura Trevelin moved to Nova Scotia just before starting high school. After completing a bachelor’s degree at Dalhousie, she worked for a few years before deciding to pivot her career. Inspired by the success of alumni who had gone through the CRMBA program, she was excited to apply and take this next step in her education and career.

From January to August of this year, Laura completed her corporate residency with Sightline Planning + Approvals, a small urban planning firm in Halifax, as the Marketing & Business Development Manager. In this role, she guided the company through a rebrand and developed and executed marketing strategies to implement the new brand across the company. A key role she participated in was business development, helping to explore new growth opportunities and craft a five-year strategic plan.

Laura shares that one interesting project she had the opportunity to take on was overseeing advertising campaigns from start to finish. “I created the concepts for billboards and made all our digital ads, managed the creative and messaging, booked the ad spaces, and then had the thrill of seeing my work displayed on billboards all over Halifax.” With any work comes challenges, and Laura shares that the most challenging aspect of her role was the rebrand, shifting the company’s brand from being centered around a solo consultant into one that reflects the company’s growth into a team of nine people. “We had to create a brand voice that clearly communicated our team-oriented approach and fresh corporate identity to our target audience—while avoiding the trap of sounding like a generic corporate entity.”

Bringing in her previous experiences, Laura was able to apply project management skills to her corporate residency. These skills helped her juggle multiple projects such as copy writing, media strategy, managing budgets and coordinating with vendors and marketing agencies.

What Laura found most rewarding about her role was the creative freedom along with the opportunity to take risks. She shares that she enjoyed the opportunity to understand the complexities of businesses which enhanced her marketing efforts. A bonus to this role was working with so many Dal alumni. “We bonded quickly—every single person at Sightline is a Dal alum, and many joined the company through work terms and returned full-time after graduation.”

As she transitions back to class this fall and prepares for graduation in the spring, Laura is excited to continue taking advantage of the numerous networking events offered by the CRMBA program and MCS, especially in the fall, as well as networking opportunities through organizations such as the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Digital Nova Scotia. These opportunities were recommended by professors and alumni she met through networking.

The CRMBA program has allowed Laura to explore new paths she had never considered or even knew existed. “It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow both personally and professionally in ways I couldn’t have imagined.” During her time in the CRMBA program so far, one-on-one meetings with Management Career Services staff have been incredibly helpful to her. “Together, we created a game plan for each stage of the semester, which kept me focused, on track, and motivated.”

Here is Laura’s advice for students who are considering applying for the CRMBA program:

• Its okay if you’re not sure which direction you want to take! This program is designed to help you confidently explore different paths.
• When it comes to choosing your corporate residency, think about what kind of learning environment will be most beneficial for you. Big corporations offer excellent training within defined roles. Smaller companies and start-ups give you the chance to wear many hats and take on diverse projects.