Celebrating 20,000 Business Work Terms: Jamie McGuigan’s Journey from Dalhousie Student to Scotiabank Leadership

September 16, 2024 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Written by: Mara Williams

James (Jamie) McGuigan (CRMBA’11), Managing Director & Head of Investor Solutions at Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets, leads a team that distributes defined-outcome investment strategies to clients across three continents. His success in this role can be traced back to his 8-month corporate residency, completed at Scotiabank when he was a Corporate Residency MBA student. “The experience allowed me to immerse myself in the bank’s culture and build relationships that made my transition to a full-time role seamless. This foundation has been instrumental in my 15-year tenure at Scotiabank.”

Network Building Through Work-Integrated Learning

Working in Scotiabank Commercial Banking for eight months during his MBA allowed Jamie to get his foot in the door at Scotiabank. “My work term provided invaluable exposure to different aspects of the Bank and helped me establish a strong professional network within Scotiabank.” Working at Scotiabank provided Jamie with opportunities to get to know the leadership team and build connections that led to the role he is in today. Taking advantage of networking opportunities and job shadowing senior employees gave Jamie strong, relevant connections in his desired field, as well as hands-on experience that became applicable after graduation. Completing a work term allowed him to develop a deeper understanding of Scotiabank and the finance industry than would have been possible in solely a classroom setting.

Leveraging Skills to Cope with Crisis

Jamie completed his corporate residency at Scotiabank in early 2010s, a time when the banking industry was still emerging from a global financial crisis. This was a time of great uncertainty in the industry and required those in leadership positions to balance competing priorities and maintain positive team morale despite constant upheaval. Experiencing this crisis during his work term allowed Jamie to develop skills in risk assessment and mitigation, which became extremely valuable as the COVID-19 pandemic led to drastic change and uncertainty in the industry once again. This time, being in a leadership role during an uncertain period, he had an even bigger role to play in ensuring the ongoing success of Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets. “Leading my team through this crisis required a high level of adaptability, resilience, and strategic thinking, skills that were honed during my work term.”

Getting Involved on Campus

At Dalhousie, Jamie took an active role in student life, which allowed him to develop key skills integral to his career today. His experience co-founding the Dalhousie International Business Society and planning a class trip to Chicago allowed him to grow his organizational and networking skills. Competing in case competitions allowed him to develop analytical and presentation skills while working under pressure. As a student, Jamie also had the opportunity to participate in an international exchange to Mexico, where he provided consulting advice to a small business, working through cultural and business environment differences. “These experiences collectively prepared me for the real-world challenges of my work term and my subsequent career.”

Why CRMBA

Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, Jamie knew he wanted to build a career in the competitive world of sales and trading. To strengthen his chances of success, he chose to pursue a graduate degree at Dalhousie due to its strong finance reputation and unique corporate residency program. He joined the very first cohort of students who completed the Corporate Residency MBA program. “Being part of the first CRMBA cohort was both exciting and nerve-wracking. Students and faculty were both highly motivated to ensure the program’s success. We were a unique group, eager to innovate and take risks. We bonded quickly during a weekend getaway to Liscombe Lodge and spent a lot of time together both inside and outside the classroom. It was a special group of people and I’m still close with many of the people in our cohort to this day.” Dalhousie’s CRMBA program is still to this day the only MBA program in Canada with a mandatory eight-month work term component.

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

Student Spotlight: Samantha Mensah-Asiedu

January 12, 2024 Management Career Services 1 Comment

Meet Samantha Mensah-Asiedu, a second-year CRMBA student. Born in Halifax, Samantha completed her undergraduate degree at Dalhousie with a major in Kinesiology. After spending time abroad, she decided to apply for the MBA program after remembering a presentation she attended during her final year of her undergraduate program. When choosing a program, Samantha decided to return to Dalhousie for the unique opportunity to complete an 8-month corporate residency as part of her MBA.

Last year, Samantha completed her corporate residency at Davis Pier, a consulting firm that specializes in government and social affairs, offering services in strategy analytics technology. During her work term as an Analyst, she collaborated with multiple teams on tasks such as project coordination, province-wide virtual session management, and deliverable quality assurance. “I worked on projects that have helped transform and update government led social-economic programs, had opportunities to work on the development of internal focus areas within Davis Pier, and had the pleasure of completing supporting work with Davis Pier’s non-profit sister company, Pier Labs, through research and data analysis.”

During her corporate residency, Samantha learned many skills that will be imperative to her future career. “I have learned that there are many things that I am capable of accomplishing as long as I try,” she says. “I have learned that with the right teams and environment, work can be fun and challenges can be more easily worked through together. Healthy work culture is something that is absolutely necessary and being part of a firm that established that kind of environment reassured that necessity for me.” She also shares that she quickly learned how to work in what she calls ‘controlled chaos’. “As a consultant, it seems there are always multiple different things going on at once as you are working on a variety of projects during the day or week. Finding my own balance and flow was nice and exciting, as it showed me what I am capable of.”

While job searching for her corporate residency, Samantha decided to take a proactive approach. To gain connections with potential employers, she participated in a number of coffee chats with employees and co-op students at companies of interest. It was during these coffee chats that she connected with a co-op student at Davis Pier and found that Davis Pier’s values closely aligned with her own.

Throughout her job search, Samantha utilized the resources offered by Management Career Services. She frequently used myCareer to keep up to date on possible opportunities and to facilitate effective communication between employers and herself.

Samantha’s advice for you:

Research firms in the industry you’re interested in. Do not count out the smaller firms, they could be a good fit.
Participate in coffee chats to help guide your application decisions.
Be yourself in the interviews and ask questions to ensure that the company is also a good fit for you. It is OK to take a notebook with your research and questions into your interviews.

Student Spotlight: Ben Boudreau

August 30, 2023 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Ben Boudreau is a second-year Corporate Residency MBA student from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Initially drawn to human kinetics with the goal of becoming a teacher, it was through experimenting with business electives and supportive professors, as well as running entrepreneurial initiatives of his own, that Ben realized his passion for positively impacting his community through a business lens.

“I started to look for a post-graduate program that could provide me with an array of skills needed to showcase my abilities and experiences,” he says. “There is truly a myriad of reasons why I chose Dal’s CRMBA program. It offered me the ability to build on the knowledge I learned during my undergrad and pivot into a career in business, exploring industries and opportunities otherwise unavailable. The 8-month corporate residency provides a fully immersed educational experience in an organization. There is no better way to experience what your day-to-day career could look like!”

Last September, Ben was only three months into the two-year program and in search of his 8-month corporate residency when he attended MCS’ Rowe Networking Night. “At an informal coffee chat I was told to ‘measure each week not by how well you did, but by the people you added to your spider web.’ I thought it was brilliant advice. This idea of putting myself in a position to expand my network stuck with me and after seeing the list of Rowe Networking Night sponsors, I took on the challenge of gaining a one-on-one perspective with corporations and the great people within them.”

Ben shares that attending Rowe Networking Night was a crucial step for his career exploration, leading him to make several connections, including the person who would later become his supervisor at his corporate residency. “I learned about her own career path, KPMG where she worked, and I was able to gain insight about the organization that I otherwise would not have known,” he says. “This initial chat at Rowe Networking Night simply did not end there. That conversation turned into a journey of coffee chats and learning from various members of the KPMG team, and ultimately a conversation with the senior manager I originally met where I was humbled to cement our professional relationship by being offered an internship within her division.”

Through creating and fostering this new professional connection, Ben was offered an opportunity for his corporate residency that did not exist at the time when they met. “That initial connection and the subsequent follow-ups with company members ‘created’ a new opportunity for me, and I remain forever grateful for their willingness to take me under their wing.”

In August, Ben wrapped up his corporate residency with KPMG, where we worked as a Management Consultant within their advisory services practice in Halifax. “This opportunity allowed me to work in a collaborative environment with a diverse group of people who have vast industry experiences and are all working together towards a common goal,” he says. “In addition, my role extended further to include various ‘side quests’ which included some of my favourite moments: a bi-weekly ‘what’s in the news and why does it matter’ session with my supervisor which led to new ideas and implementations, being invited to speak to a panel of 1,200+ management consultants, and trying my hand at recruiting.”

In addition to this work experience, Ben is supporting his community of students by serving on the CRMBA Society as the Director of Corporate & Community Relations. “I had the chance to work with amazing members of the CRMBA Society and I took it. I believe that some skills are best taught through volunteering and helping our community. The hope is to help our amazing CRMBA Society team create a beneficial impact for our cohort and our community.”

Ben now passes on the advice he once received to his student peers. “Speaking from my own experience, I would encourage students to take every opportunity they can to widen their web, increase their connections, meet new people, and learn more about ‘how they got there’. I’m a firm believer in making connections in person, gaining insight into the company, listening with your undivided attention, and leaving every meeting with an action plan of who to speak to next. My advice is threefold:

While leveraging networking events and building your spider web, understand that your goal is to learn and gain insights. Researching, listening, and asking questions are powerful tools.
Embrace experiences. Take the time to get involved in employer and community events, and try new experiences since these initiatives allow for an easy way to meet others while building crucial skills.
Don’t be afraid to take the path less chosen and self-develop your work term if there isn’t a position listed that resonates with you.”

This year, Dal Business Networking Night (formerly called Rowe Networking Night) is taking place on Thursday, September 14^th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Click here to register on myCareer!

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

September 28, 2022 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

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!

Student Spotlight: Maral Porretta

September 13, 2022 Management Career Services 2 Comments

Maral Porretta worked in the fashion and beauty industry for 10 years before joining Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA program. Attracted by the 8-month paid work term and courses such as the elective offered by Creative Destruction Lab for those looking to start their own ventures, the Mongolian-born Ottawan chose Dalhousie to pursue an MBA. She is using her time in the program to work toward her dream of becoming a fashion editor and having her own fashion and beauty line.

Maral recently completed her Corporate Residency at The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc., a beauty social enterprise that sells organic and sustainable perfumes made with ingredients sourced from nations rebuilding after war or strife. She worked as a Marketing and Merchandising Lead. “My biggest accomplishment was being able to help increase sales across multiple Sephora stores in Ontario and Atlantic Canada through facilitating education about the brand and its products,” she says. She shares that she also thoroughly enjoyed developing relationships with Sephora executives. Maral had the opportunity to work on a new perfume and lead new social media and digital marketing strategies by diversifying their content – two projects that she was extremely excited about. “There were so many opportunities to travel and engage with clients and Sephora teams worldwide!” She worked from home for the first four months before travelling to different provinces. “Having that mix was really fun, exciting, and balanced the workload,” she says.

Maral credits her amazing Corporate Residency experience to Jennie Brimicombe, Career and Resilience Coach at Dalhousie, who helped her connect with her employer. When asked for advice for other students, she shared something very simple but true. “Hone in on your passion! Ask yourself, ‘what’s my purpose in life? What’s my dream job?’ Then you can reach out to people in that field on LinkedIn, network, and be proactive. Lastly, have fun! Your work should never feel like work, and it should be something that drives you to excellence.”

Student Spotlight: Joseph Loh

August 25, 2022 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Joseph Loh was born in Malaysia and moved across the world to the U.S. at a young age. After completing a liberal arts degree, dabbling in music, law, journalism, and neuroscience, and working in banking for a few years, Joseph started wanting a change and to jumpstart a new career. He decided to pivot to Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA program after a referral from MBA alumnus Anthony Tintinalli.

Joseph completed his 8-month corporate residency from January to August of this year at Narrative Research as a Research Analyst. Narrative Research transforms data into market insights needed to improve the development of companies around the world. “Since starting the program, I discovered that I not only wanted to accelerate my career growth, but I was also looking for a job that is meaningful: one that brings positive change and makes a difference to my community,” says Joseph. “Not only did the firm’s values and work align with my interests and passions, the team and work culture at Narrative complemented me perfectly.” He adds that the company takes care of their employees, creating a healthy, balanced, and inspiring working environment.

While working at Narrative Research, Joseph built and expanded his network with professionals in the same sector and in other departments. He had the opportunity to meet Emma Power (CRMBA 2021), Nicholas Thompson (CRMBA 2018), and many others who have inspired him to pursue higher education and become passionate about data science. “I am especially grateful to Tony, Emma, and Nick for leading me to where I am today. My experience taught me that feeling hungry to prove myself isn’t necessarily a sign of discontent. For me it was a sign of preparedness, of wanting to achieve more because I was ready for more, preventing me from falling into complacency.”

As for advice for other students, Joseph shares his opinion on the importance of networking. “Take advantage of MCS to meet employers and industry professionals.” He also notes the value of motivation. “Be honest with yourself, do what makes you genuinely happy, do your research, and connect with people. Find out what motivates you to get out of bed on a Monday morning! Once you find that passion, that drive, that feeling, hold on to it and work towards it consistently.”

Instagram: @josephlwa

Pronouns: He/Him

Student Spotlight: Monica Nahas

January 11, 2022 Management Career Services 1 Comment

Monica Nahas was born and raised in Halifax, and is currently completing her second year of the Corporate Residency MBA program. As Dalhousie is the only university in the Atlantic provinces that offers a corporate residency component within an MBA program, it was the perfect option for Monica, who believes the CRMBA program is designed for people looking to pivot.

“I do not come from a business background. I graduated with a degree in International Development and Law, Justice & Society,” says Monica. “This program has provided me with the opportunity to merge my knowledge from my undergrad with the new skills that I have acquired throughout the past year and a half.” She was able to directly apply these new skills in many aspects of her 8-month corporate residency as a Marketing and Social Media Associate with 7 Virtues.

7 Virtues is a perfume company sold exclusively at Sephora. The company has a strong mission of ‘Make Perfume not War’, and every sale helps someone who is rebuilding from war or strife. Monica says she gained a lot of valuable information from her position within the company and is looking to incorporate her new skills toward her future work experiences. She shares that some of her biggest accomplishments during her time with 7 Virtues included working directly with embassies in 13 European countries and creating strong connections with people from all around the world. “Furthermore, I was also able to see new products go from R&D to soon to be on the market,” she says.

Monica adds that she enjoyed the great opportunities her team gave her. “I was included in nearly every part of any decision or task, which helped me learn about what I am good at and the type of work I enjoy. My residency guided me down a path, allowing me to figure out what field I want to be in post-graduation.”

Throughout her corporate residency experience, Monica worked mostly from home due to the pandemic. She had a flexible schedule, which allowed her to take breaks when needed. She says that “taking a five-minute walk is the best way to help you realign and get back on track with your work.”

Monica’s advice for you:

Be open minded when it comes to any job that is presented to you.
See how different sectors of a company interact and how people get specific tasks accomplished. It helps you learn about your interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
Management Career Services is very helpful with helping shape and strengthen resumes, cover letters, and interview skills.

Instagram Handle: @monicanahas

Pronouns: she/her

Bright, Adaptable and Eager to Learn: How Deloitte Greenhouse benefits from Hiring Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA students

December 7, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

One of the unique and beneficial parts of completing a Corporate Residency MBA at Dalhousie University is the opportunity for students to gain valuable work experience through an 8-month work term. For the employers of these corporate residencies, the students who join their team often have a previous degree and work experience, adding value both to the company’s culture and bottom line. Recently, Dalhousie Management Career Services spoke to one of those employers, who has been hiring Corporate Residency MBA students since lauching their Atlantic Canada Division.

Kara Barnard is Regional Greenhouse Lead, Atlantic Canada at the Deloitte Greenhouse at Dalhousie University. The Deloitte Greenhouse Experience Program creates an environment that encourages business leaders to challenge conventional thinking and address complex questions. The program is brand new, but even with COVID-19 delaying the opening of their physical doors, the Greenhouse Experience Program has been active in the Atlantic Region since January 2020. “We kicked off our virtual launch with a Corporate Residency MBA student on board and have had one ever since. We will be having our third student join the team in January!”

Kara says that student employees perform a variety of tasks at the Deloitte Greenhouse, from supporting the delivery of virtual client sessions, to having the ability to pivot and dig in on whatever is needed, including finding the answers to get to the right design or approach for clients. “We have had exceptional experiences with our student employees! They have been bright, adaptable, eager to learn members of our team who had a meaningful impact within weeks of joining. They also bring a level of curiosity that continues to push our thinking about what we do and how we can do it differently.”

Kara shares that she would recommend hiring a Dal business student to any organization. “I found them to be an integral part of delivering quality to the clients we serve! They are quick to dive in and understand how they can help and explore the best way to make that happen.”

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

Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Dunbar, Tate Drummond and Max Clark

November 30, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Dalhousie alumni Jamie Dunbar, Tate Drummond, and Max Clark are currently working together at Carpedia International, a management consulting firm in Ontario.

Left to right: Max Clark, Tate Drummond, Jamie Dunbar

After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in 2013, Jamie was unsure about staying in the field of health sciences. “I ultimately leaned towards trying something new and decided to pursue my MBA so I could further my understanding of what opportunities existed on the operations side of business.” He graduated from Dal’s Corporate Residency MBA program in 2018.

Tate graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program in 2019. When it came to picking his major, it was a student society that helped him decide. “After joining the Dalhousie Investment Society and learning more about the world of financial markets, I decided to pursue a major in finance.”

Max is a 2019 graduate from the Bachelor of Management program. What drew him to the program was the opportunity to pursue an 8-month internship, which he completed in Tokyo, Japan.

While all three alumni have different educational backgrounds from Dalhousie, the lessons they learned from their work experiences were diverse but equally valuable. As an MBA student, Jamie completed an eight-month corporate residency. “I was able to do a corporate residency with Davis Pier, a consulting firm in Halifax, with a focus in public sector. It was my first exposure to the consulting field and helped prepare me for client interactions.” As a Commerce Co-op student, Tate completed three 4-month co-ops with three different companies. “My co-ops helped me discover what excited me most or less. I tried different things, like Risk & Asset Management, in the industry I was targeting (finance) and learned a lot of valuable soft and technical skills, as well as equipped myself for success in courses I was taking.“ In further reflection, Tate says, “I uncovered what made me tick most; not my day-to-day in these roles, but problem solving projects I was taking on within my co-ops. This shifted my focus toward consulting, and I landed my last co-op in the field, setting me up for future success.” Through the optional internship program, as a Management student, Max completed his 8-month internship in the marketing field. “I worked as a Market Analyst for a mobility company in Tokyo. This played a role in my preparation for consulting by teaching me the required skills to critically think about issues and assess the best possible solutions and implementation strategies.”

In the professional world, consulting can hold a different definition depending on the person and who they work with most. For Jamie, who works as a Results Manager at Carpedia, his definition of consulting is “an opportunity to help businesses align their values and financial expectations, from the C-suite to the frontline employee.” Tate works as a Consultant, spending most of his time with mid-management and frontline employees. “Consulting entails being an expert active listener, trouble-shooter, and objectively minded problem-solver,” he says. “It’s providing a fresh perspective to organizations on how they can improve their performance.” Max, a Senior Consultant who spends a lot of his time with mid-management coaching departments during implementation, views consulting as “going into a business, diagnosing underlying issues, making recommendations to clients on how to solve these issues, and working side-by-side with them to support the implementation of these recommendations.”

There are many reasons why someone might be drawn to a particular career, but for Jamie, it was the aspect of helping people that fostered his interest in consulting. “The initial draw and what still brings me a great deal of joy is helping businesses achieve the operational and financial results they were unable to achieve on their own.” Speaking about his current position at Carpedia, Jamie says, “I typically switch between clients and industries every 6-8 months, which for me, keeps the work fresh.”

In Tate’s case, it was the environment of consulting that drew him in, and the desire to work in agile environments with intelligent and results-oriented individuals. “The pressure of achieving results is high, but every day I am challenged to think on my toes and push myself professionally and personally,” he says.

Like Tate, Max was drawn to the fast paced, results-oriented culture where no two days are the same. “Yes, the learning curve may be a steep one at times, but the incredible amount of knowledge and diversity of skills that are gained from the job is what drew me in and has kept me around,” he says. “A lot of people think of consulting as a stepping stone to the next job, but for me it is not just a job, it’s a career.”

Their advice for you:

Try to figure out what you want in a job before entering the workforce. A company that aligns with your core values is where you will find the most success.
Network! Building relationships is just as important as getting good grades.
Have fun!

If you’d like to learn more about Carpedia or consulting in general from one of these Dal alumni, feel free to reach out to them on Linkedin!

Jamie Dunbar: linkedin.com/in/jamie-dunbar-mba-b21369a7
Tate Drummond: linkedin.com/in/tatedrummond
Max Clark: linkedin.com/in/maxwell-clark-a4057111

Alumni Spotlight: Rika Kebede

November 22, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Rika Kebede is a Spring 2021 graduate of the Corporate Residency MBA program. In 2015, she completed her undergraduate degree in BioMedical Science at the University of Guelph. After taking a couple of years off, Rika decided a medical career wasn’t the right path for her. “The Dalhousie MBA was always on my radar, but I was kind of scared to make the pivot from science to business. Once I dug into it a little more, I realized just how beneficial the CRMBA would be for me as I tried to figure out my professional goals.”

Despite knowing that she wanted to pursue a CRMBA, in terms of a specific career path, Rika kept her options open. “I had no idea what route I wanted to take, whether that was consulting, banking, finance, or something else. And I think it’s important to share that because there are always people that have a clear goal or career in mind, but I wasn’t that person, and I know there are others like me that are in the same boat.” Rika set herself a goal to network with at least two people per week to help discover areas of interest. “Fortunately, CRMBA alumni (and Dal alum overall) are incredibly open and happy to chat, so I was easily able to meet a number of previous grads to get an understanding of the work they do and whether similar roles would be a good fit for my personality, goals, skills, and interests.”

During her job search for her 8-month corporate residency, Rika experienced challenges deciphering and understanding job descriptions. “Job postings tend to be generic and don’t always offer a ton of insight into what you’ll actually be doing or the team dynamics. Don’t rule out a job just because one or two lines don’t resonate with you, or because you don’t think you’re qualified. Do some networking beforehand (or leading up to the interview if you decide to apply) and shoot your shot, because it could end up being an awesome opportunity! And if it isn’t – you’ll have either gained interview experience or learned about what you don’t want to do.”

For her corporate residency, Rika worked at Deloitte Greenhouse as an Experience Designer. She admits that at first her idea of the corporate world was old-fashioned. “I didn’t really know what to expect when I first joined the Greenhouse, but being open to new experiences and opportunities was something I was really excited about,” she says. “The Greenhouse showed me that there’s an ability to blend behavioural-science, design thinking, and strategy to create immersive experiences for clients and teams, while still having fun!”

Rika’s advice for you:
• Not all networking calls will feel natural (especially at the start), but the more you network, the better you’ll get at navigating conversations and different personalities!
• Be open!

Instagram: @rikaakebede
Pronouns: She/her

Category: CRMBA Program