Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Alyanna Cortez’s Journey from Dalhousie Student to Dash Social Leadership

April 9, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Alyanna Cortez (BComm ’22) is a Senior Customer Experience Representative at Dash Social. She and her team are the first point of contact for customers, working to resolve issues and offer technical support. Her achievement in this position can be traced back to the work terms she completed during her Commerce Co-op degree at Dalhousie, two of which were at Dash Social. These co-ops gave Alyanna the chance to get a foot in the door of an industry and company that she would later pursue post-graduation. “Through these work terms, I got a better sense of what I enjoy and where I excel, which played a huge role in guiding my career path.”

Lessons Learned Outside the Classroom

Completing three co-ops allowed Alyanna to gain practical skills that could not have been developed in a classroom setting. Through working in a busy office and interacting with other professionals daily, she grew to understand the intricacies of making small talk in a professional environment. “While building a network is essential, establishing rapport—with both colleagues and customers—is just as vital.” Becoming adept at this skill helped strengthen her professional relationships and ensure effective communication in the workplace. In addition, Alyanna’s co-ops taught her how to explain complex technical concepts to those unfamiliar with them, which has been essential in her current role. Learning how to break down information and make it digestible has helped her provide stellar customer service in her role today.

Skill Development

Alyanna’s co-ops allowed her to develop key skills and personal learning philosophies. Her work term experiences helped her understand the importance of continuing to actively seek out knowledge. Whether she was learning from her teammates or completing independent research, this mindset helped her develop strong problem-solving skills as she sought increasingly better ways to address challenges. “Whether it was troubleshooting technical issues or figuring out how to communicate more effectively with customers, there’s always room to grow, and I continue to approach every situation with that same curiosity.” This attitude towards learning helps her assist customers in her current role, as she recognizes and embraces that every situation will require learning something new.

Blending Passions Through Work-Integrated Learning

Before beginning her university career, Alyanna had a strong interest in both business and computer science. She ultimately chose to pursue business with a Commerce Co-op degree, thinking she was leaving her passion for technology behind. However, her co-op experiences with Dash Social showed her that there was a way to blend those two interests together in one role. “My co-ops showed me that I didn’t have to choose between the two fields.” Her current role allows her to explore the technical aspects of problem solving, as well as engage with consumers and offer customer service. This position, which was forged through Alyanna’s work terms at Dash Social, is a combination of her two passions, keeping her engaged and challenged daily.

CEI Support Paving the Way for Full-Time Employment

The Co-operative Education Incentive (CEI) is a provincial program that offers wage assistance to Nova Scotia organizations looking to hire post-secondary students for career-related co-op experiences. Designed to help both students and employers, CEI has made it possible for hundreds of students to secure co-op positions since 2001, including Alyanna. Dash Social benefitted from CEI funding, allowing Alyanna to land a co-op work term that led to her current, full-time position. After an exemplary performance in her co-op, Alyanna’s manager reached out and invited her to apply for a full-time role with the Customer Success team when there was an opening. Due to her previous experience with the company, Alyanna was well prepared to succeed in the interview and application process. “I was already familiar with the company culture, the team dynamics, and the kind of work that was expected.” Being able to draw on her previous involvement with the company allowed her to highlight how she would contribute to the team, demonstrate her dedication to customer service, and ultimately landed her the job.

In fall 2024, Management Career Services reached an incredible milestone of 20,000 business work terms for students in the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op, Bachelor of Management, and Corporate Residency MBA programs. These programs have produced a diverse group of alumni who have made significant contributions across industries. To learn more about their stories and the impact of these work-integrated learning programs, visit our website.

Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Jeremy Buzanis’ Journey from Dalhousie Student to Platinum Lead Owner

April 4, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Jeremy Buzanis (BComm’ 19) is the founder of Platinum Lead, a marketing agency that offers customized AI-enhanced digital marketing systems to small businesses. He and his team have helped many businesses grow their leads, sales, online presence, and long-term customer relationships. The foundation of this successful business was built during Jeremy’s time in the Commerce Co-op program at Dalhousie University, where he completed two entrepreneurial work terms to launch Platinum Lead. These work terms allowed him to develop business intelligence, communication skills, and get his business off the ground without any venture capital or investors. “I like to think my Entrepreneurial Work Term experience was the sandbox and foundational time to set my business and mindset up for success.”

Advice for Future Entrepreneurs

Having built a successful business from scratch, Jeremy is well positioned to offer advice to anyone hoping to follow a similar path. His own experience has taught him that it is not an easy journey: there will be late nights, early mornings, and a consistently packed schedule. He stresses the importance of being willing to tackle the front-end marketing and sales aspect of business ownership, as well as developing back-end business processes to deliver value to customers. In addition, continuing to learn and grow to stay ahead of market trends while managing a business is essential to entrepreneurial success. Believing in yourself and in your idea despite any naysayers will help you get far. “If you are creative and want to help companies or people grow with whatever you are working on, follow that pull, tend to that ember, and grow it into a roaring flame inside of you.” It requires personal dedication and sacrifice, but Jeremy’s experience has taught him that is also incredibly rewarding.

Practical Experience

Getting the chance to dive into the world of entrepreneurship during two of his three work terms taught Jeremy more about business operations than he could have ever learned solely in a classroom. He developed many essential skills, such as how to build websites, manage sales funnels, image creation, and copywriting. Through this experience, he learned how to create digital marketing campaigns that would yield real results for clients depending on him. In addition, he learned how to acquire customers and build long-term, profitable, trusting relationships. By participating in entrepreneurship in a real-world setting, he was exposed to the constantly changing economical dynamics that business owners operate in. “The amount of time, energy, and sheer faith you must have to get your business idea off the ground, into a startup, and then scaling is impossible to learn in the classroom.”

Unforgettable Moments

Jeremy’s work terms were filled with valuable experiences and memorable moments that stick with him to this day. Initially, launching Platinum Lead required Jeremy to hustle and pitch his services to customers looking for solutions to their marketing challenges. The very first proposal he ever put together for his first client sticks out as a significant milestone. After practicing his pitch countless times and ensuring perfection in all the details, his hard work paid off, and the client signed on the spot. “That moment of validation — realizing that someone was willing to pay me for something I created — was indescribable.” This was the moment he realized that taking the leap and developing his venture was going to be worth the hard work.

Entrepreneurial vs. Traditional Work Term

In addition to his entrepreneurial work terms, Jeremy first completed a traditional co-op with O’Regans Mercedes-Benz that provided valuable foundational skills. Working in a conventional corporate space taught him the importance of adhering to a schedule and helped him develop a system that worked for his personal business goals. “The structure I received from the traditional setting helped set me up, now and when I was in my entrepreneurial work terms, because I didn’t let myself create excuses.” Working for yourself requires motivation and discipline, since there is no other boss to answer to. By gaining that traditional experience, Jeremy set himself up for success in his entrepreneurial endeavors.

Student Spotlight: Emily Hewlett

April 1, 2025 Management Career Services 2 Comments

Emily Hewlett, originally from Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student majoring in Managing People and Organizations. “I chose Dalhousie because of its strong co-op program and the opportunity to stay on the east coast of Canada. Coming from a small town, I knew the co-op program would help me build connections and gain real-world experience before graduating,” she says. Halifax’s vibrant academic scene and proximity to her hometown were key factors in her decision to attend Dal.

Emily’s co-op journey so far has given her invaluable experience in two distinct HR roles. Her first co-op was at Killam Apartment REIT in Halifax, where she worked in recruitment. “I was involved in every part of the recruitment process—from posting jobs to screening resumes, scheduling interviews, and helping to build contracts.” This role allowed her to develop essential organizational and communication skills that are crucial in human resources.

For her second co-op, Emily moved to Saint John, New Brunswick to work with Irving Oil in HR Governance and Administration. Her responsibilities included tracking legislation across 15 jurisdictions, researching how passed bills impacted the company, and reviewing policies to ensure compliance with regulations. “Moving to a new city and adjusting to a large corporate environment was a challenge, especially being away from home,” Emily reflects. “But the team at Irving Oil made me feel welcome, and with their support, I grew both personally and professionally.”

Despite facing personal challenges, Emily remained resilient. “There were times when I wanted to give up, but I stayed focused on my goal of learning and growing.” Her time in Saint John taught her the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. “I learned I’m stronger than I thought, and that if I set my mind to something, I can push through any obstacle.”

Looking ahead to her final co-op this summer with J.D. Irving in the Transportation and Logistics division, Emily is excited for the balance of familiar and new challenges. “I’m looking forward to the mix of recruitment and governance work, as well as learning new technologies and systems,” she says. Emily is also eager to return to Saint John and reconnect with friends made during her previous co-op.

As she nears graduation, Emily feels confident in her ability to navigate the job market. “By tailoring my applications to each role and applying lessons learned from my co-ops, I know the right opportunity will come,” she says.

Her advice to current and future co-op students? “Don’t shy away from opportunities outside your comfort zone. Even if the role isn’t what you expect, you’ll gain valuable skills.”

Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Gayle Murdoch’s Journey from Dalhousie Student to Canada Life Leadership

March 31, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Gayle Murdoch (BComm ’04, MBA ‘06) is the Senior Vice President of Sales Effectiveness and Performance at Canada Life. She and her team work with independent advisors, offering support on contracts, compensation, as well as providing assistance with digital tools for various business needs. The foundation of her success in this career can be found in her work term experiences during her Commerce Co-op degree at Dalhousie University. Completing three co-ops during her degree allowed her to develop key skills that set her up for professional success. She would not be where she is today without those experiences. “The best educational decision I’ve ever made was to take the co-op program at Dalhousie.”

Post-Grad Job Search

Completing co-ops as part of her degree gave Gayle a huge advantage when she began searching for her first jobs post-graduation. Having a full year of work experience gave her real-world examples to discuss in interviews, and familiarity with an office environment helped her jump into the corporate world. Being able to combine her classroom lessons with practical experience provided a huge boost when she began searching for her first full-time job after graduating. Without her work terms, Gayle’s career trajectory would not be what it is today. “Of course, the program, the profs and the admin team are amazing – but the work terms really made a difference in my career path.”

Extracurricular Involvement

As a student, Gayle was heavily involved in the Dalhousie Student Union, taking a role in organizing first-year orientation week. Alongside this, she stepped into a leadership role as a co-chair for Shinerama, a fundraising campaign for cystic fibrosis. These experiences helped enrich her time on campus and allowed her to get involved and give back to the Dalhousie community. In addition, Gayle was a board member for a few community organizations on the south shore of Nova Scotia, further enhancing her organizational and planning skills which became valuable when searching for co-ops and eventual full-time jobs. “Leading a big team of volunteers and coordinating logistics gave me experience that I could speak to in interviews and transferrable skills that I continue to use in my career.” Her community and campus involvement helped her develop a strong professional skill set even before gaining any professional work experience.

Lessons Learned on Work Term

Gayle’s co-ops allowed her to gain experience and insights into the business world that remain relevant to this day. During her work term at Murdoch Market Development, a food-related marketing company, she was given the opportunity to pitch marketing strategies and analyze business development techniques. This practical experience helped her quickly learn what leads to success and what doesn’t, and taught her the importance of moving on quickly from failures. In addition, her work terms helped her understand how crucial teamwork is. She learned the importance of being open to feedback and communicating clearly with colleagues. Being able to listen effectively and remain open to learning new things was a critical lesson Gayle learned on work term, allowing her to benefit from a team’s varied experience. “Those lessons will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I expect will continue to be very helpful.”

Continued Learning

As a professional today, Gayle is a huge advocate for continued learning. Following her undergraduate degree in Commerce, she returned to Dalhousie to complete her MBA. In the summer after her first year of graduate school, she worked at the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles before returning to Halifax and finishing her degree, which she says was an exciting period of her life. Although she completed her MBA directly following her undergraduate degree, Gayle also sees the value in continuing your education even once you join the workforce. “Find ways to ‘go back to school’ every five years to stay fresh and engaged in learning new concepts.” Gayle has taken her own advice and participated in various programs at different educational centres and universities over the years.

Student Spotlight: Shrina Shah

March 25, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Originally from Gujarat, India, Shrina Shah is a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program, majoring in Marketing. “I chose Dal because I wanted to learn through real-world experiences, not just textbooks. The co-op program was exactly what I needed—it’s where learning really comes to life.” Halifax’s mix of small-town warmth and big-city ambition has been the perfect backdrop for her academic and professional development.

Shrina’s co-op journey provided her with hands-on experience in three different roles. Her first role was at Traffic Tech Inc., where she worked in customer service support. Though not marketing-focused, this role gave her valuable insight into how client communication impacts brand perception. “I learned how important customer relationships are to a brand’s image,” Shrina shares. This experience helped develop her communication and problem-solving skills, which would prove useful in her future roles.

For her next co-op, Shrina worked as a Digital Marketing Assistant for Dalhousie’s Management Career Services, managing social media content and contributing to marketing campaigns. “This role taught me how to craft messages for different audiences,” she says. “Data doesn’t lie—it’s essential for measuring success and making adjustments.” Shrina refined social media strategies, created compelling content, and analyzed digital engagement. This role solidified her passion for digital marketing, showing her how creativity and analytics come together to drive business results.

However, it was her role at Myra Media for her third and final co-op that truly solidified her desired career path. As a Digital Marketing & Analytics Specialist, Shrina had the opportunity to build marketing strategies from the ground up. “Myra Media was where everything clicked for me,” she explains. “I wasn’t just following instructions; I was creating solutions.” In this position, she took ownership of projects like market research, content creation, and campaign optimization. One of her key accomplishments was building a LinkedIn sales pipeline from scratch, which significantly improved lead generation. “Being the first co-op student at Myra meant I had to prove my value, and I embraced that challenge,” Shrina says. Her initiative and work ethic earned her a nomination for the Faculty of Management’s 2024 Co-op Student of the Year. “From day one, I acted like a full-time team member,” she reflects. “My manager gave me the confidence to share my ideas, which made a huge impact on the projects I worked on.”

Looking ahead, Shrina is eager to pursue a full-time role in digital marketing, ideally as an Account Coordinator or Digital Marketing Specialist. “I want to analyze data, understand why campaigns succeed or fail, and adjust strategies to drive results,” she says. With her co-op experiences shaping her professional growth, Shrina is excited to continue her career in digital marketing.

Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Adam Harris’ Journey from Dalhousie Student to C-Therm Technologies Ltd. Leadership

March 21, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Adam Harris (BComm ’01) is the CEO of C-Therm Technologies Ltd., a leading technology company in the field of thermal conductivity measurement. He and his team work with numerous companies to assist in the development and testing of materials for new products. Adam’s success as a business leader in this industry can be traced back to his experience at Dalhousie as a Commerce Co-op student. Completing three co-ops helped Adam stand out when entering the job market post-graduation. “This was a significant advantage when coupled with the strong fundamentals covered throughout the degree. Practical business experience is so important – now more than ever!”

Advice for Current Students

Having been out of school and participating in the workforce for over twenty years now, Adam is well positioned to offer advice to current students who are starting to think about their post-grad careers. Reflecting on his time at Dalhousie, he recommends students focus on building their professional network, as these connections can have an impact on your life and career for years to come. Recently, he reconnected with a professor who now sits on the advisory board for Adam’s company. “If you are currently enrolled at Dal, take advantage of this opportunity to build your network with both the colleagues from your work terms and world-leading faculty at Dal.” Additionally, Adam implores students to branch out during their work terms and explore different fields. He found his passion in the intersect of business, technology, and science – so he’s a strong supporter of experiencing different industries to find your area of interest!

Impact of Work-Integrated Learning Today

The early days of C-Therm Technologies were not easy, with limited funds and skepticism from other market players. Adam’s work term experience in marketing allowed him to hit the ground running and get involved with the company. “Dal’s co-op program started me off on that long winding road. It provided me early experience in marketing and sales which is where I started in the business.” This experience provided a strong foundation that allowed Adam to help build the company up from the ground and continue the legacy of the original founder. Today, C-Therm Technologies is widely recognized as the global leader in the industry, producing top notch thermal conductivity test equipment. Adam’s co-op experiences paved the way for his success with C-Therm Technologies.

Why Work-Integrated Learning

The benefits of work-integrated learning were made clear to Adam shortly after graduation. “Dal’s work terms provided me with significant differentiation from business grads coming out on the market from other schools.” Being able to stand apart from other new graduates when entering a competitive workforce for the first time is a significant advantage. Additionally, pursuing a degree with work-integrated learning gave Adam access to incredible mentors and engaging marketing work through his co-ops at Travel CUTS. The company gave him the opportunity to tour the region and become skilled at giving marketing presentations. These experiences enriched his degree and made him a more competitive candidate when searching for a position post-graduation.

Skills Gained on Work Term

Adam acknowledges that the trickiest problems in business are typically ‘people problems’. These are the skills that are difficult to learn from a textbook or classroom setting. “Building soft skills – leadership, effective communication, assembling high-performance teams, motivating and aligning teams – these are skills that are forged with experience.” Without practical work experience, learning how to successfully navigate these challenges would be much harder. Adam’s co-ops provided the perfect opportunity to begin building these skills that remain relevant in his work today.

Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Emma Brooks’ Journey from Dalhousie Student to Skillshare Leadership

March 14, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Emma Brooks (B’Comm ’07) is Vice President of Marketing at Skillshare, an online learning community for creatives. She and her team help promote a wide variety of learning opportunities for those interested in improving their creative skills. Her interest and success in this career can be traced back to her time at Dalhousie University, where completing three co-ops helped her understand her career passions and develop key skills. “It allowed me to explore different types of companies and industries, and gave me a better sense of what I was most interested in pursuing once I graduated.”

Knowledge Gained on Work Terms

While on her co-ops, Emma was able to develop key skills that remain relevant in her work today, and a strong understanding of how companies work internally. By working for a company for four months at a time, Emma was able to recognize the context in which companies operate in and better understand the nuances of a workplace. “You’re able to orient yourself in the work world: exposure to how meetings are run, how and why projects happen, business strategy and decision making, influence and authority.” This type of experience must be gained by living through it, and doing so allowed Emma to hit the ground running when entering the workforce post-graduation.

Advice for Future Marketers

Now working full-time as Vice President of Marketing for a large, international company, Emma provides advice for current students who aspire to a similar career. Reflecting on her career path, she emphasized that curiosity and critical thinking are some of the most crucial skills for marketers to excel at. Being able to remain curious about market trends and stay informed about external environmental factors that will impact your company and/or product will help you go far. “Reading and learning about trends, popular ad campaigns, or new platforms emerging, and forming opinions on how they can impact a category or a company is a great skill to practice.” It’s never too early for students to practice the skills they will use in their future career.

Real-World Experience

Being immersed in the day-to-day experiences of several different companies throughout her co-ops allowed Emma to understand the competitive landscape in a much more practical way than classroom learning allowed. Her co-op at Bell Aliant helped her gain experience doing competitive analysis in the real world and developing strategies to remain competitive in a tough market. In addition, Emma’s co-op at the Credit Union Central of Nova Scotia helped her improve her written communication skills and learn how to convey information in a workplace. “It was there I learned about the importance of copywriting and persuasive communication; that the direct mail pieces needed to be written in a way to compel a specific action from their clients.” This skill helps her succeed in her career to this day.

Post-Grad Job Search

In addition to developing workplace and professional skills, completing three co-ops was invaluable when it came time for Emma’s post-grad job search. “I felt a lot more confident walking into job interviews, having had more interview practice and work experience than I would have otherwise.” In addition, her time at Dalhousie gave her the opportunity to cultivate relationships with fellow students and professors, who became a valuable professional network after graduating. Connecting with professors allowed her network to expand and proved beneficial when she sought work in Toronto after finishing school. Without her co-op experiences, entering the workforce after graduating would have been a much more challenging endeavour.

Student Spotlight: Kaila Hamawi

March 10, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Kaila Hamawi, a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student from Ontario, is pursuing a major in Marketing with a certificate in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. She chose Dalhousie to experience life on the east coast and take advantage of the co-op program. “I wanted to start fresh in a new environment, and the program sounded great, especially because it included co-op,” Kaila explains. Her decision was also influenced by her cousin, a Dal alum, who spoke highly of the university’s supportive atmosphere and opportunities for personal growth.

Kaila’s co-op journey began at ProudMouth, a company that helps businesses market their services through podcasts. “Finding a co-op was difficult in my first year,” she recalls, “but a connection referred me to ProudMouth, and I liked the idea of working at a small company where I could make a big impact.” The company’s focus on podcasting as a marketing tool also resonated with her.

Kaila went on to complete all three of her co-ops at ProudMouth. During her time there, she appreciated the flexibility of the remote work environment, which allowed her to balance her job with her mental health and school responsibilities. Kaila’s co-op roles varied, but her favourite was working as a content creator and project manager. “I enjoyed producing content for clients, editing their podcasts, and managing the PodBlast website.” This hands-on experience gave her valuable insights into the importance of content creation in building a business and fostering audience engagement.

Kaila’s time at ProudMouth also taught her the significance of authenticity in content. “I learned how crucial it is to create content that resonates with audiences,” she reflects. “It’s not just about pushing a message, but about connecting with people and giving them a reason to follow along.” These lessons have fueled her passion for content creation, leading her to start vlogging and producing her own social media content. “It was something I had always wanted to try but never did because I was worried about what others would think,” Kaila admits. “But with the encouragement of my stepsister, I finally took the leap.”

Looking ahead, Kaila envisions herself growing her content creation platform and building a community of like-minded individuals. “I want to document my journey, give advice to others, and create a space for people who share similar passions,” she says. Her advice to aspiring content creators is to focus on doing it for themselves. “It’s important to remember that this journey is for you, not for anyone else. Don’t worry about the end goal—just enjoy the process and adapt along the way.”

With a growing portfolio, Kaila is excited about her future in marketing, content creation, and entrepreneurship, confident that her experiences will continue to shape her professional path.

Student Spotlight: Kinan Almallah

March 3, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Kinan Almallah is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student at Dalhousie, majoring in Finance. Originally from Syria, he moved to Halifax in 2019 to complete high school and has since made it his home. He chose Dalhousie for its strong co-op program, which provides hands-on experience and valuable industry connections. His passion for finance, especially capital markets and investment management, comes from his interest in analyzing markets and making data-driven decisions.

During his co-op journey so far, Kinan has gained experience at two financial institutions. At Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation, he worked as an Investment Associate, rotating through different teams. “I got to see how investment decisions are made and learned a lot about portfolio management.” One key skill he developed was using Power BI for data analysis, which helped him improve his technical and decision-making abilities.

At MUFG Investor Services, he worked as a Junior Associate in Client Operations, tracking fund trades and reconciling financial statements. “I didn’t know much about fund administration before, but this experience showed me how important it is in finance.” This role helped him develop attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting, which he sees as essential for a future in investment management.

Kinan has recently received recognition for his hard work by being named one of the 2025 Mackay Rising Finance Scholars. Named for Commerce alum Doug Mackay, this award was created by Dr. Greg Hebb to recognize students who achieve the highest combined grade in COMM 2202 Finance I and COMM 2203 Finance II. “It was great to see my efforts pay off and it motivated me to keep pushing forward.” He was also nominated for the 2024 Co-op Student of the Year for the Faculty of Management, which he sees as a reflection of the great mentors and colleagues who have supported him. “It felt rewarding to know that my contributions were appreciated.”

Recently, Kinan was part of Dalhousie’s winning team in the CFA Research Challenge for the Atlantic Canada Region, where they presented an equity research report. “It was a great learning experience, and I highly recommend it to finance students.”

Balancing job searching with academics can be challenging, but Kinan stays organized by setting aside specific time for applications and networking. “It’s all about staying proactive and managing your time well.” For students struggling to secure co-ops, he encourages persistence. “Many of my interviews happened closer to the start date, so don’t get discouraged.” He also stresses the importance of networking and continuously improving skills through online courses and extracurricular activities.

For his final co-op, Kinan hopes to work in investment management, private equity, or capital markets. “I’m looking for a place where I can keep learning and contribute in a meaningful way.”

Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Jason Wong’s Journey from Dalhousie Student to Elutris Founder & Owner

March 3, 2025 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

Jason Wong (BComm’12) is the founder and owner of Elutris, a freelance marketing consultancy that builds strategic plans and processes to help clients reach their full potential. His entrepreneurial success can be traced back to the co-op work terms he completed during his time at Dalhousie University. “The things that I remember most about my work terms is just the sheer amount of experience and learning that I got from them.” These lessons learned remain invaluable to him today as a business owner.

Learning on the Job

Completing three co-ops allowed Jason to develop key skills that he would not have been able to perfect solely in a classroom setting. He completed two of his work terms at Make-A-Wish Foundation with a small team of employees, requiring him to wear many hats while on the job. This experience taught Jason how to prioritize different tasks and ensure that the most critical jobs were completed in a timely manner. In addition, the non-profit environment taught him valuable lessons about negotiating with others and motivating donors or other vendors to get involved. When interacting with external business partners, he learned “I need to be able to listen to who they are, what they need, and be able to tailor my pitch to them.” This skill remains applicable today in the operation of his own business.

Co-op Student to Entrepreneur

After his work terms at Make-A-Wish Foundation, Jason completed his third co-op at Scotiabank, providing a diverse array of experiences that remain beneficial in his work as an entrepreneur. In contrast to the grassroots operations of Make-A-Wish, Scotiabank, as a much larger, more formalized company, gave him experience with following processes and protocols that became helpful when setting up his own business’s structure. Getting to experience two vastly different organizations helped him learn the “startup mentality of what it takes to actually run to start a business and the things that need to be done in order to succeed long-term.” He learned how to adapt to the different skills needed on the job and utilise corporate structure and processes to demonstrate his credibility to clients today.

Why Entrepreneurship

After graduation, Jason worked for a few different marketing agencies before deciding to open his own business. Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey is always a risk, but his work term and career experiences helped him feel as prepared as possible before taking the leap. During his degree, Jason learned a lot about collaboration with different groups of people, and how to be the most effective teammate. A huge draw to entrepreneurship for Jason was the diversity of the work available to him. “As an entrepreneur, I don’t do one thing; I do everything. I wear many hats.” He can explore different aspects of the business, playing a key role in marketing, accounting, strategic planning, technology, and other key components of the business.

Job Searching Post-Graduation

In addition to the skills gained while on his work terms, participating in the co-op program allowed Jason to be much better prepared for the post-graduation job search. By searching for three different co-ops, he developed his networking and job search skills to the point where he was confident pursuing connections with industry professionals to secure a post-grad position. “I was comfortable with interviewing, comfortable with networking, comfortable with asking questions and getting to know people.” Networking with working professionals also allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the types of roles available, developing a better knowledge of various jobs than he would have gained solely in the classroom. Completing the Commerce Co-op program allowed him to practice these networking skills and feel equipped to handle a competitive job search after graduation.

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