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Management Career Services

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Category: Career Resources

Getting To Know the Canadian Workplace

As an international student, you might feel unsure about what the workplace is like in Canada and how to prepare yourself for it. Canadian work culture shares similarities with other cultures, however becoming familiar with local expectations can make your transition smoother. Dalhousie and Halifax offer a range of opportunities and resources to help students adjust to Canadian culture and workplace expectations.

Getting to Know the Culture

Observing how colleagues communicate, asking respectful questions, and engaging with the community can build confidence and familiarity with professional expectations. Here are some resources that can support you as you adjust:

Understanding Workplace Rights

International students are protected under Nova Scotia’s Labour Standards legislation, which sets minimum employment standards for wages, overtime, vacation entitlements, and protections against discrimination and harassment. If you believe your rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Labour Standards Division.

Communication Styles in Canada

Effective communication is an important part of success in Canadian workplaces.

  • Active listening is important. Paying attention, responding appropriately, and confirming your understanding demonstrates professionalism and engagement.
  • Supervisors and colleagues may expect you to share your ideas, participate in discussions, and ask thoughtful questions when something is unclear.
  • Feedback, both positive and constructive, is common and is intended to support your development.
  • If you are unsure about instructions or expectations, it is always appropriate to ask for clarification.

Building Confidence

Confidence develops over time as you gain experience and become more familiar with workplace expectations.

  • Presenting yourself professionally can help you feel more prepared and comfortable in a new environment. Our professional dress code blog outlines examples of different workplace dress codes and expectations. If you’re unsure, ask your supervisor. It is also helpful to observe how your colleagues dress in the workplace for inspiration.
  • Strengthening your communication skills, including writing and verbal communication, can also support your confidence. Students can connect with the Dalhousie Writing Centre for academic and professional writing assistance.

Building a Professional Network

Building professional connections helps you better understand your industry and explore career opportunities. The following resources can support you in expanding your network:

  • Halifax Connector Program matches newcomers and recent graduates with established business and community leaders in Halifax. Through a one-on-one meeting, students gain industry insights and are then introduced to additional professionals in their Connector’s network.
  • FusionHalifax hosts networking and professional development events designed for students and young professionals.
  • MCS’ Directory of Online Resources provides a curated list of industry-specific organizations, professional associations, and networking resources across Canada.

Management Career Services also offers employer information sessions, networking events, and workshops throughout the year. Students can register through the myCareer events calendar and book an appointment with their Career Coach for personalized guidance.

Exploring Ways to Develop Your Skills and Knowledge

Gaining practical experience can strengthen your readiness for the workplace. Here are some resources that can help:

  • The Career Services section of myCareer features part-time, volunteer, and summer employment opportunities. Gaining practical work experience is one of the most effective ways to build transferrable skills and become more familiar with Canadian workplace expectations.
  • Enactus is a student organization that applies business concepts to community-based projects locally and globally. Participation can help students develop leadership, teamwork, and project management skills.
  • The Dalhousie Student Union provides information about student societies and campus organizations. Involvement in these groups can strengthen communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.

Why It’s Not Too Early to Meet With Your Career & Recruitment Specialist

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Welcome to Dal! If you’re a first-year Commerce Co-op or Management student, you’ll become familiar with Management Career Services (MCS) in the coming months. MCS is the co-op and career services office for Rowe School of Business students at Dal. We foster your professional growth by providing industry-specific knowledge, resume, cover letter, and interview support, and access to job opportunities and employer events. You’ll be assigned a Career and Recruitment Specialist (CRS) based on your major or your industry of interest. They’re here to support you on your way to becoming a professional in your future career.

If you’re a Commerce Co-op student, you might think you don’t need to meet with your CRS until it’s time to look for your first co-op. If you’re a Management student, you might believe you should wait until you’re ready to start thinking about your first post-grad job to book that meeting. That’s not the case – your CRS is here to support you at any point during your time at Dal.

Here are four reasons to book that first appointment with your CRS sooner rather than later!

Build a connection with your CRS
Our Career and Recruitment Specialists have a collective network of alumni and professionals that spans many industries and sectors. By building a relationship with your CRS, you’re not only tapping into them as a resource, but also their network of connections.

Building a connection with your CRS early will be very beneficial later. When you’re ready to start looking for a co-op, internship, summer job, or grad job, you’ll already have a relationship underway and your CRS will have gained an understanding of who you are and what you’re looking for, which will help them provide even better support.

Your CRS is an expert in recruitment of students who are exactly where you are in your career. Don’t wait to start tapping into their expertise to help you on your professional journey.

Get your resume and cover letter job-ready early

Think of the job opportunities you will come across in life as doors. To open those doors, you need the key – your resume and cover letter. Whether it’s a work term, part-time job, or post-grad position, the length of time that door is open will vary, and it is likely shorter than you think. Don’t wait until you see the first job posting that interests you to ask your CRS for feedback on your documents. Having your resume and cover letter prepared and reviewed early will ensure you don’t miss the doors that close quickly.

Also remember that this isn’t a once-and-done thing – you can (and should) ask your CRS to review your documents with you throughout your job search process, especially if you aren’t landing interviews. They are always here to provide support at every step of the way. Remember to send your documents to your CRS a few business days in advance of your meeting so they can prepare meaningful feedback.

Practice your interview skills

Congratulations! You’ve landed your very first job interview. But it’s Friday… and your interview is at 8:30am on Monday. Meeting with your CRS to practice your interview skills before you start securing interviews will help you avoid getting into a situation like this. Interviews can be stressful, but the more you practice, the less nervous and more confident you’ll feel.

Develop necessary skills for future success

To be successful in your future career, you must be open to feedback to help you improve. Your CRS will help you become job-ready by answering your questions about what to expect in the workplace, especially if you will soon be going into your first job. They, along with the resources available on the MCS website and Brightspace, will help you learn how to acquire the skills and knowledge you need to land your dream job. With your CRS, you can develop a job search strategy and gain an understanding of what you need to do between now and graduation to develop yourself to meet market demand.

Sometimes an email to your CRS will suffice, other times it’s best to meet virtually or in-person. In either case, your Career & Recruitment Specialist at Management Career Services is here to assist you with your professional and career development during your time at Dalhousie.

Want to book a time to meet with your CRS? Head over to myCareer!

How to Spot a Phishing Email: Four Things to Look Out For in the Workplace

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Phishing emails have become much more common in recent years. They’re one way that scammers try to obtain your information and money, and even infect your computer with dangerous software by posing as a company or someone you trust. Phishing emails commonly target business professionals, so here are four tips to help you spot a phishing email while on your work term.

Your ‘boss’ asks you to buy gift cards
Unless it has been discussed previously, your boss or anyone in the company won’t send you emails asking you to pay for things like gift cards with your own money.

Sketchy email addresses
If you receive an email that seems suspicious, it’s always best to check the email address, even if the sender’s name is someone you know. Sometimes the sender’s email address is obviously fake, such as executivedirector@companyname.com, but scammers can get creative by adding a period, switching two letters around, or misspelling a word, and hoping you won’t notice.

Suspicious links
If you receive an unexpected email with a link, it might be a phishing email. One way you can tell is by hovering your mouse over the highlighted area. If the description doesn’t match the link, do not click the link and delete the email.

Requesting private information
Scammers might pose as IT or Human Resources and ask for private information such as your passwords, address, or social insurance number. You should not send confidential information via email, and most companies will never ask you for that type of information through an email.


Phishing emails can be sneaky, but with enough diligence you can avoid falling victim to them. If you are ever in doubt if an email is legitimate, ask your supervisor. If you realize you’ve fallen to an email scam, tell your supervisor immediately and they will guide you through the proper procedure for handling the situation.

The Professional Dress Code: Decoded

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When it comes to figuring out what to wear on the job, sometimes it’s not clear at first what is meant by terms like “Business Professional”, “Business Casual”, or “Casual Friday”. However, there are certain standards you can apply to safely determine what will look appropriate.

If you’re not sure what the dress code is for your workplace, your best bet to ensure a positive first impression is to show up on the first day wearing a business professional outfit. Then, once you arrive, observe the office environment and ask an experienced colleague or your supervisor what the expectation will be on a day-to-day basis.

Some general tips to keep in mind:

  • Avoid see-through materials.
  • Shirts and pants should always be pressed with no
    wrinkles.
  • Keep your professional dress shoes shined and in good
    repair.

Here are some guidelines to help you understand the difference between different workplace dress codes.

Business Professional

Think polished and formal:

  • Blazers and suit jackets
  • Button-up shirts with collars and a tie
  • Dress pants or skirts
  • Closed-toe dress shoes

Business Casual

A bit more relaxed, but still professional:

  • Collared shirts, cardigans, or sweaters (ties are optional)
  • Slacks, skirts, or dresses (knee-length or longer)
  • Leggings with a long top or dress
  • Clean, polished shoes

Casual Friday

Comfortable but still workplace-appropriate:

  • Jeans, khakis, capris, or casual dresses
  • Polo shirts, sweaters, or company-branded tops
  • Loafers or flats
  • Leggings with a long top or dress
  • No sweatpants or shorts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more tips for your first day visit the MCS website’s resource page!

Student Spotlight: Gillian Kirk

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Originally from Oakville, Ontario, Gillian Kirk is in her third year of study at Dalhousie and her second year in the Bachelor of Management program. After her first year at Dal she decided to switch to Management because of the option to participate in the 8-month internship program, allowing her to gain valuable work experience before graduating.

Gillian has secured an internship starting this May with PepsiCo Beverages Canada, a worldwide company that distributes hundreds of food and beverage items to more than 200 countries and territories. What stood out to Gillian about PepsiCo specifically was their “strong emphasis on providing employees with meaningful work opportunities to build and maintain a strong career from the start”. She was keen to pursue this company because even though they are a big corporation, they are committed to supporting their team and communities. In her role as Sales Intern, Gillian will work with a diversified list of retail customers to educate and excite them about PepsiCo’s products, as well as assist the company in achieving sales and customer service objectives.

Prioritizing networking and making connections is what Gillian contributes to landing the position. To secure her internship, she began by “reaching out to a personal contact who also started out as an intern, but worked her way up after working for PepsiCo for 10 years. I saw this as an opportunity to gain insight on how large corporations operate”. Her personal networking efforts led to an internal referral for an interview, in which she was offered the position.

Gillian is looking forward to gaining the work experience that comes along with completing her internship. “I’m most excited to build new relationships with customers and fellow employees, to work hard to achieve high sales volume, and to be the best representative of all that PepsiCo has to offer for their customers,” she says.

Gillian’s advice for you:

  • Make use of your connections early on in the work search process. Reach out and learn about their experiences. You will be surprised where this takes you in being exposed to potential job opportunities, and building relationships and a good support network with professionals with a vast amount of experience and knowledge for career growth.
  • The internship prep seminar course I took this fall with Jennifer Coombs [MCS Career & Recruitment Specialist] was very beneficial in helping me learn how to create a professional resume and cover letter, build my LinkedIn profile, network, and how to prepare for and have a successful interview (especially focusing on virtual interviewing). This knowledge made me feel more confident going into my interview with PepsiCo, and I was prepared to represent myself and effectively tell my own story.

 

Pronouns: She/Her

More from Gillian:

www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-kirk-

Student Spotlight – Kara Feeley

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Kara is a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Finance. She grew up in Ottawa but has an affinity for the east coast. She’s been visiting Nova Scotia twice a year for most of her life as the rest of her family lives in Halifax. When she started looking into universities, she always knew that she wanted to go to school out east. She was interested in business, and Dalhousie’s Commerce co-op program with mandatory co-op was a great fit. Kara grew up playing competitive hockey and she loves the outdoors. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, going hiking, canoeing and camping. Kara is hoping to have the chance to visit Peru and trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, traveling around Ecuador, and Iceland before she begins working full time at KPMG.

Kara worked as a Management Consultant within KPMG’s Finance Transformation Service Line. She was attracted to the job because “The team works on complex and critical projects to maximize finance function performance and increase value to the business by providing a range of financial management services. KPMG is a leader in management consulting, and even more importantly, there seemed to be a great culture fit” she said.

Kara added, “I found having three co-op terms extremely helpful in identifying my interests and skills. Through joining DALIS (Dalhousie Investment Society) in my first year, I discovered my interest in finance. After completing my first co-op in Treasury at George Weston, I came across a job posting for a position with RBC Capital Markets in Strategy. I found the combination of finance and strategy exciting and had a great term with that team, almost everyone had previously worked as a management consultant. Through talking to team members about their career paths, I learned more about the consulting world and decided that’s where I wanted to work. After that, I researched intensively and prepared myself for the consulting interview process – eventually bringing me to KPMG Management Consulting”.

Kara is a heavily involved in Dalhousie campus life. She said her on-campus involvement grew through word-of-mouth initially. “I would listen to other people talk about what they were doing and from there I did my own research to decide what to join. In my first year, although I never rowed before, I decided to join the learn-to-row program. In my final year at Dalhousie, I had the opportunity to compete on the varsity rowing team!

“On-campus involvement has been a key driver for my skill development. Since coming to Dalhousie, I have consistently been involved with the multiple societies, varsity rowing, intramurals, case competitions, volunteering, and part-time employment. This involvement allowed me to improve my leadership, communication, organization, and drive, while also expanding my network.”

Kara’s short term-goal is to start working with KPMG Management Consulting in September as a Consultant for the Finance Strategy and Transformation Service Line. She is thrilled to be re-joining such a fantastic team and would love to take a leadership role to help KPMG affect change in other organizations. In the long-term, she is unsure of where her career will take her. Ideally, she would love to work as a full-time consultant and stay long-term to grow her position within KPMG.

 

Tips of the week from Kara about on-campus involvement and job search strategy:

“I would advise other students to figure out what they’re interested in through extra-curriculars, courses, and information available from Management Career Services. From there, figure out where your strengths align. When preparing for interviews, I found it was important to connect with others that have gone through similar processes and begin preparation based on their feedback. I would also advise students to try something at least once. If you see a poster advertising something that you might find interesting, give it a try. The worst-case scenario is that you don’t return for a second time; but at least then you’ll know”.

“MCS has many resources available to help research different career opportunities. MCS helped me to learn more about my interests and how to better prepare for the interview process.”

Student Spotlight – Hannah Forsythe

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Our student spotlight features a student who has truly set an example for how to make the most out of case competitions.

Hannah Forsythe is a fourth-year commerce student majoring in Marketing Management. Originally from Wolfville, NS., she chose Dalhousie’s business program because of the mandatory co-op component.

Over the past four years, Hannah has participated in numerous case competitions. She was excited to be selected as an external delegate for a case competition hosted by RBC Commercial Banking in January. Hannah was selected to take part in the consulting stream out of applicants from over 15 universities around the world, based on her application, understanding of international business and her desired to learn. The conference included established keynote speakers, such as Sarah Davis, the President of Loblaw Companies Limited, and Sandra Stuart, the President & CEO of HSBC Bank, case simulations about the international insurance industry, office tours of Oliver Wyman, and most prominently, a case competition.

The case competition was focused around the consulting industry on an international scale. As the only student from Dalhousie, Hannah was grouped with students from other universities of different years and case experience.

Hannah decided to begin participating in case competitions because, as she said “Case competitions have helped me apply everything that I learned in the classroom to real-life setting and to improve my communication skills (which was the biggest draw for me).”

When asked about managing a heavy academic workload, Hannah said “Sometimes it has been hard, especially when competitions were external to Dal. I have really had to be organized with my class work and build my priorities out.”

Hannah added that case competitions push her out of her comfort zone to develop soft skills necessary in today’s work environment. “The team-based skills that I learned with different teams have been invaluable, and something I haven’t been able to find in other extra curriculars or class,” she said.

Hannah’s short-term goal is to work in a tech role as a consultant or a data analyst and her long-term goal is to hold a leadership position in the digital/tech space.

Tip of the week from Hannah:

Put yourself out there and get involved as soon as possible! I had no idea what a case competition was when I came to Dalhousie, but the Dalhousie Commerce Society provided the resources to learn and they still do today! The first competition is always the hardest, but once you’re done with that you can go into your next one and understand what’s going on, and you’ll learn!

If you want to be a part of case – competition, join Hannah’s “Ace the Case” workshop on February 28th at 5:30 pm in room 2068 or join JDCC.

Student Spotlight – Gurpreet Singh

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Gurpreet is a First-year Corporate Residency Master of Business Admin student who used effective networking and time management skills to land himself a dream work term. Keep reading to hear his story and top tips.

Originally from India, he decided to move Canada after working for five years in a consulting company.

When asked about his decision to chose Dalhousie, Gurpreet said the eight-month internship opportunity and high return on investment were major factors. Gurpreet also said that he loves the beauty of Canada.

Currently, he is on his work term with Deloitte as a Strategic and Operational Risk Analyst. He chose Deloitte because the work was inspiring and challenging,  which would be a good fit for him because, as he said, “I love to think outside the box!”.

While talking about managing a heavy academic workload, Gurpreet added that “success is all about time management and efficiency,” and made use of the MBA and MCS offices for helping him during his job search and interview.

“MCS has been super supportive and helpful to me during my entire journey of job search and interview preparation. Special hearty thanks to Ally Howard, Cindy Ryan, Ayse Dai- Gammon,” said Gurpreet.

“During my internship search, the MCS team provided me with regular updates and feedback. Also, special hearty thanks to Dan Shaw and Julie Tarry for always helping me balance my studies and motivation.”

Gurpreet’s short term goal is to improve himself to the extent that people can see the difference and guide him better for the next milestone. In the meantime, he is also learning about Canadian culture. His long- term goal is to make his parents proud and use his experience and skills to help the community globally.

Tips of the week from Gurpreet:

  • Read English articles daily and try to converse on those topics with people around you.
  • If you’re talking to any fellow international student, please try to speak in English rather than a regional language.
  • Visit the writing center on a regular basis to improve your writing skills.
  • Feel free to speak with people from different backgrounds. Sometimes, conversing with a bachelors/masters student (not from your stream) would help understand how to break the ice.
  • Definitely visit the International Students center on a daily basis, it has been a great experience for me.
  • Set hard goals for yourself and try to achieve them.

 

To follow Gurpreet’s success, follow him on his Instagram @guru.ajmani.

Co-op Students: how to find a self-developed jobs

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Looking for a work term job can be tough (and overwhelming, too!) But if you use the right strategies and tools, you can easily land to your dream job.

We encourage you to start exploring for jobs that are not available on my career. You can use different websites to find your desired job. The jobs on the websites below could make meaningful co-op work terms.

CMAIASPIRE COVER

CMAI is a Canada-wide organization that coordinates the delivery of Work-Integrated Life-Long Learning (WILL) opportunities in the transportation (land and marine) and aerospace industries to post-secondary institutions.

Among its services, CMAI offers a student placement tool for multi-disciplinary students, known as the SPOT.

The SPOT is a one-stop service for student recruitment. It offers collaborative value-added services for both students and companies.

 ASPIRE

ASPIRE has been developed by Toronto Finance International in partnership with employers, post-secondary institutions and the government to positively impact the quantity and quality of student work-integrated learning opportunities in the Financial Services sector, and grow the in-demand, work-ready pool of early-stage talent.

ASPIRE is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program

Bio Talent Canada

Get your foot in the door to start your career. Gain valuable work experience and skills needed to initiate your career in the biotechnology. Visit the Bio talent Canada website to apply.

ECO Canada

ECO works with the federal government as part of Canada’s Work Integrated Learning Strategy, ECO also work with employers and post-secondary partners to help students kick-start their career path in the environmental sector.

ITAC Career Ready Program

The Information and Technology Association for Canada is a talent-sourcing association for the Information Technology sector. ITAC has a job board full of funded positions for students.

Mining Industry Human Resources Council Gearing Up Program for Students

Mining Industry Human Resources Council is an industry association for the mining sector and administers the Gearing Up Program for work-experiential learning opportunities across Canada.

Venture for Canada Job Portal

Venture for Canada links students and recent grads to paid positions at Canadian startups across the country.

 

Check out these websites for more information on how to apply. If you have questions about jobs on these websites, visit your Career and Recruitment Specialist. Book an appointment with your Career and Recruitment Specialist through myCareer. Call MCS  at( 902-494-1515 ), or visit our office at Room 2100, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building.

Student Spotlight: Shumei Wang

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Shumei Wang is a third-year commerce student majoring in finance Shumei Wang Headshotfrom Chengdu, China. She chose Dalhousie’s Commerce program for the mandatory co-ops and the opportunity to gather real work environment experience while trying out multiple industries that co-op provides. Shumei’s first co-op experience was in the Undergraduate Advising Office (UAO) in the Rowe managing their communications. Currently, on her second work term, Shumei is working with Marsh working in Captive Solutions a more accounting-related position in the organization.

Before coming to Dalhousie, Shumei worked an administrative job with BDO China, a major accounting firm in China. Her work term with UAO was her first job in Canada, she spoke to us about this transition saying “the biggest difference between working in China and Canada is that I need to speak in my second language, English… became more brave of speaking in my second language, speaking to strangers”. She goes on to speak about how the lessons taught to her in the COMM 1710 and 1720 Business Communication classes combined with her work experience helped her develop her communication skills, professionalism, and friendly demeanour in the workplace.

For other international students looking for a co-op or coming into the co-op program, Shumei had some tips to share from her experience. She stresses never giving up on the job hunt, “students with super high GPA will have a lot of interviews and some of them might get ideal offers in late September, but don’t be panic, some good companies posted jobs late, even in late November”. Coinciding with this she stresses putting in effort for each job application tailoring your cover letter and resumes for each application.

Wrapping up our interview Shumei told us about her thoughts on the new International Student Work Experience Program (ISWEP) and her career goals. Shumei regarded the ISWEP as a good opportunity for students to learn and gain experience. In the short term, Shumei wants to find a finance position for her final co-op position and then pursue further education after graduation.

To follow Shumei’s story and adventures follow her @shumei_w27 on Instagram. To learn more about the International Student Work Experience Program visit the informational page here.

 

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