Student Spotlight: Olivia Cons

September 7, 2021 Management Career Services 2 Comments

Olivia Cons is a third year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in accounting. A Montréal native, Olivia was drawn to Dalhousie because of the co-op program. “The benefits of co-op were an advantage Dal offers that I could not find easily when looking at other schools and their programs,” she says. She was also drawn to Dal because of its location. “I fell in love with the city of Halifax. Halifax is a beautiful place to spend your university years, with all the nature and beauty by the water, I truly appreciate and cherish every moment I have here. For a new student, it offers the university lifestyle with a sense of home and tranquility.”

During her first co-op, Olivia worked as a Captive Associate at Marsh Canada Limited, a global leader in the insurance sector that helps clients manage risk and growth potential. In her role, she produced financial service guides and prepared audit confirmations, among many other things. She also had the opportunity to work on special projects, such as assisting Marsh’s New York Office in creating a new survey platform. “Working at Marsh for my first work term has been a significant learning experience as it established and fine-tuned my accounting skills,” says Olivia.

After her co-op, she reached out to her team to inquire about extending her work with the organization as a part-time employee during the summer. Marsh agreed and extended the offer, excited to continue to have her on their team.

Reaching this place of confidence in her job search process is a result of a lot of time and hard work, as well as support she received from Management Career Services (MCS). During the initial application process, Olivia reached out to MCS for help. “They were able to assist me step by step,” says Olivia. “They provided numerous job postings, and with the help of MCS, I was able to secure my co-op at Marsh.”

Olivia’s advice for you:

Never give up during the application process. Keep applying to as many places as you can. The more organizations you apply to, the greater your chances of securing your co-op opportunity.
Once you have secured your co-op, be positive and do not feel shy to speak up. Your fellow employees will appreciate your confidence. Creating conversation and relationships in the workplace makes work more fun!

Student Spotlight: Bethany Abramovitch

August 30, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Bethany Abramovitch is a fourth year Bachelor of Commerce student. She decided to pursue Commerce because of how much she loved her high school business program. When choosing her university, work-integrated learning made Dal the obvious choice.

After landing a role as Dock Coordinator at Nestle Waters’ shipping office, Bethany began to consider a career in supply chain. “It was so different than any job I had worked in before,” says Bethany. “I was intrigued by all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to provide us with the daily items we take for granted.” Thanks to this experience opening her eyes to a career path she hadn’t previously considered, she decided to declare a major in Supply Chain & Logistics Management.

When asked about the best part of working in supply chain and logistics, Bethany says it’s the rapidly growing industry. “It is a relatively new field of study. Most of the senior talent in supply chain did not get a relevant degree and likely worked their way up the ladder. This leaves a lot of room for growth as we study the most efficient ways of running a supply chain.”

Since discovering her love for supply chain and logistics, Bethany has scored three co-ops at three different companies, earning her a vast network of connections. This past summer, Bethany worked at Relay Logistics Inc, a third-party pharmaceutical distribution centre for DHL Supply Chain as an Operations Intern. She has taken on numerous duties in this role and had a chance to participate in DHL’s Capstone event. “I was grouped with four other interns from across the country and given a project of implementing automation and re-slotting the manual pick area of a matrix distribution centre,” she says. “The DHL Capstone event was a wonderful learning and networking experience!”

During her work term, she was designated as the COVID-19 vaccine distribution coordinator, a critical role in ensuring the vaccine was distributed properly. “I planned the repackaging and shipping operations, managed supplies required for cold chain distribution, and ensured the vaccines were shipped and stored at the correct temperature,” Bethany says. Noting the impact that COVID-19 has had on business, she says, “The pandemic has shown us the importance of supply chain, and I hope to see more and more people in this major.”

If you’re considering studying Supply Chain and Logistics Management, feel free to reach out to Bethany at bethany.abramovitch@dal.ca to introduce yourself and hear more about her experience!

Pronouns: She/Her

How Our Business Students Can Work for You, a Dal Employee

July 5, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

It’s no secret there’s a wealth of emerging talent right here at Dalhousie. Our students are high achievers. They’re innovative thinkers. They’re driven and excited to make an impact in the professional world. We see the excellent work they do in the classroom and in their extracurricular activities. Why not take the next step and provide them opportunities to apply their growing business knowledge on your team?

Hiring a Dalhousie business student not only supports the student in their professional growth, but as their employer, you benefit from the skills and perspective they bring to your team. Here are five reasons to consider hiring Dalhousie business students for a four-month co-op, 8-month internship, or an 8-month corporate residency.

Show your Dal pride

Dalhousie students are the reason we come to work every day. They’re the reason we’re here, and who we’re all working to support, directly or indirectly. Hiring a student on your own team is one way to support our students on a deeper level.

Giving our students valuable, real-life work experiences is an important part of preparing them for their future alongside their coursework. For service and support units that do not engage directly with students, hiring them is a great way to do so. It not only provides students with good practical experience, but they also bring valuable support to the units.

– Susan Robertson, Assistant Vice-President, Financial Services

They know the university

There’s a learning curve when any new employee joins a team; it takes time to get to know their new organization. However, for Dalhousie business students, they already know their employer. They know the school and many of the faculties and teams within it.

In the Recruitment and Admissions departments of the Registrar’s Office, we have benefitted greatly from hiring business students. The students’ familiarity with campus and the processes of applying to Dalhousie make them particularly well-suited to help prospective students as they move through the journey from application to arrival. Having experienced the enrolment pathway to Dalhousie and also having first-hand knowledge of the student experience, students are easily onboarded and arrive on the job with an abundance of context and knowledge that helps them to get up to speed on tasks quickly.

– Ann MacDonald, Associate Director, Admissions

High calibre students through all levels (undergrad and grad) with broad and transferrable skills

Business students are learning broadly at undergraduate and graduate levels, growing skills that translate to a wide range of work and tasks. Just a few of the areas of focus for their studies include accounting, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship & innovation, international business, and managing people and organization.

I’ve had the privilege of working with Dalhousie’s Commerce Co-op students for the 11 years that I’ve worked in the Faculty of Management Dean’s Office. I see students grow throughout their terms, sometimes going from never having worked in an office environment to leading projects and making recommendations to improve our processes. I rely on them for valuable insight about the student experience and how to best reach our audiences. Several of them have kept in touch with us as they’ve moved into the next stages of their careers, and it’s always great to see how they are flourishing and believe their experience with us might have contributed to it.

– Nicole Maunsell, Communications Manager, Faculty of Management

New supervisors and junior employers can gain experience supervising students

Co-ops, internships, and corporate residencies are great opportunities for staff who are new to supervisory roles to gain experience on a short-term basis.

We have hired Dalhousie business students for each of the last two academic terms and it has been a wonderful experience! It is an honour to contribute to student learning and career development. The two international co-op students we hired brought fresh perspectives, valued student views and inputs, enthusiasm to positively contribute, and dedication to success. Providing employment opportunities for today’s youth is important for all of us!

– Angela McKinnon, Former Program Manager, International Student Support Team

Supplemental work for short-term projects and extra support during busy times

If there’s a new project your team is working on that has a designated end date, or if there are times of the year you know you’ll be particularly busy, students can provide focused additional support.

The Talent Management team in Human Resources was interested in a better understanding of labour market trends, a current state analysis of employment at Dalhousie, and further feedback from community partners on recruitment practices. We thought this would be a great learning opportunity for a student interested in such work, while at the same time, providing the team much needed support to get this important work done. Our co-op student met with key stakeholders virtually, conducted detailed research, and delivered a comprehensive report back to HR. We highly recommend hiring a business student and we are happy that we did so ourselves!

– Angela MacMaster, Manager of Talent Management, Human Resources

Wondering how to get started? Contact Management Career Services to learn more about our talent pool and funding opportunities.

Interested in hiring students from other faculties? Contact:

Student Spotlight: Clare Kilgour

June 11, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Clare Kilgour is third year Bachelor of Commerce student, majoring in accounting, and Co-President of the Dalhousie Accounting Society. She chose Dalhousie because she adored the idea of moving somewhere new. “I loved the idea of living on the east coast. The co-op program also caught my eye because it would allow me to have three real world work experiences.”

Through her conversations with upper-year Commerce students, Clare decided to take the initiative in beginning her job search early. “I learned the importance of networking and getting involved to build my resume,” says Clare. She utilized the resources available at Management Career Services, saying, “What MCS did to help me was provide small networking events where I could practice in order to be better prepared to talk to recruiters in second year. This really helped me with my confidence.”

Clare has since secured three consecutive co-op positions with Deloitte. She currently works from home, and although she has gotten used to the change, she hopes that she can go into the office when it’s safe. Her daily tasks include performing audit testing procedures on various accounts that she sees on the financial statements. “For example, this week I am testing the Property, Plant, and Equipment balance,” says Clare. “Testing means that I use various pieces of documentation from the client, like an invoice for a purchase of equipment, to recalculate and verify the PPE balance that will show up on their year-end financial statements when released to shareholders/the public.”

When asked what her proudest accomplishment has been this term, Clare reflects back on all three of her co-ops with Deloitte and says that she is proud of the independence that she’s earned. “I am able to understand procedures more, ask less questions, and have more autonomy over the work I am doing,” she says. “This is part of why I enjoy working at Deloitte in audit in addition to the team and learning environment.”

Clare’s advice for you? Keep practicing and furthering your networking and communication skills, because it does get easier, and attend the company information sessions.

If you are interested in accounting, feel free to reach out to Clare to chat, and check out the Accounting Society!

Pronouns: She/Her

Our future employees, leaders, and CEOs: Read what one financial services employer has to say about hiring students

May 31, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

For some business and organizations, supporting students and recent graduates is a no brainer. It’s deeply ingrained in how their business is run, in their values, and in their long-term planning. Recently, Dalhousie Management Career Services (MCS) spoke with an experienced employer who understands the value students can bring to a business both in the short and long term.

Krista Martin is a Senior Recruiter for Early Talent Acquisition, Personal & Commercial Banking (Atlantic Region & National Office) at RBC, one of the largest banks in Canada. In addition to hiring and supporting student talent, RBC is known for their Future Launch initiative, which provides resources and tools to help young professionals grow and develop their careers.

RBC has been an active employer of Dalhousie business students through MCS for many years, particularly in the Corporate Residency MBA program since its inception. “Students are the future employees, leaders, and CEOs of organizations,” Krista says. “They bring energy, technical skills, and new ideas, and they want to make a difference.” In general, supporting student talent is integral at RBC. In fact, its current CEO was initially hired as a co-op student in the 1980s.

Through her time working in recruitment at RBC, Krista has seen a vast array of student talent pass through their doors. “Every student we hire brings something different to the table. Their curiosity, eagerness to learn, desire to be part of the team, and willingness to jump in are what stands out,” she says. “I see them going through their learning plans, asking questions of their mentors, having one-on-one meetings with their managers, volunteering with their teams, meeting other employees at lunch – it’s such a privilege to watch the evolution and see many of them return as full-time employees!”

Hiring students is a win-win situation: students gain experience, organizations gain access to new skilled talent. But Krista also believes there are more and deeper benefits to hiring students. “Being open to providing an opportunity for a student helps the organization and those around them grow as well,” she says. “Understanding what they are learning now, how we can adapt as organizations to new technologies, modifying process, and understanding what is important to young people will help to keep you and your organization relevant for the future.”

Based on Krista’s experiences working with students, hiring them for co-ops, internships, or corporate residencies is a highly recommended practice. “Students are hungry for opportunity to put their learning into practice and embrace the professional world. Their desire to contribute to the organization is forefront, and it’s a great way for the organization to learn from them as well.”

Interested in hiring a student or learning about funding programs? Contact our Employer Development team:

Ayse Dai-Gammon, Employer Development Manager
Ayse.Gammon@dal.ca
902-220-2237

Cindy Ryan, Employer Development Coordinator – NS
Cindy.Ryan@dal.ca
902-219-2548

John Mitri, Employer Development Coordinator – GTA
John.Mitri@dal.ca
647-575-5717

Student Spotlight: Netali Bar

April 6, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Bachelor of Commerce student Netali Bar, who transferred to Dalhousie from California Baptist University, is currently completing her second co-op work term with Nova Scotia Power as a Junior Business Analyst. When Netali found this job posting through myCareer, she knew it was something she was interested in learning more about. “I am very interested in Capital Markets and working alongside a renewable energy company, and getting engaged with capital innovation responsibilities really interested me. I am majoring in finance, and Junior Business Analyst is a position I have always wanted to get and experience for my future career.”

Taking advantage of Management Career Services and services offered to help guide students through their job search, Netali was able to seek the support she was looking for. “MCS had great resources that some students don’t fully utilize, which could really help make the job search process more engaging and less stressful.”

With the help of her Career & Recruitment Specialist Jonathan Perry, she was able to revise her documents and learned some great tips about how to increase her job search efficiency. “I had a resume with experience and the right skills on there, but I hadn’t been receiving any replies and that was my challenge. I reached out to Jonathan and communicated my challenge and concern. He really helped me put the bits and pieces together which made my work search more efficient.”

Due to the impact of COVID-19, Netali has been completing her work term remotely, adapting new habits to stay focused and motivated. “I have adapted pretty quickly by keeping a healthy and professional work environment. It is important to feel good mentally and physically.”

Netali’s advice for you:

Reach out to experienced professors, advisors, and mentors – they can help everything come together.

Pronouns: She/Her

Alumni Spotlight: William Gregg

March 29, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

William Gregg is a Dalhousie alumnus who graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program in 2020. After taking part in various tours of Dal, he was sold on the campus atmosphere. He went on to choose the Bachelor of Commerce program because of the variety of courses and majors offered, as well as the ability to attain valuable co-op work experience.

Using Management Career Services to his advantage, William polished his resume and cover letters during his job search, and used his past employment history to set him apart from other applicants. “My Career and Recruitment Specialist helped me develop relationships, fine-tune my resume and cover letters, and provided myCareer access – a great portal for job postings. I found all of my co-ops through myCareer postings.”

For William’s first two co-ops, he worked at TJX Canada as a Logistics Analyst. “They have a great corporate culture, work-life balance, great people, and an amazing office with pool tables, video games, and other fun stuff to enjoy on break!”

After completing his first co-op with TJX Canada, William decided he wanted to extend his time with the company and was willing to put in the extra work to try to secure a second work term there. Understanding the importance of reaching out to contacts and making new professional relationships through networking, he expressed interest in returning. “I did reach out to networking contacts to secure my co-ops, especially when arranging to return to TJX Canada for my second term.”

William then went on to complete his final co-op term with Adgar Investments & Development as an Operations Assistant. Even though the positions differed, he enjoyed both experiences and what he learned from each company. “I still value the experience I gained from working with these businesses and doing real career tasks. It really prepared me for the first year of my professional career.” Shortly after graduation, he secured full-time employment at DHL Express as Operations Supervisor.

When reflecting on the biggest challenge during his time securing co-ops, William, like a number of his peers, said job interviews. For many students this is their first time in a professional interview. “My biggest challenge when searching for co-op roles was learning how to master interviewing. All it takes is lots and lots of practice.” It’s very easy to get discouraged when applying for jobs, so staying motivated and not losing hope is key. “Apply, apply, apply to as many jobs as you can would be my best advice, because even a bad interview is always good practice.”

William’s advice for you:

Never give up on searching for a job that you actually want, and don’t settle for a job that may not fit what you’re looking to do. I received my first co-op job offer on Christmas Eve, just over a week before I actually started working. I cut it close, but it was worth it!

Pronouns: He/Him

Where there’s a WIL there’s a way: Dalhousie business students find and bring value in work-integrated learning

March 23, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

March is National Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Month. The opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they’re gaining in their classes to a real workplace setting doesn’t just help them build their skillset and set themselves up for long-term success; it gives employers the opportunity to benefit from bringing new talent onto their team for a few months.

Dalhousie Management Career Services facilitates four to 12-month work-integrated learning opportunities for three business programs: Commerce Co-op, Management Internship, and Corporate Residency MBA. Through work-integrated learning programs like these, employers connect with young business professionals, and benefit from fresh new ideas and perspectives. Getting involved in work-integrated learning is also beneficial for Dalhousie alumni! It’s another way to stay connected to the available talent pool should there be an opportunity to hire a student in their own business or company.

Work-integrated learning is a win-win for employers and students. One Dalhousie business student, Francisco Rios, an international student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree, experienced first-hand what it was like to work in Canada during his three co-op work terms. “Since my first work term, I have worked hard with dedication and a positive attitude; key factors to learn and obtain a good work experience. As a result, I strengthened my communication and analytical skills.”

Tiffany Butt, a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student, expressed how immersing herself in the co-op experience allowed her to exercise her networking skills, resulting in meaningful connections. “The biggest takeaway from my co-op experience so far has been my development of resilience and confidence in the workplace. These are skills that cannot be taught and are much sought after by employers. I am looking forward to completing my third work term this coming summer and continuing to grow as a young professional and as an individual.”

The variety of companies that can benefit from hiring Dalhousie business students is endless. Working for a startup as a co-op student can be an exciting environment, as it often leads to more responsibility, collaboration, and the opportunity to make meaningful professional relationships. Christopher Marshall, a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce student, completed one of his co-ops with a startup company in Halifax called Prosaris. “I transformed my classroom knowledge into real-world actions and results, helping the startup go from concept to market readiness. I learned how to quickly adapt to a completely novel product and work with a small team to continue to iterate and adapt, making me a better marketer. The co-op program allowed me to not only better myself and prepare me for a successful career in marketing, but also make an impact in our larger business community.”

With all the challenges thrown students’ way this past year, Dalhousie business students preserved and continued to make an impact on their work-integrated learning employers. While all of our students excelled in their own way, the Top Co-op Student of the Year Award recognizes the achievements that our talented students make while on their work terms. Students who receive this prestigious award are truly driven to make the most out of their co-op journey.

Congratulations to all of the students nominated for the Top Co-op Student of the Year – Faculty of Management category:

Morgan Balch
Kelly Bent
Parker Boland
Bradley Burgess
Tiffany Butt
Katherine (Kate) Costaris
Lyndon Deslauriers
Kyle Dickinson
Denali Dorn
Peter Frost
Karleigh George
Ben Grondin
Celine Hage
Ross Hewson
Noah Innes
Jordan Kelsie
Victoria King
Xiaotong (Nicole) Li
Yan Liu
Muyu Lyu
Christopher Marshall
Francisco Rios
Thomas Sangwine
James Whytock
Alexandra Wight

The passion and enthusiasm they exemplified throughout their work terms proudly represents Dalhousie Management Career Services across many industries.

And, congratulations to the Top Co-op Student of the Year – Faculty of Management winner for 2020: Stefan Wippel, Bachelor of Commerce.

To read more about Stefan and all of the 2020 Top Co-op Award winners click here!

To learn more about how Dalhousie business students can benefit your business, visit dal.ca/mcs.

Student Spotlight: Laurel O’Brien

March 22, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Originally from Toronto, Laurel O’Brien is in her second year of the Bachelor of Commerce program. Because she enjoys and excels in the arts, Laurel moved to Halifax after taking a gap year following high school, where she began a Bachelor of Fine Arts at NSCAD. After studying at NSCAD for one year, she decided to try something different, but knew she wanted to stay in Halifax, so she transferred to Dal as a Bachelor of Arts student. She tested the waters by taking a Commerce course and fell in love with it, so she enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program, and as they say, the rest is history.

Laurel is currently completing her first co-op at LPi Group as an Account Coordinator. LPi is a marketing agency specializing in shopper marketing. “I handle a variety of tasks and projects supporting the accounts teams, including leading client asks and organizing client files, as well as some research and analysis.” She was able to develop her networking skills as well as her ability to navigate LinkedIn throughout her job search. “I spent the majority of my job search not understanding how to leverage my personal network or LinkedIn as a tool, and it was only after an MCS advisor gave me a ‘crash course’ that I started making real headway in securing a position.”

Due to COVID-19, Laurel has been completing her work term remotely, and although there are challenges that come along with working from home, she feels very lucky to have secured a co-op position during this stressful and uncertain time. “The culture at my current workplace is very social and fun, so my colleagues have made it very easy to feel like part of the team. I do wish I could have been in the office, but there’s really not all that much to lament. I feel very lucky!”

Laurel’s advice for you:

Take full advantage of MCS! Have them look over your resume as much as you need – as you’re editing your documents to align with a particular job opportunity, you might miss something your Career and Recruitment Specialist won’t. And I can’t overstate the extent to which practice interviews helped me put my best foot forward in my job interviews.

Don’t be shy about the fact that you’re looking for work. More times than not, when I mentioned my job search to friends and acquaintances they responded with “oh, I might know about a position” or “I have a friend who’s hiring right now” – people want to help!

Pronouns: She/Her

Student Spotlight: Taryn Faliszewski

March 15, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Taryn Faliszewski will be graduating this May from the Bachelor of Management program, majoring in Management in Globalization. After attending school as a marketing student in Vancouver, Taryn decided to transfer to Dal because of its “unique program, internship option and variety of business clubs on campus, including case competitions.”

Taryn took advantage of the internship option and secured remote employment with En Point as a Marketing and Business Growth employee. En Point is a company based in Halifax that supports young adults in starting their professional careers, encouraging individuals to focus on their passion. “The En Point Mentorship platform harnesses the power of mentorship in an easy-to-use, cloud-based tool designed to help create structured, but meaningful relationships.”

As COVID-19 presented numerous new challenges in the middle of one of the busiest job searching times of the year, Management Career Services worked diligently to find new remote opportunities for students. Regardless, Taryn knew she was going to have to get creative in her job search. “To do this, I leveraged my connections on LinkedIn and reached out to some local companies.” She enjoyed working remotely as it allowed her to jump straight into tasks and begin her morning swiftly, as opposed to the normal routine and commute that comes along with getting ready for work in the morning. Taryn has adopted new habits to ensure she remains focused throughout the day. “Sometimes it’s difficult separating work and play since I work from my bedroom, but keeping a clean workspace definitely helps!” she says.

Taryn is excited about the future and everything she will be able to carry forward from her internship with En Point. When asked what some of her future goals were, she replied, “working on my skills to apply for jobs post-grad and really leverage my connections so I can be prepared for when I get there, find a career that suits me, and be able to travel and work remotely!”

Taryn’s advice for you:

Always reach out! Never be afraid to ask questions. You never know who you are going to meet, or what companies you are going to find. It took me some time to get this down, but it really helped me get out of my comfort zone when contacting potential employers.
Keep your phone away from your desk and work out a daily schedule.
Plan what you are going to do a week ahead and create rewards for when you get there.

Pronouns: She/Her

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