Taylor Davis, a third-year Commerce Co-op student originally from Toronto, Ontario, is majoring in Entrepreneurship. She chose Dalhousie to experience life on the east coast, inspired by her parents’ fond stories of the region from their time at Dal. Drawn to the Commerce program for its co-op component, Taylor enjoys applying classroom concepts to real work experiences, enhancing both her academic and professional growth.
During her first co-op as a Market Research and Events Coordinator with Dalhousie’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Co-op department, Taylor gained insights into her working preferences and skills. While she enjoyed market research, she realized that people-oriented roles suit her better long-term. Managing long-term and short-term projects simultaneously improved her time management, task prioritization, and communication skills, which will serve her well in future roles. “In my role, it was absolutely crucial to manage my time effectively,” she says. “There was one ongoing project from day one that lasted until the end of my term, and I had to complete this project while simultaneously being assigned other short- and long-term projects. I had never had a role with so many rolling starts and deadlines, and all of a sudden I was planning each day out because every day would look different. I definitely got better at planning in advance and communicating with my supervisors about my progress.”
For her second co-op as an Administrative Assistant at CIBC, networking proved crucial. Without being assigned a team, Taylor proactively reached out across departments, offering support and identifying opportunities. This experience taught her the importance of building connections, taking the lead, and strengthening interpersonal skills to generate meaningful work. “There was no room for nerves, I had to jump right into making connections for myself in order to generate meaningful work.”
Balancing a job search with school can be challenging, but Taylor made it manageable by integrating the search into her daily routine. By treating it as a regular task during library time, she stayed organized and consistent without feeling overwhelmed.
After gaining corporate experience, Taylor emphasizes the importance of punctuality in building trust. Arriving 15 minutes early each day ensures she is prepared to start on time, creating a positive impression and setting a productive tone. “Being punctual helps people see you as reliable, hardworking, and trustworthy. Then from a personal perspective, it gets my day off to a good start because I don’t feel like I’m just showing up to clock my hours. I’m showing up because I am motivated to get work done.”
Taylor has developed a passion for private wealth and wealth management and plans to continue exploring this career path. Looking ahead, she intends to apply her lessons on trust and dependability to foster strong relationships with colleagues and supervisors, ensuring mutual support for future challenges and opportunities.
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