Celia Innes is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student, majoring in Marketing. Originally from a small town outside Ottawa, she knew she wanted to attend post-secondary school in a city that was not too overwhelming, and Halifax was just the right size. “I really wanted to go to Dalhousie because of the impressive Commerce program with integrated co-ops. That really caught my eye because it was an opportunity that I saw uniquely at Dal.”

Celia completed her most recent co-op as a Marketing Co-op Coordinator at OraSure Technologies. Located in Ottawa, OraSure is a biotechnology company focused on diagnostics, testing, sampling tools, and services analysis to understand customer DNA, diagnosing patients, and connecting them to support and treatment. In this role she had the opportunity to work with seven other women on a series of exciting projects, such as helping to organize the company’s presence at the American Society of Human Genetics trade show, the largest human genomics trade show in the United States, along with many other trade shows. “I developed a strong knowledge of digital marketing platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Pardot, and more. Overall, I truly felt as though I learned an extensive amount about marketing tools from my experience,” she says.

Celia secured her co-op with OraSure through a self-developed job search. When asked about her approach to narrowing down companies to reach out to, she shares that she was determined to do a co-op at a company where she truly cared about the work they were doing. Celia also wanted to immerse herself in a new field she had little experience with, taking advantage of new opportunities and fresh perspective from her surroundings. She knew she wanted to learn more about digital marketing, and in an organization with a strong workplace culture.

Once she had a clear idea of the type of co-op she was looking for, Celia honed her networking skills. “I networked with every person I could and really immersed myself with looking deep into the companies they worked for. I soon realized that anywhere can be a networking opportunity. I networked with family friends, family members, and previous employers. I would send them emails or LinkedIn messages asking about their company and if there would be any co-op opportunities,” she says. “Finding a co-op can be intimidating because all your friends are talking about it, you’re typically on a bit of a time crunch, it’s very competitive, and you’re in the deep end of your school semester while trying to figure all of this out. One thing that co-op students should keep in mind is that the job has to be a match for you too. Apply for the jobs you want with confidence, and don’t sell yourself short.”

Celia is currently completing a semester abroad in Paris, which, like Halifax, is a city she has found a new love for.

“I chose Dal’s CRMBA program because it offered an 8-month corporate residency component, allowing me to fully immerse myself in an organization and its industry,” says David Kerr, who is pursuing his Corporate Residency MBA degree at Dalhousie. Originally from Toronto, he initially wanted to become a neurosurgeon, but that changed when he realized he could help people without going to medical school. “I fell in love with the world of med tech and start-ups. It was in that world that I realized I could positively impact people’s health by improving access to care through innovation – working to bring new technologies into the Canadian healthcare system.”

During his corporate residency, David worked for the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub as a Business Development Coordinator and describes his time there to be an unparalleled experience. “At the Innovation Hub, I was surrounded by a diverse group of individuals and a myriad of unique perspectives that made for amazing collaboration of truly outside-of-the-box thinking.” He shares that working with the Innovation Hub offered him the flexibility and creativity of working in a start-up while having the resources of a large government organization. He also had the opportunity to liaise with industry clinicians and other government organizations focused on driving innovation and elevating healthcare in Nova Scotia.

David recommends the Corporate Residency MBA program to anyone thinking of advancing their career, as it allowed him to leverage his scientific knowledge to pivot into an industry he previously hadn’t considered. He was able to develop his project management skills while working at the Innovation Hub. “Working on projects with multiple stakeholders and various departmental considerations ensures you take a birds-eye view so you have complete visibility and can ensure that all the moving parts are working in concert to drive the project’s success.” For him, Management Career Services was instrumental in the job search process, supporting him in attaining his corporate residency with a new employer partner. He also believes networking is an integral part of the job search process. “When you take the time to connect with current employees and potential managers at firms you’re curious about, you demonstrate interest and increase your visibility to hiring teams.”

David serves on the CRMBA Society as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EDI), where he contributes to enhance EDI practices. “I saw an opportunity to work with other members of the CRMBA Society to create a lasting positive impact, not only for my cohort, but for those who will follow us.” Apart from being a student, David is also an avid traveller. He will be visiting India to take part in the Doing Business in Emerging Markets course. There, he will assess potential market opportunities for Canadian firms while also enjoying the country’s rich culture.

David’s advice for you:

• Don’t be afraid to self-develop your corporate residency if you don’t see a position listed that speaks to you.
• Leverage networking events to help you find a position that’s right for you and get involved in as many extracurriculars as you can.

Jenny Lee is a fourth-year Bachelor of Management student majoring in Managing Data and Information with a certificate in Marketing Management. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, she attended high school in Nova Scotia through the Nova Scotia International Student Program (NSISP). Captured by Halifax’s natural environment, Jenny decided to remain here and enroll in the Management program at Dalhousie University, taking advantage of the optional internship program.

“One of the main reasons I chose the internship program is because I was lacking work experience in my field of study, and having an internship position would expand my network and develop skills required for my career of interest,” says Jenny, who is completing her 8-month internship at the university’s Admission & Registrar’s Office. “Since my job is about helping prospective students who either wish or plan to attend Dalhousie, I feel very accomplished and enjoy doing my job.” Through her role she is gaining experience with tasks such as content inventory and content audit, two things which she had no prior experience with. Jenny is also responsible for managing campus tour operations. This allows her to develop professional skills such as time management and efficiency.

Jenny is enjoying her position at Dalhousie and expressed that she is surrounded by a supportive supervisor and colleagues who encourage her to take on new projects. “My experience as a Dal employee has been amazing as my supervisors and colleagues are very supportive and helpful when it comes to developing and improving skills.”

During her job search, Jenny prioritized applying for the internship jobs that appealed to her career interests, dedicated time to editing her application documents, and practiced her responses to common interview questions. As an international student under NSISP she was not able to work during high school, and she shares that she did not feel confident in her applications due to lack of experience. Jenny says that despite this, the support from her Career and Recruitment Specialist, Jennifer Coombs, helped her gain confidence to continue applying for internships. “She always sent me job postings to let me know that there were good opportunities for me, and the job I have now was one of them.”

Jenny’s advice for you:

• The Management Internship program will help you gain paid relevant experience in your field, better preparing you for the workforce after graduation.
• Take advantage of support from Management Career Services. They played an integral role in supporting me through reviewing and editing my professional documents, as well as supporting me through the application process.

In fall 2022, Jordan Hibbert “graduated remotely” from Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Management program while living in Calgary, Alberta, where he is currently working at BitWide as Marketing Outreach Coordinator. Originally from Victoria, B.C., Jordan travelled coast to coast while studying at Dal.

Jordan took advantage of the opportunity to complete the optional internship program as part of his Management degree to gain eight months of relevant, paid experience while still in school. “I believe that internships and co-ops might be the most important part of your bachelor’s degree. When I first learned about the internship program, I knew I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. Having real-world work experience on your resume relating to your career path is such a boost when securing employment post-grad,” he says.

Jordan secured his internship with local non-profit organization Halifax Plays as a Program Administrator. Through his role, he was able to gain experience in multiple areas of business, which helped him determine which path he wanted to pursue in his career. During his internship, he shares that he was most proud of his contribution to the rebranding of Halifax Plays. “The most impactful project I worked on was a full rebranding of the organization, building a more consistent brand identity across all of their communication channels,” he says. “This also included a new website which I built from the ground up using many new and unfamiliar tools, which I have since leveraged in my job search and new position.” He shares that for him, the most valuable part of the internship was the freedom and encouragement from his employer to explore projects he was passionate about.

During his internship job search, Jordan shares he didn’t have many existing professional contacts in Halifax, so he took advantage of myCareer job postings and other job search methods with the support of Management Career Services. To expand his network, he reached out to a few contacts at organizations of interest to request coffee chats. “Since graduating, I’ve tried to leverage my network a lot more and have spoken with many contacts to gauge the job market and learn about current trends.”

Jordan credits his current success in the workplace to what he learned during his undergraduate degree, particularly his internship. “In all my interviews since graduating, I always talk about my experience in the internship program and the wide range of projects and responsibilities I was entrusted with,” he says. “I’m currently expanding beyond my role, helping the organization with new advertising campaigns and branding initiatives, which I wouldn’t have had the knowledge or confidence to succeed in without my experience from my internship.”

Jordan’s advice for you:

• Do not miss the opportunity to develop real skills employers are looking for through the internship program.
• Leverage MCS as much as you can, it’s their job to help you secure the best position possible and they want to see you succeed.

Lauren Johnson is an Accounting major in her fourth year of the Commerce Co-op program. Originally from Newmarket, Ontario, she was intrigued to move to the east coast to live by the ocean. When considering universities, Lauren came across Dalhousie’s Commerce Co-op program. “It really checked off my boxes as I wanted to be able to graduate with a full year of work experience, and I knew that Dal would allow me to do so.”

Lauren completed her first two co-ops with J.D. Irving’s shipbuilding division in Dartmouth. She was part of the Project Accounting team, where she was tasked with period end journal entries, reporting the status of hours worked, and inventory reconciliation. Her second work term at J.D. Irving had her working in the same division, but with both the Project Accounting and Financial Reporting teams. With the Financial Reporting team, she acted as the sole accountant for their three shipyards, completing necessary reporting for period end. In addition, she conducted a variety of overhead reporting for Irving Shipbuilding such as HST returns, coding invoices, reconciliations, and more. “Overall, the thing I would say I had loved the most about my co-op was the people I got to work with. They really encouraged me to do the best that I could, and to take on as many opportunities as I could. They made sure that I was included and pushed me to be the best version of myself possible. I am forever grateful to them!”

During her time at J.D. Irving, she was asked by the Director of Accounting to write blog posts on behalf of the company to help attract Nova Scotia students to future job positions. Lauren saw this as the perfect opportunity to combine her love for writing with the opportunity to share her experiences with other students. She was able to work on her written communication and time management skills, which are essential in all industries. “I basically had free reign to write about what I wanted, and sometimes I would receive prompts. I wanted to make sure what I was writing was beneficial to students so they could learn about what J.D. Irving had to offer.”

Lauren’s final co-op was with Deloitte in Halifax as a Tax Analyst. In this role she worked on corporate tax returns for a variety of companies across Atlantic Canada and was introduced to tax planning as well. She says she was proud of the connections she made, as well as the steps she took toward professional growth. “This co-op really allowed me to grow professionally by working in my first busy season and learning a new side of accounting. I was very fortunate to have met some really great people along the way and learn from bright leaders and professionals.”

During her job search, Lauren felt the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically when she was searching for her first co-op. She reached out to her Career and Recruitment Specialist Lauren Shaw, who helped her navigate her job search and provided guidance in formatting her application documents. “I am so grateful for Lauren, for all of the help that she gave me and the support she has provided in the past four years.”

Lauren’s advice for you:

• Take initiative and try new things within your role.
• Try new roles and companies. You don’t know what you do or don’t like unless you try, and the reward far outweighs the risk.
• Connect with upper year students, they can share valuable advice from a student’s perspective.
• Don’t get discouraged if you’re not where you want to be in school or in co-op, you will get there eventually. Remember to use the resources available to you (MCS, UAO, societies, connections, and other students).
• Get involved with student societies! This has built up my resume immensely and I’ve made connections and new friends along the way.

Marissa Augerman is a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student majoring in International Business. She is from the small town of Kingsville, Ontario and was one of just two graduates from her high school to leave the province to attend post-secondary school. Even though she had never visited Nova Scotia, Dal’s Commerce Co-op program piqued her interest because co-op is mandatory and participation is high. This eliminated a lot of stress in her first year of the program.

Marissa’s first co-op was with Traffic Tech, where she worked as a Logistics Coordinator in their Halifax office. The company is a third-party logistics broker that ensures their customers get the logistics services they need at a low cost. Marissa’s duties included tracking the pickup, delivery, and intermediate locations of shipments to update Traffic Tech’s tracking system so that customers can be notified of their shipment’s location. At the end of this co-op, Marissa trained the incoming group of Dalhousie co-op students and other full-time employees before being offered a part-time role at the company, where she worked during her Summer work-term. Traffic Tech then expanded, with their centralized tracking being rolled out to sales teams across the company from California to Chicago, including Dartmouth, NS. “This is a great opportunity for students who may be looking to enter the Supply Chain industry!” she adds.

For her second co-op, Marissa joined TELUS as a Business Analyst in a remote role. She notes that TELUS is a great example of a company practicing corporate sustainable responsibility practices. “During my time there I noticed that they reward employees with days off to volunteer in the community and make the remote environment extremely enjoyable with exciting team meetings.” Marissa worked in Mobility Operations as an Engagement Prime, supporting and analyzing internal employee surveys from the front-line workers and managers. “My favourite part of this work term was launching TELUS’ integration with a new weekly survey tool to allow their employees to provide more frequent feedback,” she notes. During her co-op midterm evaluation, Marissa’s Director mentioned to her Career and Recruitment Specialist that she sees her as a great fit and would like to see her continue with TELUS after graduation. When informed about the good news, Marissa was elated and decided to set up a one-on-one meeting with her boss. “I asked if I could continue as a co-op student in the upcoming summer because I could not picture myself anywhere else. Initiating a job offer did not feel intimidating to me because of the great relationship my boss and I had and the feedback that she had shared gave me the confidence to ask.”

TELUS gave Marissa the opportunity to return to the company for her third co-op term. She now had the confidence to make suggestions that were valued and integrated into her team, which she is very proud of. Upon completing her final work term with TELUS, she was able to exercise her teaching abilities again, as she was appointed to help train the new Dalhousie co-op student who was selected to continue her role.

Marissa accredits Management Career Services for their support and guidance in formatting her resume and cover letters. She says that had it not been for MCS’s initial job posting, she may have likely not found an opportunity at TELUS. “Just knowing MCS was there meant a lot to me,” she remarked. When asked for advice to give to students, she said “building connections is a great way to network but maintaining these connections with virtual coffee chats or a text goes a long way and I have found it to be so well received and appreciated.”

Here’s what Marissa’s employer at TELUS, Kim Vey, Client Care Director, has to say: “Marissa has demonstrated excellence in everything she has been given to work on, showing initiative, sharing insights from the data she has reviewed, sharing her knowledge of Google tools with other team members, participating actively in brainstorming, strategy and planning discussions. She is always respectful, professional, and so easy to work with! The knowledge of TELUS operations was evident in her second term, where she could dive right in with very little guidance. I would love to have Marissa as a permanent member of our team. She demonstrates the TELUS values and is an important part of what we were able to accomplish this year.”