Alumni Spotlight: William Gregg

March 29, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

William’s advice for you:

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

Pronouns: He/Him

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

March 23, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alumni Spotlight: Nicola Scott

February 1, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Nicola Scott is a Dalhousie alumna who graduated from the Bachelor of Management program in 2017.

Attending Dalhousie was an easy choice for Nicola – she is from Halifax and preferred to stay close to home. In her second year of study Nicola transferred to the Management program. “I decided to switch because I was interested in the relationship aspect of business.”

Once enrolled in the Management program, Nicola decided to take advantage of the 8-month internship option and landed her internship as Project Coordinator with NTT DATA Services in May 2016. NTT DATA Services is a division of NTT DATA Corporation, a top 10 global IT services provider with over 130,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Nicola was responsible for administration of client accounts and assisting with invoicing and contract set-up.

Taking advantage of the internship option allows students to apply knowledge they have learned in their courses to practical work situations. Management Career Services makes it a top priority to give students a competitive edge when applying to the internship program, investing in each student’s career to enhance employment opportunities after graduation.

“It was exciting for me to be able to apply the information I learned in classes to my role at NTT DATA Services,” says Nicola. “The Faculty of Management does an amazing job at preparing you for the real world, but if students really want to apply that knowledge, the internship program is a fantastic way to do that before you graduate. Jennifer Coombs and Jessica Mackenzie were both so helpful in preparing me for my internship and supporting me throughout the process.”

Throughout the Bachelor of Management program, students have numerous opportunities to make connections with organizations and leading industry professionals at networking events. Through myCareer, organizations to post open positions, some of which are privately offered to Dalhousie students.

“During the internship search, MCS was an invaluable tool for me. The staff at MCS were so supportive with resumes, networking, and interview support. I wouldn’t have found this internship role at NTT DATA without it being posted on myCareer. If students aren’t actively looking at myCareer, I really suggest they start because it is such a helpful resource.”

Sometimes, when students exhibit an exemplary performance throughout their internship, they are offered further employment with their organization. Fortunately, this was the case for Nicola. In fact, she is still with the company. This coming May will mark her fifth year with NTT DATA Services. “I am very lucky that my internship transformed into a full-time job after graduation. I’m now a Project Program Management Senior Analyst. I don’t think I would be where I am in my career without the internship program. My education from Dalhousie and the skills I learned on the job during my internship allowed me to create a new role within the company. I’m now part of our account leadership and run all administrative functions for multiple accounts.”

When asked what she would tell students thinking about getting involved in the internship program, Nicola responded, “I cannot recommend the internship program enough. The benefit of an 8-month internship is that you are at a job twice as long as a regular co-op. This allows you to take more tasks on and build a strong relationship with your employer, which is what helped cement my permanent role. You also get to add the job to your resume, which generally means you have more work experience at graduation than someone who didn’t do an internship which is really helpful for the post-grad job search. Plus, MCS encourages paid internships which is amazing because it allows you to make money while finishing up your degree.”

Pronouns: She/Her

Student Spotlight: Breena T’ien & Megan Daviduck

October 8, 2019 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

The Fall 2019 convocation ceremony for Faculty of Management grads was held this week. Congratulations to all our BComm, BMgmt, and CRMBA graduating students!

Two graduating students are featured in this week’s Student Spotlight: Breena T’ien and Megan Daviduck. They both managed to secure full-time jobs as a result of their work term performance. Breena is a graduate of the Corporate Residency MBA program, who is now working full-time for Scotiabank, Global Banking and Markets as a Corporate Banking Analyst on the Mining, Power, and Real Estate team following her 8-month internship with the organization in Toronto. Megan is a graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program who majored in Marketing Management and turned her final 4-month co-op with Critical Mass (CM) in Calgary into a full-time role.

Breena was born and raised on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After she completed her Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biology from the University of Victoria, she came to Dal and completed the CRMBA program. Most of her time outside of school was either spent with family, studying with her peers, or participating in an intramural basketball team.

Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Megan was involved in the Rowe Women in Business Association (WIBA) since her first year at Dal. In her final year, she served as the Social Media Manager for WIBA, was a first-year student mentor through the Dalhousie Commerce Society, and she worked as part-time Campus Tour Guide for Dalhousie’s Recruitment Office.

We caught up with Breena and Megan to hear about their work term experience and ask them about how they secured a full-time job with their respective work term organizations.

What were you able to do during your work term that helped lead to a full-time job offer?

Breena: “After I got the hang of my job at Scotiabank, I realized that this work was something that I enjoyed, and I made it known to my head boss about my desire to return and to pursue a career in Corporate Banking. In addition, I made a point to become good friends with the people I worked with as I knew that their opinions mattered on whether I would come back or not. Networking within my department has helped me form bonds that helped me return as a full-time employee.”

Megan: “With a well-known, thriving internship program, Critical Mass was the perfect place to transition from being an intern into a full-time employee. Everyone at the organization is happy to help you learn and grow, while still allowing you to take on real client projects. I think what helped the most was being able to see the impact my work as an intern had on the clients I was working with and the long-term results that I have been able to follow through with as a full-time employee. Being clear with your employer throughout your work term that you would like to stay on as a full-time employee is important and ensures that both yourself and your mentor/employer are on the same page from the beginning.”

Did you have to compete for your full-time role or was the offer extended to you because of your strong performance as an internship/co-op employee?

Breena: “Competition is high for the position that I currently hold. However, due to my vocalization of wanting to come back, a position was extended to me. I have no doubt in my mind that the eight-month internship position was a huge driver in providing me with this opportunity. This is due to the fact that when I left my internship, I was well trained on the system the company uses, therefore providing me a leg up. The full-time onboarding process was much simpler and took virtually no time.”

Megan: “I believe that at CM, the amount of effort, enthusiasm, and passion you put into what you are working on speaks for itself. There were a lot of interns at CM during my work term, and what I noticed we all had in common was that we were all very focused and driven to make the company, and our mentors, proud of the work we were producing. CM is great for recognizing people’s initiative and fit within the company and for hiring people who work hard, are real, and are proud of the work they produce, but stay humble.”

What advice would you give to other students hoping to transition from being an internship/co-op employee to a full-time employee within the same company?

Megan: “I would make sure to keep track of all of the work and accomplishments you have achieved throughout your work term. It allows you to have something tangible to show your supervisor/mentor/HR rep at the end of your work term to reinforce the value you would bring to the organization should they extend a full-time offer to you. Additionally, take advantage of the opportunity to learn new skills and interact with industry professionals, no matter which industry you’re working in.”

Breena: “Demonstrate your time management ability and your willingness to help other individuals. If my own portfolio was having a slow period, I would always ask my supervisor to let the other teams know that I had the capacity to help out. This will help you as you become familiar with not only your own team, but also gain the opportunity to further network within the company. Also, take your time and learn the theory. It is one thing to copy work to get it done as quickly as possible. However, if you spend the time to really understand the big picture of your work, you will be able to grasp the work in a better fashion and outperform.”

What are your short- and long-term career goals?

Megan: “Short-term, I am looking forward to learning more about what goes into producing great work in a digital-focused agency. Being in this kind of agency setting allows me to learn more about not only the traditional side of marketing, but also the intricacies of the digital side including SEO, digital marketing research, tech development, and much more! I am looking forward as well to the opportunity to work on a variety of different accounts involving world-class clients and working with team members from across the globe. Long-term, I hope to be able to work abroad and potentially move abroad permanently. With CM, there is the opportunity to not only move to different offices across the globe but also to work within multiple disciplines such as strategy or marketing science. At this point, I am open to any and all of the opportunities that come my way.”

Breena: “Short term, I hope to become the head analyst in my department and be the person that people rely on for system solutions. Long term, I would love to pursue a path within the real estate industry. I’m yet undecided on what this looks like, but I find the industry itself truly interesting and beautiful. I think it’s important in its own way that I don’t have concrete plans yet as it will allow me to be flexible and to take opportunities as they present themselves. I’m excited to see what the future holds for me.”

***

Congratulations to all of our graduating students. As a new grad, you will continue to have access to your myCareer account, where you can look for and apply to a wide variety of full-time and new grad job postings, and access career and industry-specific intelligence through Management Career Services > Student Resources section of the platform.

Access your myCareer account

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Using your Dalhousie NetID and password, log in to your myCareer student account: https://mycareer.dal.ca/login/student.htm. Alternatively, you can log in to my.dal.ca with your NetID and password and look for the myCareer link under the Quick Links menu on the myDal homepage.
Once myCareer has opened, you will be presented with various menu options to access the different services and features available to you, as well as a dashboard that connects you to your personal account information, job search documents, interview, event and appointment activity, and co-op records. Two of the more popular sections of myCareer include the Management Career Services section or the Career Services section. Click here for a summary of what each section has to offer.

For more myCareer tips, consult our other Student User Guide tutorials.

Upload your Transcript in myCareer

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A tailored resume and cover letter is a standard expectation when applying to any job posting. However, some employers also request your transcript be submitted as part of your application package. By logging on to Dal Online, you can access an unofficial transcript that will satisfy this requirement.

First, you need to access your unofficial transcript:

Log in to https://dalonline.dal.ca/
Click on Web for Students
Select Student Records
Select Academic Record, then click on Academic Record again
When it opens, make sure to save it on your computer. It should automatically save as a PDF.

Now, you need to upload it to myCareer:

Log in to myCareer: https://mycareer.dal.ca/login/student.htm
Click on the Management Career Services option from the main menu if you’re applying for Co-op or Internship jobs. Students looking for recent grad jobs, summer employment, part-time, full-time (non co-op), casual, or volunteer opportunities can click on the Career Services option.
Under the Management Career Services section, click on the Work Term Documents icon. Under the Career Services section, click on the Documents menu option.
Click the blue Upload Document button.
Name the file, identify the type of document as Transcript, click Choose File, select your transcript, and click Upload Document.

Your transcript should now be visible in your list of documents and can be added to application packages as needed.

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For more myCareer tips, consult our other Student User Guide tutorials.

Student application statuses vs. internal statuses on myCareer and what they mean

August 19, 2019 Management Career Services

When applying for work term positions using myCareer, it is smart to keep an eye on the status of those jobs to see whether or not you’ve successfully advanced to the next stage of the hiring process. Depending on the number of jobs you’ve applied for, you may be monitoring a long list of statuses. We often get questions from students who are not sure what the difference is between the Application Status and Internal Status posted for the jobs they’ve applied for, and what each status really means.

The main difference between Application Status and Internal Status is that Application Status indicates the student’s current standing in the hiring process whereas the Internal Status indicates the portion of the internal hiring process that MCS is facilitating with the employer. As a student, your focus should be primarily on your current Application Status. Refer to the table below to help you decipher what each status means for your job search standing.

These are the terms you may come across under the APPLICATION STATUS column, what they mean, and how they may impact your next steps.

Status Visible To	Status Being Shown	What This Status Means
All Applicants	Application Submitted	You have submitted an application for this position
All Applicants	Position Cancelled	The employer is no longer looking to fill this position
Only the applicants affected	Not Selected for Interview	The employer has not selected you to advance to the interview stage of the hiring process
Only the applicants affected	Selected for Interview	The employer has selected you to advance to the interview stage of the hiring process. You will be notified of an interview offer via myCareer OR MCS will contact you once the employer has provided an interview schedule OR the employer may contact you directly to schedule your interview
Only the applicants this applies to	Application Withdrawn	You have chosen to withdraw your application to this position and will no longer be considered for the role
Only the applicants this applies to	Interview Booked	You have booked your interview through myCareer or the employer has confirmed to MCS that you have booked an interview directly with them.
Only the applicants this applies to	Interview Declined	You have declined an interview through myCareer or the employer has confirmed to MCS that you have declined an interview directly with them.
Only the applicant affected	Position Offered	You have interviewed for this position, and the employer has made a job offer.
Only the applicant affected	Position Accepted	You have accepted the employer’s job offer for this position.
Only the applicant affected	Position Declined	You have interviewed for this position and declined the employer’s job offer.
Only the applicants affected	Not Selected for Position	Another candidate has been selected for this position.
Only the applicants this applies to	Other Position Accepted	You have accepted another position.

These are the terms you may come across under the JOB STATUS column, what they mean, and how they impact your next steps.

Status Being Shown	What This Status Means
Job Posted	Job has been posted but the application deadline has not yet been met
Applications Sent	Job applications have been either sent to the employer by MCS OR the employer has viewed the applications online
Applications Follow Up 1	MCS has reached out to the employer one time to get some update on the applications
Applications Follow Up 2	MCS has reached out to the employer two times to get some update on the applications
Applications Follow Up 3	MCS has reached out to the employer three or more times to get some update on the applications
Interview Selection Pending	The employer has advised MCS that interviews will be held but no date/times/ or interviewees names have been provided as yet
Interview Schedule Pending	The employer has given full interview information, interviews have been setup but not yet confirmed by all interviewees
Interview Feedback Pending	The interviews have been confirmed with the employer, and/r the interviews have been held and MCS is awaiting a job offer and/or interview feedback from the employer
Filled	The job has been filled by the successful candidate.
Closed	The hiring process is over and the job posting is no longer active.

For further assistance navigating myCareer, students are encouraged to refer to our myCareer User Guide for Students.

Booking an interview time slot in myCareer

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If you receive an urgent interview request email from Hire.Business@Dal.ca notifying you that you have been selected for an interview, you are expected to log in to myCareer IMMEDIATELY (by the end of the day upon receiving the offer) to book an interview time.

Follow the steps below to book your interview time slot:

Log in to myCareer: https://mycareer.dal.ca/login/student.htm
From the main Dashboard, click on the Interviews tab.
Use the drop-down list to view Today / Upcoming (or to past interviews)
Click the blue View button in the row marked, “Unscheduled Interviews”.
In the results screen, you may have more than one job interview request listed. Click the blue View button next to each interview request, to see the full details.
The next two screens will contain important interview details as well as the available interview times:
a) Once you have reviewed the details, click the blue Book My Interview Appointment button.
b) From the schedule provided, select one of the available timeslots and click the blue Book (If the timeslot is already booked by another student, it will be noted as “Reserved”.)
You may be prompted to provide additional information, for example, if it is a phone interview, you may be asked to type in your phone number.

Your interview booking will be confirmed on the following screen where you will also see the options to reschedule the timeslot or decline this interview. If you simply chose the wrong timeslot, please click Reschedule Interview, rather than Decline.

If you need to refer to the interview details again later, go to the Interviews tab on your Dashboard and click on the blue View button next to your Booked Interviews. You can then view the details of any of your interview bookings by clicking the blue View button next to the applicable booking line.

Once all timeslot bookings are complete, MCS staff will finalize the schedule of interviews with the employer. If you need to cancel or reschedule your booking after the interview schedule is finalized, please contact hirebusiness@dal.ca directly.

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For more myCareer tips, consult our other Student User Guide tutorials.

How to create an application package

August 19, 2019 Management Career Services

When you are ready to apply for a job, before creating your application package, it is important to check your documents for accuracy (and no blank pages!) and then save them for upload in PDF version so that format errors can be avoided.

To create your application package in the least number of steps, upload your documents to the My Documents section of myCareer first (located under the Career Services section for non-co-op job applications, or the Management Career Services section for co-op job applications). See our tutorial on how to view and upload your documents in myCareer for directions on how to do this.

To create an application package, follow these easy steps:

Click on the blue APPLY button from the job posting screen (only applies to jobs that indicate “Through myCareer” as the Application Procedure).

Review the Application Requirements listed, and be sure to include all required documents in your application package.

Under Submit Application, select Create a Customized Application Package.
You will then be asked to:

a) Create a name for your application package. We recommend you use the format below for your package name so that you can easily find it in the list of application packages.

Job ID_ Organization name_First Name_Last Name

b) Select the documents you will include in your package. If you have already uploaded your documents previously (as recommended at the beginning of this tutorial section) then select the documents you wish to include in the package, and then click Submit Application. (NOTE: Sometimes a job posting will indicate to include your transcript in your package. See our tutorial on how to upload your transcript into myCareer for instructions on how to do this.)

If you have not previously uploaded your documents to myCareer through the My Documents module (as recommended above), you can still upload them from the application screen, but it requires additional steps to do so. Use the link titled Click if you need to upload a new document, which appears below the Create a Custom Application Package option.

When uploading new documents, name each document so that you can easily find it again, and select the corresponding document type from the drop-down list. Then click Upload New File, and once the file name appears on the screen, click the Upload Document button. This will return you to the original application screen, and you can once again select Create a Customized Application Package and repeat these steps with each document file until all required are uploaded and ready to add to your package. Then select and add your documents to your named package and click Submit Application.

Once you have submitted your application, the confirmation screen indicates that if needed, you can cancel your application by clicking the red Cancel Application button, as long as this is done before the application deadline.

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For more myCareer tips, consult our other Student User Guide tutorials.

Understanding the myCareer main menu: Management Career Services vs. Career Services

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When you log in to myCareer, the main menu (left-hand side of the screen if viewing from a laptop/desktop computer) presents you with these menu options:

Dashboard – This is where your dashboard of popular myCareer functions and account information is located.

Contact Us – This is where you will find the contact information for Dalhousie’s Career and Co-op Offices.

Events Calendar – This is where students can view & register for a wide variety of interactive career development sessions.

Top Co-op Employer – This is where students are able to nominate their co-op employer for a Dalhousie Top Co-op Employer Award.

Career Services – This is the section where students and alumni can look for non co-op jobs including: full-time, part-time, summer, casual, and recent grad job postings or volunteer opportunities.

Management Career Services – This is where current BMgmt, BComm, CRMBA, or MLIS students can access a variety of services, features, and information, according to their program-specific service agreement with the MCS office. Those services may include career appointments, access to work term-specific job postings, access to exclusive workshops and event registration, and more.

Co-Curricular Record – This is where you can create, view, print or add to a record of any validated extra-curricular activities you participate in at Dalhousie.

DALConnects – A points-based Dalhousie leadership program that enables students to work toward adding DalConnects to their Co-Curricular Record by participating in designated workshops, events, and activities that help them build leadership-related skills and experience.

Logout – This should be obvious, but for those of you who missed your coffee this morning, this is where you can go to logout of the myCareer website.

Many students confuse the Career Services Tab with the Management Career Services Tab. Allow this basic diagram to illustrate the primary differences:

For more myCareer tips, consult our other Student User Guide tutorials.

Category: Alumni