Third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student Arshad’s Dalhousie experience has been shaped by his passion for brand building, his curiosity about marketing, and his willingness to learn from new experiences. Originally from Bangalore, India, Arshad chose Dalhousie for its co-op program and the opportunity to experience life in a smaller city.

Arshad’s first co-op was a remote opportunity as Marketing Intern with Kalories, a health-food startup based in Hyderabad, India. Working directly with the CEO, he conducted nutritional benchmarking across seven competitor brands, wrote search engine optimization (SEO) blog content, and designed and distributed a consumer survey. “My benchmarking surfaced a soy-allergen gap in the market, which influenced the company’s product formulation,” he says. “Seeing my research turn into a real product decision was a big moment for me.”

Currently, Arshad is completing his second co-op as a Marketing Coordinator with Avenir Energy. In his role, he researches channel performance, manages content calendars, and supports digital marketing campaigns. “A big part of my role is analytical: digging into the numbers to understand what resonates with our audience and using that to guide what we do next.” While his first co-op put emphasis on independent research and analysis, his role at Avenir has given him the opportunity to execute campaigns, collaborate with a team, and see results more quickly.

Arshad’s co-op journey has also taught him the importance of resilience and learning from setbacks. After not securing a job in Canada for his first co-op as he’d planned, he reached out to his network in India, which led to his work term with Kalories. Rather than letting the change in plans discourage him, Arshad reflected on what he could improve and approached his second job search differently. He started applying earlier, tailored more than 20 applications to specific roles, expanded his networking efforts, and practiced responding to interview questions using the STAR method. “Looking back, those failures made me stronger. In my second search, I landed more than twice as many interviews as my first time and received multiple co-ops offers, which let me choose the role that fit me best.” Arshad is planning to continue to take what he has learned into his third co-op search next year. “For my final co-op, I’m hoping to break into the aviation industry, which is where I want to build my long-term career.”

Outside of his co-op experiences, Arshad has continued to challenge himself through opportunities at Dalhousie. His first case competition was Rumble in the Rowe 2025, where his team placed first after presenting a strategy for Indian Railways. This experience taught him how to work in a fast-paced, short-term environment where tasks must be done quickly and decisions must be made as a team. “Presenting to the judges pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow my communication skills, and I’d encourage any student to try at least one.”

Arshad also credits Dalhousie’s Global Marketing course with helping him understand the importance of networking and relationship building. Learning from business leaders and connecting with a small, selective cohort gave him the confidence to reach out to professionals and build meaningful connections. “It changed how I approach building relationships in my career.” Arshad is also involved with Dal Southside Society, where he recently became Events Coordinator, allowing him to share his culture with the Dalhousie community while staying connected to home.

Arshad doesn’t hesitate to share the advice that helped him during his co-op journey with students who are now starting their own. “Network, network, network! It’s a very competitive market, and networking gives you an edge. I’ve always believed that a resume and cover letter can never fully represent someone’s story.” He encourages students to build connections, share their experiences, and view rejection as an opportunity to learn and improve. Through perseverance and a willingness to adapt, he believes all students can build confidence, uncover new opportunities, and find the right path forward just like he has.

Fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student Malikah Tankard’s Dalhousie experience has been shaped by her desire to gain hands-on experience and explore the different possibilities within marketing. Originally from Bermuda, she chose Dalhousie because of its co-op program and the opportunity to immerse herself in the marketing field before completing her degree.

Malikah’s first co-op with Digital Nova Scotia introduced her to creating content for a broad audience. As Membership & Communications Coordinator, she developed member-focused articles and videos, interviewed members, created graphics, updated the website, and represented the organization at networking events. “My first co-op introduced me to writing for a broader audience, which was a transition from academic writing.”

Her second co-op with Symplicity Designs allowed Malikah to explore the analytical side of marketing. As a Marketing Associate, she used Google Analytics to track website data, created LinkedIn content for Symplicity Designs and its subcompany, Levership, and developed website landing pages. “My second co-op helped me develop my understanding of brand management and how marketing analytics can guide strategy by writing for two different target audiences and following separate brand guidelines.”

For her final co-op, Malikah brought together the skills she developed throughout her previous experiences as a Marketing Intern with Halifax Tides FC. The role immersed her in sports marketing, from brainstorming content and developing social media copy to creating newsletters, editing videos, and posting game-day content. No two days looked the same, with some weeks involving promotional photoshoots, school visits, filming at practice, content brainstorming, and game days.

Some of Malikah’s most memorable experiences came through Halifax Tides’ work in the community, particularly with women’s sports. She worked on FIFA activations in Halifax during the World Cup and helped with a ‘School’s Out for the Summer’ themed match, which set an attendance record and brought thousands of school-aged children to the game. “These moments were significant because of the energy surrounding them and the opportunity to help shine a light on women’s sports.”

Outside of co-op, Malikah has developed her leadership skills through the Dalhousie Women in Business Association (WIBA). “WIBA holds a wide range of events and has a supportive community that I wanted to be a part of.” She initially became involved as a Conference Representative after enjoying previous WIBA conferences and wanting to help create a memorable experience for other students. Now, serving as Conference Co-Chair, she’s part of the planning process, working alongside WIBA’s executive team.

Malikah’s co-op journey has taught her the importance of staying open-minded throughout the job search. “I think students preparing for their first co-op should be open to all roles in their desired field. There is something to be learned from every experience that can be applied in the future.” Networking also played an important role in securing her final co-op; she reached out to a previous supervisor for advice and a reference, which ultimately helped her secure the position. Looking back on her first co-op search, Malikah says, “I wish I had been more patient and shown more of my personality. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so trust the process.”

Third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student Hailey Duivenvoorden’s Dalhousie experience has been shaped by her willingness to get involved, build connections, and make the most of every opportunity. Originally from Elmvale, Ontario, Hailey chose Dalhousie for its Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program and the opportunity to gain real-world experience through three mandatory co-op work terms.

As an Accounting major, Hailey has been able to put what she learns in the classroom into practice through her co-op experiences with Deloitte. During her first co-op in Tax, she worked through busy season, preparing tax forms for clients to submit to the Canada Revenue Agency. Her work exposed her to corporate and personal taxes, as well as trust returns, helping her develop a stronger understanding of financial statements and corporate structures. After enjoying her first term, Hailey returned to Deloitte for her second co-op, where she is now gaining experience in tax planning. “I really enjoyed the work I was doing during my first term and wanted to learn more about tax planning and the various factors that influence Canada’s tax system.”

Several factors initially attracted Hailey to Deloitte, including its professional reputation, CPA program, and company culture. However, it was the people and her experience with her team that ultimately made her want to return. By the end of her first co-op, Hailey had built strong relationships and expanded her professional network. When her senior manager approached her about a return offer, she felt that accepting was the right decision. “Everyone’s situations are different, and I think it’s important to choose the path that is best for you and your own goals.”

Outside of the classroom and co-op, Hailey has made the most of her time at Dalhousie through her involvement with the Women in Business Association (WIBA). She began as a first-year representative before becoming a Marketing Co-chair in her second year, where she helped with social media, event promotion, and planning WIBA’s first annual Her Impact Case Competition. Now serving as Director of Academics, Hailey is helping organize the second annual competition. Her involvement with WIBA has shown her the value of putting herself out there and making the most of the opportunities around her. “I’ve always believed that student societies are what you make of them; the more effort you put in, the more you get out of the experience.”

The Toronto Corporate Tour was another important part of Hailey’s early Dalhousie experience. Participating in the Finance stream gave her the opportunity to visit companies, learn more about careers in the industry, and connect with alumni and professionals. During the alumni social, she made connections that led to coffee chats with recruiters from large banks. Beyond the professional opportunities, Hailey valued the chance to meet new people, make friends, and build relationships with Dalhousie staff and the Management Career Services team. “It’s a unique opportunity that not many other schools offer, and it’s one of the experiences that really contributes to the Dal Effect.”

Hailey’s first case competition, the PepsiCo Beyond Business Case Competition, also helped her build confidence in communication and public speaking. Her team placed third overall, while the experience allowed her to make valuable connections and step outside her comfort zone. She carried that same approach into her co-op search, using networking opportunities through WIBA to connect with Deloitte employees and learn more about the company through lunch with other co-op students and coffee chats with Deloitte managers. By the time applications and interviews began, Hailey already had a stronger understanding of the firm and its culture. “You’re not only trying to get hired but also figuring out whether you’ll be a good fit for the role and the workplace.”

For Hailey, getting involved early has been an important part of her Dalhousie experience. From student societies and case competitions to networking and co-op, she encourages first-year students to take advantage of the opportunities around them and not be afraid to put themselves out there. “Upper-year students want to see you succeed. They want you to get involved, and they are often more than willing to share their experiences and help you with your co-op search.”

Third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student AJ Irving’s Dalhousie experience has been all about exploring new perspectives and learning more about himself along the way. Originally from Toronto, AJ chose Dalhousie because he was excited to experience life away from home and hoped that moving to Halifax would broaden his horizons.

AJ’s curiosity plays a big role in shaping his university experience. As a Commerce Co-op student with an undeclared major, he has embraced the opportunity to explore different areas of business rather than specializing in just one. Through certificates and courses across different areas of Commerce, he is learning how different disciplines approach challenges and make decisions. “Right now, I just want to understand the different perspectives that exist in this business world, and what better way to do that than allowing myself to get certificates in multiple aspects of commerce?”

Keeping his options open has given AJ the freedom to discover what interests him and learn from perspectives he may not have encountered otherwise. That same curiosity has shaped AJ’s co-op journey. During his first co-op with Vero Marketing, a sports marketing start-up, he gained hands-on experience across sponsorships, activations, and brand strategy. One of his key projects involved a sponsorship activation with Cox Communications, partnering with MLB’s San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. AJ began by developing strategic documents before taking on responsibilities related to internal workflows, coordinating with team representatives and managing logistics. “What I worked on directly had an impact, and I felt that having that responsibility was the best way to learn.” After his first work term, AJ returned to Vero Marketing for a second co-op, in part because of the mentorship he received from his colleagues. Their guidance taught him lessons that extended beyond sports marketing: from working with clients and navigating challenges to approaching work with genuine care.

AJ’s experiences as a varsity football athlete have also shaped how he approaches university and co-op. Football has taught him to focus on what he can control, embrace challenges, and keep pushing forward when things do not go according to plan. Rather than seeing challenges as setbacks, AJ views them as opportunities to step outside his comfort zone and grow. That mindset is reflected in his advice to students beginning their own Dalhousie journey: “Get involved, but do not feel pressure to do everything.”

Whether through student societies, case competitions, athletics, or co-op, AJ encourages students to pursue the opportunities that genuinely interest them, and to find experiences that allow them to be themselves. “Being yourself is going to make you stand out more than anything.”

Originally from Toronto, Maxson Choe is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student majoring in Entrepreneurship. Maxson’s interest in entrepreneurship began in high school, when they founded a student club and later ran social media pages that garnered 100 million views, getting an early taste of building something from nothing and watching it grow.

Maxson completed their first co-op in winter 2026 with rcs Construction as a Marketing Coordinator. During the first few weeks of their work term, they noticed how much time was being spent on repetitive work. Maxson built AI tools to fix these problems and showed them to their colleagues, who used them to successfully work more efficiently. “By the end, I was effectively the internal AI Consultant, finding workflow gaps across departments, building automations, and training people to run them.”

Maxson networked their way into their co-op without a job posting. While golfing with their parents, they met the CEO of rcs Construction, and the conversation eventually turned into an opportunity. When they brought the opportunity to MCS, their advice was to go all in. “That push mattered more than it sounds, because chasing a self-developed role felt like a risk at the time.”

The first tool Maxson built at rcs was a Lead Discovery tool, which scans construction news and tender postings every morning and provides the business development team with a ready-made list. Previously, this required manually scanning multiple websites. They also built a commercial property search tool that allows the team to filter and explore commercial properties in seconds. The tool is still used daily, months after their work term ended. They estimate that it will save the team between $33,000 and $51,000 a year. Despite this success, Maxson faced challenges along the way. “The biggest challenge was being 20 and asking experienced people to change how they work. A tool nobody opens is worthless, so the challenge was never the technology; it was earning enough trust that people would actually change their routine. The answer turned out to be starting small, delivering something fast, and letting the results do the talking.”

Another major milestone for Maxson this year was founding Inference Consulting. “I realized the problems I was fixing at rcs exist in almost every operations-heavy business in the Maritimes, and almost nobody is fixing them. I registered Inference Consulting, and rcs became my first client.” Their co-op provided them with a portfolio of real tools inside a real company, a first client relationship, and the confidence to find a problem, scope it, and ship a solution that people rely on. “Without the co-op, there is no Inference.”

Today, Maxson balances running Inference Consulting with being a full-time student. Their mornings are focused on the business, including outreach, client calls, and follow-ups, while afternoons and evenings are split between building client projects and school. “It’s a lot, but the two feed each other. Class concepts show up in client work the same week I learn them.”

For students who may be on the fence about work-integrated learning, Maxson believes the experience is about much more than simply completing the job. “If a student reading this is on the fence about co-op: the job description you’re hired for is a starting point, not a ceiling. Look for the work nobody has time to fix, fix it, and everything changes from there.”

Elliot Smith grew up in Sable River, Nova Scotia, and attended school in nearby Lockeport, where classes had only 10 to 15 students. Now in his third year of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program, he came to Dal without a set career path, just a strong interest in math. Everything clicked for them during a second-semester introductory accounting class with Professor Jenny Zhang. “I knew accounting was where I wanted to be,” Elliot says. A brief period of doubt after a co-op term in another industry didn’t last long, thanks to Professor Zhang. “When I returned to classes, it rekindled what I had originally felt when choosing accounting and reaffirmed my choice of my major.” He also picked up a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies by just how much the classes had to offer.

Elliot has completed two co-op terms so far, and each one taught them something different. As a Tax Intern at HBA Chartered Professional Accountants in winter 2025, he prepared personal tax returns and assisted with audits. As an Administrative Intern at Rayleigh Solar Tech Inc. last fall, his responsibilities included everything from event planning to building a brand-new safety manual from the ground up. “When I was first asked to work on safety things for Rayleigh, I knew very little about safety in the workplace, but the team there was helpful and was always open to answering questions I had to help me work through it.”

Eager to grow his network, Elliot jumped at the chance to take part in the 2026 Calgary Corporate Tour hosted by MCS, hoping to push past his nervousness around networking and explore whether Calgary could be a future home base. The alumni networking event during the tour opened his eyes to just how far an accounting degree could take him. “I was able to learn about energy companies that may also have a place for accountants and that banks also have room for accountants.” He credits Management Career Services for making the experience worthwhile. “I truly feel MCS goes out of its way to lift students up and give them the best opportunities they can.”

Elliot’s co-op journey has brought them into smaller companies rather than large corporations, a choice that has led to some genuinely rewarding co-op experiences. Throughout every job search, Management Career Services has been a constant source of support, especially through regular check-ins with Career and Recruitment Specialist Tiffany MacDonald. “There is nobody I have been more grateful for throughout my Dalhousie journey,” he says. With the help of resume reviews and interview prep, MCS and Tiffany have helped him navigate personal challenges that he doesn’t have to dull himself for the sake of landing a job. Looking back, he’s grateful he took that first step of asking for help. “I really would have missed out on a lot of things that have been integral to my university and co-op experience.”

This summer, Elliot is completing his final co-op as an Accounting and HR Coordinator at Rank Group, where he’s gained hands-on experience across both HR and accounting in the furniture and commercial property departments. “It has been extremely helpful for me to gain this experience and use it to determine what I enjoy most when looking for my future job,” he says.

Reflecting on all three work terms, Elliot feels he’s found something valuable in every role, giving him a clearer sense of what he wants in his career. After finishing his Bachelor of Commerce Co-op degree, they plan to pursue a Master of Professional Accounting, working toward the CPA designation. In the future he hopes to land a role that blends accounting with administrative and HR responsibilities.

Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Isaiah Tsouluhas-Posner is a second-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student and a varsity athlete on the Dalhousie Men’s Soccer Team. He chose Dalhousie for its strong academic reputation and competitive soccer program, but the decision was also a personal one: his mother and her six siblings all attended Dal, and much of his family still lives in Halifax. Unsure of his career direction, Isaiah was drawn to the Commerce Co-op program for the balance it offered. “I could get real work experience, build connections, and make money, all while completing my degree.” That blend of learning and hands-on work experience confirmed Commerce as the right path for him.

Isaiah recently completed his first work term as a Marketing and Communications Intern with Dalhousie Athletics and Recreation, where his responsibilities spanned three main areas: creating and managing social media content, overseeing game day promotions, and supporting event planning. “Before beginning my work term, I felt nervous about the transition into a professional environment. However, I trusted in the coursework that had prepared me, and the experience ultimately exceeded my expectations,” he says. “From day one, I felt supported by my supervisor and colleagues, which made a significant difference in my confidence and overall experience. Each day brought new challenges and opportunities, keeping the role both engaging and rewarding.”

The skill Isaiah developed most during his work term was professional communication, whether connecting with colleagues in person or over email. He credits that growth to courses such as Business Communications and Personal and Professional Development, as well as his year as a server at the Armview Restaurant.

Athletics has shaped who Isaiah is. The Dalhousie soccer program lives by a phrase: ‘Sometimes me, sometimes you, always us.’ “This is an attitude myself and the rest of my team has been able to instill in our team culture. No matter what, everyone has each other’s backs and wants the best for the person sitting next to them,” he says. “Everyone pushes each other to grow and put their best foot forward every moment you’re on the pitch.” The team’s hard work and contributions led to a successful season; they won Dal’s first AUS Men’s Soccer Championship since 2009.

During the job search, Isaiah recommends starting early. Networking helped him connect with previous co-op students and speak with professionals in Dalhousie Athletics. “Don’t feel pressured to find the ‘perfect’ job. The purpose of co-op is to gain experience and better understand your future career path.”

Isaiah’s first co-op played a key role in confirming his decision to major in marketing, reinforcing how much he values collaboration and the kind of work environment he wants in his career. Having gained valuable experience, he now feels much more confident about the path he is pursuing. As he looks ahead to his next work term, he is eager to keep building on this foundation while exploring roles related to international business or entrepreneurship.