Student Spotlight: Gillian Kirk

January 19, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

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

Hack Your Hiring Process With These Handy myCareer Features

June 20, 2019 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

Whether you are new to using myCareer, Dalhousie’s centralized online recruitment system, or have already created an employer account in myCareer, you may not be aware of all the benefits that come with using it to review, select, and engage potential candidates. Here are some examples of how employers are using myCareer to help them save time and make their hiring process more efficient.

Real-time applicant status
Choosing “Through myCareer” under Application Procedure when creating a job posting will inform the employer of any students that become unavailable during the recruitment process.

myCareer lets student and alumni users access their application up until the deadline in case they wish to make changes or remove it from consideration. As a result, when the job closes, employers who access their applicant list via myCareer will have the most up-to-date information concerning applicants.

Reposting a previous job
Instead of creating a new job posting from scratch every time, employers with one or more postings in the system, use the “Repost a Job” option to save time and effort. This is ideal when some, or all, of the job posting details remain the same, and allows employers to only update the information that has changed.

Brand Recognition
By posting your positions in myCareer you can also draw attention to the position by uploading a company logo to appear directly on the posting. This is a great and free branding opportunity!

System Notifications
After a job posting expires, an email is automatically sent to alert you. This email provides you with a link to log into the system to select interview candidates and schedule interviews. A link to step-by-step instructions on how to request interviews through myCareer is also provided.

Packaged application documents
All of the application documents each candidate submits are packaged together in one file.

Shareable Application Bundles
A PDF bundle of all applications to the position (or just the candidates the employer is interested in) can be quickly created and shared with other employees participating in the hiring process using the “Email Package” option.

Interview Scheduling: Self-serve or Access Support
When it comes time to scheduling interviews, employers can opt to coordinate them independently or use myCareer’s interview scheduling tool.

In offices that support student work terms, staff are available to assist employers with arranging student interviews. Select your interview candidates and then provide interview details via the Schedule Interview wizard. Staff will ensure applicants are aware of interviews and confirm dates/times and locations, saving you time and effort in having to make these arrangements.

These are just a few of the ways you can take advantage of myCareer’s ability to quickly and easily recruit talented and enthusiastic Dalhousie students. Login to myCareer today to explore the many benefits it has to offer!

Roadmap to Recruitment Events in 2019

June 19, 2019 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

Many organizations are already rolling out their hiring strategy for 2019, but are there other opportunities you may be overlooking and be able to capitalize on in the second half of the year? As always, MCS is here to provide you with the specialized intelligence and hands-on support that will help you hit your hiring targets. So to make it easier for you to plan your activities well in advance, we have set the dates for all of our major career and recruitment events through to the end of October 2019.

Access the 2019 Key Event Timeline

We have also analyzed the results of our 2018 post-event surveys to identify the recruitment trends and best practices that can optimize your student engagement efforts in 2019.

Here’s what we found:

Campus Recruitment Events are Alive and Well

Trying to justify those campus recruitment event budgets? Wondering if your time is well-spent attending them? Based on the student participation and engagement we saw this past year, it’s safe to say that it continues to be an effective tool for attracting and evaluating talent. Need further proof? According to 2017 research conducted by the Scott Resource Group with students from 19 universities, 55% of students disagree or strongly disagree that “employers that use virtual tools to recruit are just as interested in students from my school as those who maintain a physical presence.”

In 2018, we broke student and employer attendance records for our marquee fall networking event, now known as Rowe Networking Night. Over 200 students, and over 110 employers joined us for a lively evening of networking. Save the date for Sept. 11, 2019 when we’ll host the next one!

Rowe Networking Night 2018

2018 also saw student registration for our Halifax and Toronto Corporate Tours fill up much faster than in years past, indicating student demand to interact with employers and explore different work environments and corporate cultures on site is stronger than ever.

Students who attended our 2018 fall recruitment events were recently surveyed and respondents reported that…

85% were satisfied with their experience.
95% were more likely to apply for a job with an organization after connecting with them at an event on campus

Employers who opted to attend our Corporate Residency MBA Pitch & Mingle event in August

Saw a 30% average increase in applications to their job postings
100% decided to offer one or more positions to our CRMBA candidates, compared to 80% of the employers who posted jobs but chose not to attend

Timing is Everything

The leading cause (76%) of students canceling their registration for a career event this fall was due to a conflict with their class schedule or midterm exam. In addition, “convenient date and time for my schedule” was the top-ranking factor (55%) influencing which events they chose to attend.

So how can employers ensure that their campus information session is being held at an optimal time to attract students? The key to scheduling your campus information session is to consult with the MCS team well in advance, indicating the type of students that you are targeting with respect to the program, year of study, degree major, or any criteria that may be relevant to you. Course schedules vary program to program, and year to year. The MCS team can help you determine the best time to host your event by aligning your targets recruits with the day/time that conflicts with the fewest classes.

How far in advance should you start planning your campus information session? For the busy September 2019 recruitment season, we recommend reaching out to our team in late spring/early summer. For all other times of year, 4-6 weeks advance notice is ideal for room booking and event promotion purposes.

Students Crave Face-Time with Employers & Alumni

Whether we were asking students for their feedback on our Corporate Tours or our fall career events, there was a recurring theme: the more opportunities to network with employers and alumni, the better. This is feedback that employers can easily apply to their student engagement activities by:

Building dedicated networking time into your information session/tour visit

Invite multiple recruiters or company representatives to the session/visit to increase the number of students you’re able to talk to within the time available

Tapping into Dal alumni you have on your team in the presentation and/or networking component and encourage them to talk about their career path and their experience with the organization

Working with MCS to do an alumni spotlight which can be shared through the MCS student e-newsletter, social media channels, and the video wall overlooking the Rowe Atrium in the lead up to your event

Alumni Spotlights on the MCS Blog

Mixing It Up with Mixers Pays Off

2018 saw the evolution of two of our annual recurring events, to positive reviews. Both the Co-op Summer Social and the CRMBA Pitch & Mingle events allow employers to interact with a single cohort from the respective program, and offer a format that combines structured and open networking opportunities.

The PepsiCo booth at the 2018 Co-op Summer Social

The Co-op Summer Social (an event designed to celebrate the 2nd-year Bachelor of Commerce students returning to campus from their first-ever co-op work term) has been an annual event since 2014. For the first time last year, at the suggestion of MCS’ own co-op student employees, employers were offered the opportunity to host booths and network in the Rowe Atrium. Open to only 200 BComm students and 8 sponsor organizations representing a range of industry sectors, the atmosphere is kept light and cheery, which allows these lower-year undergrads to feel more at ease, whether they were approaching an employer at a booth, or being introduced to them by a student ambassador for a more casual networking interaction. Following the event in 2018, employer sponsors and student ambassadors were invited to rank their experience and provide feedback:

On average, employers rated of the quality of student interaction at a 4.3 out of 5, and the alignment with their recruitment goals at a 4 out of 5 (5 being “High”, 1 being “Low”).

The majority of employers commented on the value of having student ambassadors on hand to help make introductions

Last year, the CRMBA kicked off its fall recruitment with a speed-pitching event followed by a networking reception. The speed-pitching session enabled more intimate and engaging discussion to take place between pairs of students and employers pitching each other at high-table stations set up around the room. The structure of the speed-pitching portion helped to break the ice between the two groups leading into the reception. As a result, 85% of the employers shared that they were supportive of this new approach.

Speed-pitching session followed by networking reception

Employers who participated in our most recent Toronto Corporate Tour as practice interviewers also benefitted from this combination of a more structured student engagement activity, followed by the option to attend the Corporate Tour networking reception that evening.

The Bottom-line

MCS is here to help you achieve your recruitment goals. Whether you are looking for quality student engagement opportunities, hands-on recruitment activities, or the chance to heighten your organization’s brand exposure, we have the unique solutions and support services to make it happen. Connect with us today to map out the plan that’s right for you.

How to Get the Most From your Student Employee

June 26, 2018 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Co-op and internship students are fresh faces and minds able to bring in ideas and work hard, but they may need some extra guidance and encouragement to be as effective and productive as possible during their work term. Here are a few simple ways you can help them fulfill their potential as a member of your team.

A project list of meaningful work

Getting coffee and setting up boardrooms isn’t much of a learning opportunity, and assigning a random assortment of menial tasks can lead to disengagement. Providing your student with a list of meaningful work and deadlines (think of a course syllabus they would receive at school) will allow them to plan and work on tasks efficiently. You may need your co-op/intern to help you set-up for meetings or maybe make the occasional coffee run to keep morale and caffeination high, but this isn’t the best use of their skills and education. Students want to apply what they have learned to the workplace and make valuable contributions. Give them the opportunity! If nothing else, help them see how even the smallest tasks fit into the big picture of a company’s success so that they can understand how they are helping the team achieve on larger goals.

Provide detailed instructions and set clear expectations

Every supervisor and co-op student is unique, and so are their respective management and communication styles. In order to ensure greater accuracy and quality of work, provide detailed instructions and explain your expectations to help them deliver on tasks more effectively. Students will apply what they are learning on the job to the subsequent tasks assigned. Without proper guidance, context, background info, or an example if available, the student may have to guess their way through, which may lead to a different result from what you wanted. Another way to ensure the accuracy and quality of the student’s work is to be available to answer questions that they may have as they work through a project or task that’s new to them.

Feedback, feedback, feedback

Feedback is critical for a co-op or intern student’s learning, so constructive criticism and advice on how to improve should flow openly and happen on a regular basis. Feedback will deepen the student’s understanding of what they are accountable for, allow them to grow, and help them to succeed in the workplace. This reinforcement of what needs to be worked on along with recognition of achievement will allow the student to hone their skills, take pride in their work, and deliver the best outcomes possible. Be sure to give Management Career Services feedback on how the student employee is doing at the Midterm Review and Final Evaluation points of the work term, so that we can help them learn and improve from your recommendations.

Ask for their input

A student employee brings with them an outside view and potential for fresh ideas. One of Canada’s most innovative research universities, Dalhousie students are currently being taught the latest concepts in their field of study and may be able to suggest ways to directly apply them or give a fresh perspective on a project.

Providing the proper training and onboarding as well as taking the extra steps noted above, will set your student employee up for success and ensure a more productive and valuble experience for everyone involved.

4 Keys to Campus Recruitment Success You May Be Overlooking

June 26, 2018 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Every organization has their own recruitment strategy. Though the techniques for attracting student talent vary, these four campus recruitment success factors are often easily overlooked:

Having a student-focused campus recruitment strategy

Without advance planning and having direct consultation with the university’s career centre professionals, such as the Management Career Services office, as well as with your recent student hires, your recruitment efforts can fade into the background and be lost in a sea of hiring companies. A good student-centered plan with well defined goals and measurables will help you carry out events, as well as learn from them. By planning with our team to create your event, we can help you formulate a customized engagement strategy using our years of experience with the Rowe School of Business student body and our access to current student talent.

Following-up

After a great day of getting your company’s name out there, talking with students, and perhaps collecting a couple of business cards or applications, you return to the office and wait for the students to make the next move. Why wait for interested students to act, when you can strike while the iron is hot? Following up with the students who caught your eye will make an impact on them and establish your brand as one which actively engages. When you host an information session with us, we are able to facilitate networking and track attendance, making it easier to contact those who have made an impression.

Taking full advantage of social media

Social media is a great tool for helping you increase event attendance and differentiating your organization from competing recruiters. So much can be done on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to spread the news that you are going to be on campus as well as provide a unique interaction with your brand. It can be as simple as posting on the university Facebook account that you have a booth set up on campus, to sourcing student questions from Twitter for an upcoming discussion panel, to something a little more unique and fun like setting up a geo-filter on Snapchat. Management Career Services can help support your event promotion by leveraging our well-established social media networks and other affiliated accounts. By tagging us on Facebook and Twitter @dalmcs or by sharing your content with us to post for you, we will help spread the word to Rowe Business students.

Having a clear call to action

You have invested time and effort into organizing/setting up a campus event, and have sent your best representatives to deliver it, but if prospective student attendees can’t quickly and easily grasp your short and long-term hiring needs, you risk falling short of your goal. By clearly communicating your co-op/internship and career opportunities, students will show more interest, ask more informed questions, and have a better idea of whether they are a good match with your company – either now or in the future. Our office can help you plan out events that target specific programs or years and convey your unique value to the students.

So does your fall recruitment plan hit the mark? Let us help you reach your goals and connect with the right students and grads for the job, so that you get the most from your time on campus.

Funding Program Update: Mitacs

May 2, 2018 Andrea McKay

Does your organization have an R&D commercialization or business challenge that requires outside expertise? Would you like to hire an 8-month MBA intern through Mitacs funding to work on your business challenges?

Employers have an additional funding resource to access Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA talent pool through the Mitacs – Accelerate Funding. Through Mitacs Accelerate, MBA students apply their knowledge and expertise to business-related research challenges. Armed with the very latest tools, techniques, and innovations, interns bring a new perspective to industry problems and opportunities.

Mitacs is a Canadian not-for-profit organization with a mandate to foster innovation and commercialization through industry and university collaboration. Dalhousie’s partnership with Mitacs facilitates employer access to Dalhousie’s high caliber MBA cohort which represents diverse backgrounds such as business, engineering, science and IT with 1 to 3 years of work experience.

KEY FACTS regarding Mitacs – Accelerate for Dalhousie’s Corporate Residency MBA Program:

Mitacs funding can be used to hire a Dalhousie CRMBA intern for 8 months (January – August, 2019). Each 8-month internship project may receive $30,000 in direct funding, with the partner organization and Mitacs each providing $15,000.
Project topics may include a wide variety of research initiatives relating to market, product development, and commercialization.
Please allow 6-8 weeks from the date of proposal submission for Mitacs to process your funding applications.
Mitacs will match partner organization funding, dollar-for-dollar, to hire Masters, PhDs, and Post-Doc interns to do research for your organization.

Eligibility is open to for-profit companies in Canada (not-for-profits may also be eligible). To apply for Mitacs-Accelerate funding, please visit https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate/apply-now

For a free consultation on how your organization can avail of Mitacs funding to hire a CRMBA Intern, please contact:

Marie Hogan
Specialist, Business Development (NS)
Mitacs
mhogan@mitacs.ca

Ayse Dai-Gammon,
Associate Director, Strategic Partnership Development
Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University
ayse.gammon@dal.ca

Rowe students shine bright at industry events across Canada and beyond

November 23, 2017 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

For some students, it’s not enough to excel and establish a strong presence in the classroom or in the workplace, they want to connect directly with the industries they have been exposed to and demonstrate the skills and professionalism they have to offer to their future peers. This fall alone, a strong contingent of Rowe School of Business students have actively participated in industry events, and business leaders in cities across Canada and beyond are taking notice.

PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN BRAZIL

This September, 2^nd year Corporate Residency MBA (CRMBA) student, Alison MacPherson, had the opportunity of a lifetime, and she didn’t want to waste it. Her 8-month internship with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. as a Health Economics & Reimbursement Strategy Trainee was winding up and she was due back on campus to start her 2^nd year of the MBA program in September when she got the news that she was 1 of 10 students in the world, and the only student from Canada, to be awarded the 2017 Student Travel Grant by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.

The grant enabled her to attend and participate in their Latin America Conference, from September 16th-17th in São Paulo, Brazil and attend Novartis Brazil meetings afterward. It was Alison’s hard work and collaboration during her work term with Novartis that lead to her co-authoring 28 abstracts. At the conference, she, and other Novartis team members presented 14 posters, primarily on Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Chronic Heart Failure.

I felt very fortunate to attend this conference in Brazil. Networking, attending short courses, presenting, and attending regional workshops and meetings was a tremendous learning experience.

Alison MacPherson CRMBA Student

FINANCIAL & ESTATE PLANNING IN WINNIPEG, NIAGARA, CALGARY, TORONTO, AND HALIFAX

On September 14, Bachelor of Commerce students Bryce Cross and Molly MacDonald presented to financial services professionals at the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners (IAFP) symposium in Winnipeg. Their presentation, titled “Can a Robo-Advisor Meet Client Needs Over the Entire Client Lifecycle?” explored what robo-advisors are capable of and whether they can be expected to adapt over time to meet changing client needs, and looked at the relationship between technology and gender.

The presentation followed Cross and MacDonald’s win at IAFP’s Student Financial Planning Competition in May of 2017, where they submitted a précis and video presentation on the topic and received top marks from the panel of four judges.

It’s exposed me to dozens of employment and personal growth opportunities that I couldn’t have gotten in the classroom or at other case competitions,” Bryce says. “It’s been one of the most influential experiences of my undergraduate education.
Bryce Cross Commerce Student

But this was not the first time Cross had delivered a presentation to this crowd. He, along with his classmates Sam Dundas and Kyle Maclean had won the opportunity to present to the IAFP in 2015 in Niagara, Ontario, on the topic of how financial planners and advisors can appeal to millennial clients.

Their presentation in Niagara not only earned them a standing ovation from the crowd, but paved the way for invitations to speak at a wealth management firm in Calgary, deliver an interactive session on “The Millennial Generation on Trust & Advice,” to the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) in Toronto this past summer, and present a talk on “Advising Millennial Clients” to the Halifax Estate Planning Council in October.

Every engagement has come to us and we’ve just said yes to everything. We’ll be off to Saskatchewan during the winter semester for another engagement.
Sam Dundas Commerce Student

SAP & DATA ANALYTICS IN MISSISSAUGA AND HALIFAX

Earlier this month, the Americas’ SAP Users Group (ASUG) hosted their Atlantic Chapter event at Dalhousie followed by their Ontario Chapter meeting a few days later in Mississauga. With guidance and encouragement from award-winning professor of Management Information Systems, Michael Bliemel, Rowe School of Business students impressed the delegations attending both of these events by demonstrating their skill and leadership abilities to a range of SAP customers, consultants, and partners.

The ASUG Atlantic event included a visualization hackathon using data from the Royal Canadian Navy and Climate Atlantic, resulting in CRMBA students Priyanka Kochhar winning the top spot, and Justin Zuccon being named the runner-up.

Later that day, CRMBA student Emma McGinn, a member of the ASUG Atlantic Chapter board as University Liason, moderated a panel discussion she had organized for the event on student career advice. Emma invited professionals from the public and private sector, including organizations such as the Nova Scotia Health Authority, the Nova Scotia Government, and IBM, to comment on SAP-related career opportunities and share insights with the student audience into their work, field, and navigating recruitment processes, among other topics.

Having the opportunity to organize the panel from start to finish and see it successfully come to fruition was a great moment. This experience gave me valuable knowledge to use in the future, as well as making great connections with individuals in the field of SAP from across Canada.
Emma McGinn CRMBA Student, ASUG Atlantic Board Member

At the Ontario Chapter event, Dalhousie was one of only two universities to participate in a Student Open Data Showcase presenting solutions developed using SAP tools against Open Data provided by the City of Mississauga. Dalhousie’s student team was comprised of Bachelor of Commerce students Seline Dogan, Alison Chan, and Julian Baker [pictured above with Prof. Bliemel]. Baker reflects positively on this incredible experiential learning opportunity:

I think I speak for all of us on the team when I say the opportunity to travel to Toronto and showcase our knowledge and skills was a highlight of our university careers. The competition pushed us to apply the theoretical knowledge from Michael’s class and turn it into real-world problem-solving.
Julian Baker Commerce Student

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN TORONTO & HALIFAX

The Dalhousie Real Estate Association (DREA) was established only two years ago, but what they may lack in history, they make up for in ambition.

This November, DREA executive members and 4^th year Bachelor of Commerce students Patrick Sadler, Strachan Wilson, Max Brenzel, and David Cottingham took on the responsibility to host the first-ever Canadian University Real Estate Seminar. Their goal was to “connect Canada’s top real estate focused undergraduate students with globally renowned real estate firms [and] industry professionals in an educational and interactive environment.”

The event, which was fully funded thanks to DREA’s success in securing corporate sponsors, encompassed two panel discussions and a networking social. The panels, entitled ‘Emerging Leaders’ and ‘Executive Strategy’ were made up of analysts and executives from such Canadian commercial real estate firms as Kingsett Capital, TD Real Estate Investment Banking, Oxford Properties Group, GWL Realty Advisors, Slate Asset Management, InterRent REIT and Deloitte’s Real Estate and Construction division.

Held at Deloitte’s Canadian headquarters in downtown Toronto, the event brought together more than 50 undergraduate attendees from Dalhousie, Queen’s University, University of Guelph, Western University, Laurier University and Ryerson University.

It was definitely a rewarding event for everyone involved. The panel discussions represented a structured learning opportunity, providing direct real estate insights from industry veterans and emerging leaders. At the networking social members were able to make meaningful connections with industry partners and also benefitted from meeting like-minded students at some of Canada’s top universities.
Patrick Sadler Commerce Student, DREA President

Since then, DREA members were sponsored by CBRE Atlantic to attend their market outlook breakfast on Nov. 16 in Halifax.

Save a Seat for Top Talent at Your Table

There is no question that our students value experiential learning opportunities and are keen to take full advantage of them. Your industry’s next professional event may serve as the perfect occasion to connect with our students and see their talent in action. Please contact Management Career Services for assistance with enhancing your talent attraction strategy.

Related Articles:

Dalhousie’s Rowe School of Business: Outside the Box – The Coast
Student Spotlight: Alison MacPherson – MCS Student E-news
BComm students win IAFP case competition and present at symposium – Rowe School of Business News
Staying challenged and inspired: Commerce student Sam Dundas on his experiences in and out of the classroom – Dal News
Best turnout ever at the ASUG Atlantic Canada chapter meeting – Michael Bliemel, LinkedIn
DREA helps foster interest in real estate at Dalhousie – The Chronicle Herald

From Dragons’ Den to competition wins: student successes abound this winter

April 3, 2017 Allison Auld Leave a Comment

We’re delighted to highlight just a few of the podium-worthy results our students have earned at recent business competitions, conferences and more during this winter term:

You’re Hired! Interview Competition

For 12 years and running, the competition invites students from Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s to put their interview skills to the test, culminating in a live interview final in front of an audience. This year’s first- and second-place winners went to Dalhousie Bachelor of Commerce students Adrian Hutcheson and Briana Dologh. Read more about Adrian’s big win.

Great Canadian Sales Competition

Out of more than 2,200 submissions, three Rowe School of Business students (Tatum Freigang, Tiana Vuckovic and Josh Boothroyd) were included among the competition’s top 22 finalists from across Canada, where they received a paid trip to Toronto to compete in the final round at Google Canada.

Dragons’ Den Wins

Commerce student Terrena Huisman (Terrini’s Bikinis) and Commerce alumni Cam McDonald and Daniel Bartek (Iconic Brewing) walked away with winning deals this year.

Operations Stimulus Case Competition

Commerce students Josh Biggar, Blake Newell, Clare Murphy and Mahmoud Ahran won this year’s prestigious annual supply chain and logisitics case competition in Denver, CO. This marks the third win within four years for the Rowe School of Business, making it the only school to win more than once.

DECA U Award Wins

Dalhousie’s DECA U (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter was founded in the fall of 2016 and is the first DECA chapter in Atlantic Canada.

At this year’s annual DECA U Provincial Conference in Toronto, the group brought home two awards for New Chapter Award and the Largest Chapter Provincial Participation, along with a host of individual and group awards.

University of Vermont Family Case Competition

Congratulations to Dalhousie’s Rowe School of Business team – Josh Biggar (BComm), Hailey Coleman (BMgmt) and Gardiner Goodman (BMgmt) – who finished third overall at the University of Vermont Family Enterprise Case Competition!

MBA Games Silver-Place Win

28 Dalhousie CRMBA students participated in the 2017 MBA Games, hosted by Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, returning with a second-place win! Read more about their experience.

Talent with a Competitive Edge

March 4, 2016 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

Dalhousie business students continue to strive for new heights beyond the classroom, resulting in fantastic performances at business competitions across the country and across disciplines. Meanwhile, employers such as PepsiCo are getting in on the case competition action – fostering the development of young talent by contributing their sponsorship to the Dalhousie Commerce Society’s First Year Case Competition, which will now be known as the PepsiCo First Year Case Competition. Read more.

Here is a round-up of the most notable recent student achievements:

Jeux de Commerce Central: Academic Gold for Rowe team at JDCC Case Competition

“These students clearly demonstrated this weekend why they are the future leaders of business.”

Queen’s University Sports Industry Conference: Dal Students Knock It Out of the Park at Sports Industry Conference

“Being the campus ambassador, I had a lot of pride in knowing that Dalhousie had such a strong showing. I’m really proud of the people we brought.”

IAFP National Student Competition: a presentation by three Dalhousie Commerce students at last year’s symposium, inspired the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners to create a new competition for students to win the chance to present at the annual event.

Halifax Partnership’s Pitch It Competition: Corporate Residency MBA student Sarah Deveau took home a win in the video pitch category.

The Great Canadian Sales Competition: Commerce student Molly Marcott and Management student Jonathan Gammon have been selected from 1,550 entries to advance to the finals in the competition, taking place later this week at the Google Office in Toronto.

Celebrating Our Champions of Work-Integrated Learning

March 4, 2016 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

Every March, Management Career Services hosts a special event that celebrates the organizations, work term supervisors, and the co-op student who have stood out from all the rest. This year’s Employer Awards & Appreciation Reception took place at the Atlantic Hotel Halifax on March 4th where honorees gathered with members of the MCS team and other special guest employers and students to celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions from 2015 that deserved recognition.

The two Employer of the Year awards that were handed out at the event represent a combination of highest number of co-op work terms along with highest level of engagement with students through employer-initiated activities for students and engagement in Management Career Services-led events.

National Employer of the Year: Scotiabank

Scotiabank hired a remarkable 29 of our students for co-op and internship opportunities across the country and across various lines of business in 2015. Scotiabank’s partnership supports our annual Career Discovery Days and You’re Hired Interview Competition, enabling students to receive valuable career education opportunities. On campus, representatives from Scotiabank consistently donate their time to serve as guest speakers, industry panelists, competition judges, and mock interviewers. Off campus, they have regularly hosted our students as part of corporate tour events both locally and in Toronto. Representatives at every level and across the country are always available and willing to meet with and assist our students.

Atlantic Canada Employer of the Year: J.D. Irving

J. D. Irving has continuously hired our students for a broad range of business-related roles across the Maritime provinces and have gone on to recruit many of our new grads for full time opportunities within the J.D. Irving family of companies. On campus, they are actively involved in the Fall recruitment season, hosting information sessions and not only attending, but also sponsoring student networking events. In addition, they have offered their time and expertise to the Accounting Case Competition each year. Off campus, their support of the CPA program has positioned them as one of the leaders in industry and enabled our students to gain tremendous experience within Atlantic Canada.

Outstanding Work Term Supervisors

A total of 22 supervisors were nominated by the students that worked for them for providing them with an enriching work term experience. Their efforts have clearly made a positive impact in the lives of these students as young professionals. Seven of the supervisors honored were able to join us at the event.

Stephen Frost – Bacardi Limited, Student: Fabio Pacheco
Alana Rogers – Bacardi Limited, Student: Fabio Pacheco
Andrea McKay – Dalhousie Management Career Services, Student: Fabio Pacheco
Kim McClennan – Home Hardware Stores Limited, Student: Caroline Kerr
Reena Hanson – Bank of Montreal, Student: Elsie Chen
Beth Vallis – Scotiabank, Student: Pengpeng Jiang
Barbara MacDonald – Atlantic Credit Unions, Student: Tatiana Olar
Diane Densmore-Evans – Atlantic Credit Unions, Student: Tatiana Olar
Marcel Tellier – AC Hunter Tellier Belgrave Adamson, Chartered Accountants, Student: Danielle Skuy
Barb Stegemann – The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc., Student: Mahmoud Ahrari
Cayla Leger – Holloway Lodging Corporation, Student: Yu Sun
Darren MacDougall – Sobeys Inc., Student: Stuart Thompson
Larry Collins – Canada Revenue Agency, Student: Stuart Thompson
Steven Nelson – Ernst & Young LLP, Student: Kelsey Keddy
Maria Calcano – Kisserup International Trade Roots Inc., Student: Daniel Alleyne
Deanna Skinner – Maritime Travel Inc., Student: Jenna Oosterholt
Stephanie Charlton – Bank of Montreal, Student: Alana Davis
Peter Skain – Royal Bank of Canada, Student: Haitao Wang
Darryl Pierrynowski – Davis Pier Consulting, Student: Sarah Deveau
Dwayne Anderson – O’Regans Automotive Group, Student: Zheming Dong
Pierina De Carolis – Canadian Tire, Student: Ashley Sambrook
Dan Mallette – Enterprise Holdings, Student: Dillon Stanway

Some of the glowing comments from our students about their supervisors include:

“She provided me with the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas. She has made this work term the best of all three!” – Tatiana Olar on her Atlantic Credit Unions co-op supervisor, Diane Densmore-Evans.
“Through this experience I learned a great deal, making it a very valuable experience. Workshops, advice from my team leader or my coworkers being welcoming, made my second co-op experience memorable.” – Stuart Thompson on his Canada Revenue Agency co-op supervisor, Larry Collins.
“My time spent on co-op with EY was an absolute pleasure. Not only did I gain exceptional work experience in my field, but I gained a support system of industry leading professionals who truly want to see me succeed.” – Kelsey Keddy on her EY co-op supervisor, Steven Nelson.
“Barb worked hands on with me helped me expand my network. I was provided with an abundance of projects and the motivation to complete them.” – Mahmoud Ahari on his The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. co-op supervisor, Barb Stegemenn

2015 Co-op Student of the Year, Adrian Hutcheson

Adrian Hutcheson is a third year student in the Bachelor of Commerce program, majoring in Finance. He has completed two co-op terms with TD Securities on the Institutional Money Market Desk, and will be returning to TD Securities in the summer for the Sales and Trading Associate Program. Adrian is actively involved in business case competitions, having recently won the Volunteer of the Year award at the Jeux de Commerce Central competition in January, and previously winning First Place at the Atlantic Throwdown Case Competition, Second Place at the Queens Inter Collegiate Business Competition, and Best Presenter at the Crandall University Case Competition. He is currently the Vice-President of the Dalhousie Investment Society (DALIS) which has over 150 members. Adrian recently reflected on his co-op experiences and passed on valuable advice as a panelist at the Industry Week Student Panel event. With a strong combination of work term, academic, and volunteer experiences, he is an exemplary co-op student and a role model for our finance students in particular. Congratulations Adrian!

Category: Bachelor of Management

Save a Seat for Top Talent at Your Table