MCS Staff Spotlight: Lauren Shaw and Kathleen Funke

January 7, 2020 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Lauren Shaw

Lauren Shaw joined MCS in December as a Career and Recruitment Specialist for Accounting students. Hailing from England, Lauren studied Sociology and Psychology and began a career in Investment Management. After taking a few years to travel in Southeast Asian and Australia, Lauren moved to Canada where she began a career in education. Lauren started working in Executive Education at Dalhousie in 2015, and worked briefly in MCS in 2017-18 conducting mid-term reviews and working on employer development and funding.

“Working in executive education, I learned a lot about what employers are looking for and the struggles and opportunities that people experience in their careers,” said Lauren. “I find helping learners succeed is encouraging for me and is even more rewarding when I get to know the students on their journey and am invested in having them reach their potential.”

A lifelong learner, Lauren is also working toward a graduate certificate in Executive Coaching, and knows it can be tricky juggling school work alongside other commitments in life.

“Plan your time well, whether that’s time to study, time to have fun, or time to search for work. And always take advantage of the supports and resources that are offered to you,” she said.

After all, added Lauren, “We’re here to help you!”

Kathleen Funke

Kathleen Funke joined MCS in late November as a Communications and Engagement Specialist. A born and raised Nova Scotian, Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and History from St. Thomas University in Fredericton. Kathleen moved to Halifax in 2009 and has since worked in government, start-up and non-profit communications.

Her past jobs have seen her in media scrums with provincial politicians, visiting oil rigs, planning fundraisers and getting news stories on Good Morning America, among other projects.

A big believer in experiential learning, Kathleen is excited to use her skills to help students make the most out of their time in university.

“The best learning is done on the ground,” said Kathleen. “I often reflect on my student work terms as the best thing I did for my career.” Kathleen added that her student work opportunities in marketing and communications paid off when she had practical, tangible experience and skills to show to employers after she graduated.

Having worked in a number of different industries, Kathleen’s advice to students is to make the most of the resources Dalhousie offers to try something new.

“Gaining a variety of skills will set you apart when applying for jobs and you never know, you may just find your new passion!”. “Gaining a variety of skills will set you apart when applying for jobs and you never know, you may just find your new passion!”.

Student Spotlight: Nicola Scott

February 10, 2016 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Nicola is a third-year Bachelor of Management student majoring in Leadership and Organization with interests in Human Resources and Social Media. She completed her work placement with Techsploration in the summer as their Resource Management Project Coordinator. Below, Nicola discusses how the C³ Mentoring Program helped her advance and achieve her career goals.

“I heard about the C³ Mentoring Program though Management Career Services’ e-mails and felt it was an excellent opportunity to be able to work for a local non-profit while receiving my own mentorship. I was lucky enough to work at Techsploration, a non-profit that focuses on exposing young women to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. The C³ Mentoring Program not only allowed me to work full-time during the summer, but gain valuable presentation, research, and communication skills that I have used in my classes and will benefit me in my upcoming internship. I also received a mentor, Tricia Keegan, who is the Facility Manager for Emera Energy Rhode Island. She was a valuable resource and I am thankful I had someone in her position to provide advice and answer my questions.

As a third-year Management student participating in the internship component of my degree, the C³ Mentoring Program allowed me to have a taste of what my internship will be like. While working at Techsporation, I was able to discover a cause I’m passionate about, all while expanding my professional network.

My suggestions to anyone interested in applying to the C³ Mentoring Program are to take advantage of all the resources available through Management Career Services and to apply for the jobs that align with your personal interests. My participation in the C³ Mentoring Program has been one of my favourite experiences at Dalhousie.”

Experience the value of building your network and advancing your skills by becoming a part of the C³ Mentoring Program! For more information on how to apply, please visit our website and download the informational handout.

2014 Marks Another Successful Year for National Mentoring Program #NMP2014

October 28, 2014 Andrea McKay Leave a Comment

On October 24, 2014, students, non-profit supervisors, and corporate mentors and sponsors gathered together to wrap-up another successful year for Dalhousie University’s National Mentoring Program. To see more photos from the event, visit the Facebook album.

Once again, program participants demonstrated how corporate social responsibility can be put into action, create meaningful change and positively impact the community. Six students spent their summer working for non-profit organizations thanks to the generous support and corporate mentorship of our program sponsors:

Emera

Mohammed Siddique, Natural Gas Trader for Emera, mentored BComm student Corey Kirkhus as he worked for the Halifax chapter of AIESEC. Corey initiated a networking and business development corporate event to introduce the business community to AIESEC Halifax.
Melanie Nadeau, Senior Manager, Sustainability for Emera, mentored BComm student Emily McAughey as she worked for the Atlantic Film Festival. Emily coordinated more free outdoor film events than any other year (17 events in just 12 weeks); implemented and promoted new accessibility options to allow more community members to attend.
Anne-Marie Curtis, Director, Marketing & Sales for Nova Scotia Power, mentored BComm student Catherine Giffen as she worked for the Canadian Mental Health Association – Halifax/Dartmouth. Catherine updated and improved the look/feel of the CMHA’s annual report; designed and helped publicly launch the new storefront in North End Halifax; improved the inventory management processes, and more!

RBC

Kim Ping Yim, Senior Account Manager for RBC, mentored BMgmt student Andrew Faircloth as he worked for Prostate Cancer Canada. Andrew created a volunteer engagement map and feasibility study,that benchmarked PCC Atlantic’s volunteer progress, and will aid in events and recruitment efforts.

Wilsons

Catherine Baker, Wholesale Manager for Wilsons Security, mentored BMgmt student Sydney Hoegy as she worked for United Way Halifax. Sydney improved the process for researching donors and the organization’s capacity to engage with stakeholders which has helped increase fundraising and raise awareness.

P&G

Mike Kerwin, Senior Account Executive with P&G, mentored BMgmt student Mackenzie Knowles as she worked for Sick Kids Foundation. MacKenzie updated the policies and procedures in Finance & Accounting, mapped the processing of donor gifts to identify efficiencies and ensure accuracy, coordinated events and more!

Thanks to these partnerships, the result was not only an enhanced experiential education for our student participants, but significant and meaningful acts of corporate social responsibility, and the development of important projects with community focus and impact.

Discover what the NMP experience meant to all of our 2014 participants

The #NMP2014 Experience

2014 NMP: Students’ Lasting Impressions

Looking ahead to 2015, we are excited to announce that the National Mentoring Program will undergo a name change to better reflect the true spirit and values of the program. The program will now be referred to as:

C³ Mentoring Program: Corporate Community Connectors

Interested in getting involved in future C³ Mentoring Program opportunities? Students looking to apply for C³ Mentoring Program work terms can find more information on the MCS website here. Corporations looking to put corporate social responsibility into action through theC³ Mentoring Program can find more information on the MCS website here.

RBC Career Launch Program: Kick Start Your Future!

October 23, 2014 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

“Can’t seem to get your foot in the door? RBC Career Launch is the opportunity you’ve been looking for! It’s a year-long, paid, first career experience and development program designed to help develop your resume and prepare you for long-term career success.”

2 years ago, Mallory McKenzie had just completed her internship with Summerhill while in the Bachelor of Management program and was looking for post-grad career opportunities. Upon learning about RBC Career Launch, Mallory wrote the required essay and applied online through the program’s website. Her application was selected and Mallory was interviewed for the position.

Once the interview stage was complete, Mallory was accepted into the program.

The RBC Career Launch program spans 12 months and is separated into three “rotations”:

The first rotation spans months 1-6 and involves fundamental training within personal and commercial banking.
The second rotation spans months 7-9 where the student participates in a secondment with an RBC charitable partner.
The final rotation spans months 9-12 and includes a functional experience where students can work on a project in a specific area at RBC (such as Human Resources).

Mallory has almost completed her second rotation where she is currently volunteering in Fund Development at Phoenix Youth Program: a Halifax based non-profit organization that provides guidance to at-risk youth:

“It has been very interesting and so different from anything I have done before. They are a really great organization and I’m happy to be able to contribute to their work.”

Mallory is looking forward to her third rotation of the RBC Career Launch program where she will be working on a commercial banking project at RBC’s regional office.

More information as well as applications for the RBC Career Launch program can be found and submitted through the RBC Career Launch website. The deadline to apply for the 2015 RBC Career Launch program is on October 27^th, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Student Spotlight: Taylor Cudney

January 15, 2014 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Taylor Cudney

Meet Taylor Cudney, a fourth year Management Internship student majoring in Sustainable Resource and Environmental Management who proved to us that it is possible to gain valuable work experience while doing what you love. Taylor applied for the National Mentoring Program (NMP) and received guidance from a mentor leading to a successful volunteer position with Clean Nova Scotia. Taylor proceeded to develop her business skills and had an amazing experience, here’s her story.

“The National Mentoring Program creates opportunities for university students to gain meaningful work experience at a not-for-profit organization while being mentored by a corporate sponsor from Nova Scotia Power. I got involved with the National Mentoring Program after my first year in the Management Program.

The NMP provided me with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and apply my business skills and environmental interests in a real world setting. I also developed my leadership and management skills and made many meaningful connections both in the not-for-profit and corporate world. I would highly recommend that students get involved in the National Mentoring Program as it provides a supportive setting to apply your academic knowledge in the real world.”

Note: Learn more about the National Mentoring Program by attending one of our Information Sessions this Thursday. Visit myCareer for more details.

Coming in 2014!

December 30, 2013 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

MCS has some exciting events and programs planned for the winter of 2014 that will benefit students in their search for co-op, internship and summer jobs. Kick-start your success in the New Year by taking advantage of the awesome opportunities we have in store for you over the next few months!

Corporate Tours

Attend the Toronto/Calgary Corporate Tour info sessions on Jan. 27th. There are two scheduled time slots to accommodate student schedules. Past participants of these events found that they were very beneficial in terms of providing information on opportunities in different organizations. Additionally, the networking and mock interviews were highlights for many participants.

Because of the popularity of the fall Halifax Corporate Tour, a winter Halifax Corporate Tour is scheduled for Mar. 7th. Check out myCareer for more details on the upcoming info sessions!

Career Smart Workshop Series

MCS has eight great workshops scheduled from Jan. 17th to the 30th. Attending the Career Smart Workshop Series is an excellent way to prepare for co-op/internship opportunities and post-graduation jobs. Take in one or all of these workshops and get the inside scoop on everything you need to know to secure a great job:

Career Smart All-Inclusive
Improve Your Resume in 1 Hour
Write Your Best Cover Letter
Find the Job You Want
Network Like a Business Professional
LinkedIn for the Job Search Win
Succeed in Your Job Interviews
Top 10 Ways to Impress Your B

Visit myCareer to register to attend.

National Mentoring Program Information Session

Be sure to attend the info session for the National Mentoring Program (NMP) on Jan. 16th to learn what makes this opportunity so exciting and unique. The NMP is an innovative philanthropic model that creates beneficial partnerships between corporations and local charitable organizations, through the link of a Dalhousie Commerce or Management student. Check out myCareer for info session details!

Career Prep Program

Brand new for 2014, MCS is launching the Career Prep Program to help students learn and develop effective job search strategies while promoting an active approach to their career development.

There are many benefits to participating in the Career Prep Program. Students who successfully complete the Career Prep Program requirements will receive valuable recognition through a certificate of completion and recognition on their Dalhousie Co-Curricular Record. MCS has also announced 3 other Co-Curricular Record opportunities that allow students to gain recognition for their participation: Corporate Tour participation, National Mentoring Program participation, and Interview Competition participation.

Industry Week

MCS is happy to host industry sessions during the week of Feb. 3rd that will provide information on Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Managing People and Organizations, and International Business and International Work Terms. Industry Week is growing in 2014 to include a special student-led panel event that will be a must for any early year students curious about what the work term experience is really like. See the myCareer event calendar for further details.

2014 “You’re Hired” Interview Competition

All students from the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Management, and the Corporate Residency MBA program are invited to participate in the 2014 “You’re Hired” Interview Competition sponsored by Scotiabank. Thinking of applying? Gain a competitive edge by attending our prep session on Feb. 24th in the lead up to the Elevator Pitch and Mock Interview scoring that will take place on Feb. 26th. The 2014 “You’re Hired” Interview Competition finals will be held Feb. 28th and all are encouraged to come and observe. Visit the myCareer event calendar for time and location details.

Management Career Services’ Top Moments of 2013

December 26, 2013 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

As the year draws to a close, we’re reflecting on our “Top Moments of 2013” at Management Career Services and celebrating some of the most notable milestones. What were your top moments? Here are a few of ours:

President Richard Florizone

Dalhousie has a new president. Richard Florizone was officially installed the 11^th President of Dalhousie in October, 2013. The appointment as President also includes an academic appointment at the rank of Professor with tenure. We were excited when President Florizone chose Rowe School of Business, Faculty of Management for his academic appointment.

New Website

MCS launched a new website in 2013 and we’re looking forward to rolling out more great new content in 2014. Stay tuned!

National Mentoring Program

“The Dalhousie National Mentorship Program won the 2013 Canadian Association for Career Educators & Employers (CACEE) Excellence in Innovation Leadership Development Award.” For more on this, read our blog post.

Halifax Corporate Tour

The Halifax Corporate Tour was so popular this fall that it was filled within four hours after registration opened. Due to the interest of students, another stream was added. Thirty students registered for the tour which took them to eight Halifax organizations which included: Aon, Bell Aliant, Citco, Corporate Research Associates, Chronicle Herald, Eastlink, Extreme Group, and Nova Scotia Business Inc. If you missed the fall tour, don’t worry, there will be another Halifax Corporate Tour in the March 2014, with registration taking place in January. Don’t miss it!

New Management Career Services Staff

In 2013, Management Career Services added a new position and welcomed new staff members to the team.

Amy McLellan, Employer Development Coordinator

Management Career Services now has an Employer Development Coordinator based in Toronto. Amy previously held the role of Communications and Engagement Specialist at MCS. This new position allows Dalhousie to have a presence in Ontario, where Amy is working to engage Dalhousie students, alumni, and employers.

Kelly Tracey, Career and Recruitment Specialist, Finance

Kelly is a Career and Recruitment Specialist (CRS) who supports the career development of students focused on the finance sector. Her background includes roles in consulting, recruitment, and student services. Kelly is a qualified Level B Assessment Practitioner with a proven record of developing and delivering innovative strategies to maximize student potential.

Andrea Young, Communications and Engagement Specialist

As MCS’ Communications and Engagement Specialist, Andrea manages the department’s various communications tools including its website, social media accounts, newsletters, and blog. Andrea also oversees various promotional initiatives that aim to raise awareness of the MCS services and programs, enabling students, employers, and alumni to engage with one another.

Jennifer Coombs, Career and Recruitment Specialist, Marketing

Jennifer is a dedicated Career and Recruitment Specialist who supports the career development of students in the marketing sector. Jennifer previously held a position at Career and Leadership Development before coming to Management Career Services to cover Jonathan Perry’s position while he is on parental leave.

Future Faculty of Management Students

MCS was happy to welcome two unofficial junior team members in 2013.

Quinn Tracey

Quinn was born in February 2013, and is the son of Kelly Tracey, Career and Recruitment Specialist, Finance.

Beckett Perry

Beckett was born in February 2013. He is the son of Jonathan Perry, Career and Recruitment Specialist, Marketing.

Celebrating the 2013 National Mentoring Program Participants

October 11, 2013 Andrea McKay

On October 8th, participants in the Faculty of Management’s National Mentoring Program gathered on campus to celebrate another year of connecting corporations and charitable organizations through the work of Dalhousie business students. This year’s contingent saw 5 corporate sponsors – Emera, RBC, Wilsons Fuel, Deloitte, and P&G support 7 students to complete a 12-16 week work term at a variety of charitable organizations: Atlantic Film Festival, Canadian Red Cross, YMCA, Canadian Cancer Society, Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services, United Way of Halifax, and Kids Help Phone. In addition to funding the work term, each corporate sponsor also matched an employee mentor with their sponsored student to provide further guidance and expertise over the course of the term. The result? Enhanced experiential education, significant and meaningful acts of corporate social responsibility, and the development of important projects with community focus and impact.

The students at the event had a chance to connect with both their charitable organization supervisors and corporate sponsor mentors and each student spoke to the group about their NMP experience, work term achievements, and how it has contributed to their overall professional development.

“It was a truly rewarding experience and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the support team of such a great organization.” – Carolyn MacDonald, worked at the Canadian Red Cross and was sponsored/mentored by Emera Inc.

“I was immediately impressed by the benefits this program was able to provide and now I can say that applying for the National Mentoring Program was the best choice I ever made. I learned a lot from the process, not only the ability to make a difference in our community but also I’m able to apply the expertise and mentorship from my mentor.” – Christine Liao worked at United Way of Halifax and was sponsored/mentored by Wilson’s Fuels Ltd.

To view more event pictures, visit the album on the MCS Facebook Page.

Interested in getting involved in future National Mentoring Program opportunities? Students looking to apply for National Mentoring Program work terms can find more information on the MCS website here. Corporations looking to put corporate social responsibility into action through the National Mentoring Program can find more information on the MCS website here.

Dalhousie’s National Mentoring Program Wins CACEE Excellence in Innovation Leadership Development Award

June 10, 2013 Amy McLellan

Dalhousie’s National Mentoring Program received the 2013 CACEE Excellence in Innovation Leadership Development Award at the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) National Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. This award recognizes programs that develop leadership experience and/or skills in post-secondary students. Entries were judged on program need/objectives, design and implementation, skills/competencies development, measured outcomes, and ease of replication.

Dalhousie’s National Mentoring Program (NMP) enables business students to diversify their work experience and contacts by putting corporate social responsibility into action. An innovative philanthropic model, the NMP creates beneficial partnerships between corporations and local charitable organizations through the link of a Dalhousie Commerce or Management student.

Students interested in the NMP can find more details on the Management Career Services website or are invited to contact Jessica MacKenzie at J.MacKenzie@dal.ca. An information session for the 2014 NMP will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 12:00pm (noon) in the Kenneth Rowe Management Building. Students can RSVP on myCareer.

Employers interested in becoming an NMP Corporate Sponsor can find more information on the Management Career Services website and/or are invited to contact Jessica MacKenzie at J.MacKenzie@dal.ca for more information.

Student Spotlight: Becky Richter

November 28, 2012 cr549421

Last summer Becky Richter participated in Dalhousie’s National Mentoring Program (NMP). Through the program Becky was funded by NS Power to work full time at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) during the summer months. For Becky, she not only received an exceptional work term experience, but she also was able to give back to the community… a cause she is passionate about.

The NMP not only provides students with a paid work term at a charitable organization, but the sponsoring company also provides the student with an executive-level mentor during the summer months. Becky was matched with Lia MacDonald, Director of Field Operations at NS Power. Lia supported Becky, providing her with advice and direction – not only on her projects at BBBS, but also as an up & coming professional leader.

“I’ve always wanted to work in the non-profit sector, but often charitable organizations have limited resources and are unable to cover costs associated with hiring new staff. Participating in the NMP and having a corporate sponsor (like NS Power) not only provided me with a paid work experience, but also allowed BBBS to make progress on with their valuable operations. Each participant greatly benefits from this program, but most importantly, our community benefits. In my eyes, the NMP is social responsibility in action!”

Category: Mentoring