Student Spotlight: Laurel O’Brien

March 22, 2021 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Originally from Toronto, Laurel O’Brien is in her second year of the Bachelor of Commerce program. Because she enjoys and excels in the arts, Laurel moved to Halifax after taking a gap year following high school, where she began a Bachelor of Fine Arts at NSCAD. After studying at NSCAD for one year, she decided to try something different, but knew she wanted to stay in Halifax, so she transferred to Dal as a Bachelor of Arts student. She tested the waters by taking a Commerce course and fell in love with it, so she enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program, and as they say, the rest is history.

Laurel is currently completing her first co-op at LPi Group as an Account Coordinator. LPi is a marketing agency specializing in shopper marketing. “I handle a variety of tasks and projects supporting the accounts teams, including leading client asks and organizing client files, as well as some research and analysis.” She was able to develop her networking skills as well as her ability to navigate LinkedIn throughout her job search. “I spent the majority of my job search not understanding how to leverage my personal network or LinkedIn as a tool, and it was only after an MCS advisor gave me a ‘crash course’ that I started making real headway in securing a position.”

Due to COVID-19, Laurel has been completing her work term remotely, and although there are challenges that come along with working from home, she feels very lucky to have secured a co-op position during this stressful and uncertain time. “The culture at my current workplace is very social and fun, so my colleagues have made it very easy to feel like part of the team. I do wish I could have been in the office, but there’s really not all that much to lament. I feel very lucky!”

Laurel’s advice for you:

Take full advantage of MCS! Have them look over your resume as much as you need – as you’re editing your documents to align with a particular job opportunity, you might miss something your Career and Recruitment Specialist won’t. And I can’t overstate the extent to which practice interviews helped me put my best foot forward in my job interviews.

Don’t be shy about the fact that you’re looking for work. More times than not, when I mentioned my job search to friends and acquaintances they responded with “oh, I might know about a position” or “I have a friend who’s hiring right now” – people want to help!

Pronouns: She/Her

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

Student Spotlight: Noor Jarrar

May 3, 2016 Allison Auld Leave a Comment

Noor Jarrar is a fourth-year Bachelor of Management student who recently secured a full time position post-graduation, which she largely credits to the career development resources available to her as a student. Noor’s active job search and willingness to reach out to Management Career Services helped her land a job with RBC as a client advisor.

“To start off, I would recommend to all of my fellow students that they visit Management Career Services regularly. The staff at MCS not only help you to search for a job, but they also take the extra steps to help you with your application, make sure you ace the interview, and develop your networking skills.

Thanks to my career and recruitment specialist, Gillian Fowler, I recently accepted a job at RBC as a client advisor. My previous work with Plan Canada as well as the support from my Career and Recruitment Specialists were key to my securing the position.

At the beginning of this past fall term, I spoke with Gillian about my goal of having a job before I graduate. Like many students, I went into my degree without really knowing what I wanted my career to look like. She helped me narrow my passions and aided in me finding a job that reflected those interests.

What truly impressed me from the specialists was that they don’t stop trying to help their students. Personalized emails about job openings were a norm from Gillian, and she helped me find opportunities that I never knew existed. She also went out of her way to introduce me to her contacts, which in turn led to me finding my current job.

Gillian also advised me to make a LinkedIn profile, and I encourage students to create a profile on the site and to network as much as possible, because you never know how far one connection can take you. And of course, students should also take advantage of other programs offered with MCS, including the C3 mentoring program and ongoing networking events on campus.

MCS is a tremendously helpful place to help you jump-start your career, but as a student, you have to make the effort to help them help you. Take the extra time to continually check for job postings, be ready at all times to extend a hand and make a new connection, and work frequently to improve your resume and cover letter. These actions will surely lead to your success in finding a great job.”

We would like to congratulate Noor on her success in finding a grad job and we urge you all to take advantage of everything Management Career Services offers. It just might be the extra help you need on your career path. If you’re on campus this summer, take advantage of our soon-to-be-launched MCS Power Hours – special skill-building sessions that will help launch your fall co-op job search early. Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for more details as information is released!

End Your Semester With A Win

April 2, 2015 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

The winter semester is quickly coming to a close and whether you spent it on campus or on a co-op, internship, or corporate residency work term, there are steps you can take now to set yourself up for success in the months ahead.

All students:

If you participated in select fall 2014/winter 2015 career events, programs and activities, be sure to get them recognized through the Co-Curricular Record. This is a great way to enhance your resume and LinkedIn profile!

BComm 1st year/BMgmt 1st and 2nd year students:

While it may seem like you have the summer “off”, try to take advantage of this time by developing your employable and transferable skills, gaining some experience through volunteer or paid summer work opportunities, and starting to expand your network. This will pay off in second year as you build your resume, prepare for your co-op job search, and partake in your first work term.

BComm 2nd year students/CRMBA students:

Before you complete your first co-op work term experience, make sure you review our list of the 8 Must-Do’s to Make the Most of Your Work Term – it’s not too late to implement many of these useful tips! Since you’ll be returning to campus this summer (or fall for CRMBA students), look for ways to apply the concepts and skills you learned in your work term to your contributions in class while they are still fresh in your mind, and be sure to sign up for any available career workshops or recruitment events.

BComm 3rd year/BMgmt Internship students:

As you embark on your final co-op work term keep our work term must-do’s in mind. Since you have already completed two prior work terms, the third work term is your chance to really go beyond the job description and let your skills and strengths shine. Challenge yourself; look for extra opportunities to demonstrate initiative, gain experience in new areas, and add value to the organization you’re working for.

BComm/BMgmt 4th year students:

Graduation is now in sight. Congratulations! If you haven’t already, start looking for grad jobs under the Career & Leadership section of myCareer and apply these grad job search tips to help you succeed. Remember that career skill-building doesn’t stop when you land your first job; it’s an ongoing process. Play an active role in your professional growth and you’ll see the rewards at every stage of your career.

Student Spotlight: Mackenzie Knowles

January 20, 2015 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Mackenzie is a fourth year Business Management student who is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. She is the Vice President of Project Development at Enactus Dalhousie and also a Grad Year Representative for the Management Society. Mackenzie loves to be involved and be a leader in and outside of the Rowe building. This past summer she was a part of the C3 Mentoring Program offered through Management Career Services and worked at SickKids Foundation as a Finance Co-op student, generously sponsored by P&G. She is currently focused on finding a job with a start-up to learn the ins and outs a business while also strengthening her own skills, to one day start her own business.

“This past year I have attended information sessions for businesses like TJX and Write Your Best Cover Letter and Succeed In Your Job Interview workshops offered by Management Career Services. I wanted to attend these workshops to gain as much knowledge as possible before I lose access to such amazing resources.

More recently, I attended the Succeed In Your Job Interview preparation workshop, to make sure that I do everything before, during, and after an interview that will help me to be a top candidate for that position. While some parts of the workshop may have been a review of things a fourth year student like myself should know, I still learned new tips and practices.

Set aside time and attend these workshops because they prepare you to succeed in your job hunting and, ultimately, your career. Learning simple things like sending thank you cards or e-mails to your interviewers after an interview is very important. As well, learning to search your interviewers on LinkedIn before the interview can help you become a more attractive candidate. I recommend all students take advantage of these workshops because it doesn’t hurt to learn more.”

Register for the last three of Management Career Services’ winter Career Smart workshops on myCareer, happening next week.

5 Ways to Unlock the Secret to Campus Recruitment Success

June 20, 2014 Management Career Services 1 Comment

For employers, connecting with student job seekers has always presented certain challenges, but in the face of the changing job market and recent trends in recruitment tactics, employers have had to become increasingly more strategic in their recruitment efforts. Earlier this year, Commerce, Management, and CRMBA students were surveyed regarding employer recruitment and engagement at Dalhousie. The results were compiled by Lori Bauld and Ally Howard from Management Career Services and presented during the National CACEE conference in May 2014. By examining some of the recent trends and surveying students and employers, Ally and Lori’s presentation shed light on how the student recruitment process is changing and what employers have to do to effectively interact with students at Dalhousie. Here are the top 5 highlights from the presentation that are of most interest to employers:

The Impact of Social Media & Mobile Technology

It is no surprise that social media activity has been booming in recent years and has no signs of slowing down. Students in particular are very involved with social media and have begun using various social media platforms to discover job opportunities online. Another significant trend is the increasing rate of mobile job searching among students. It’s safe to say that every student interacts with some sort of mobile device on a daily basis. Recruiters have recognized the power of social media and mobile as a means of candidate screening, organizational branding, and recruitment and are capitalizing on it:

LinkedIn is the #1 recruitment social media platform of choice that currently has 300 million users (steadily growing) and 1.4 million daily job views.
Facebook and Twitter serve as strong platforms to generate employee brand awareness and are rated as the #2 and #3 social recruitment platforms respectively (Jobvite, 2013).
In 2013 an impressive 78% of recruiters hired through social media platforms. That percentage is up 20% from 2010 and is increasing every year (Jobvite, 2013)
With 7 out of 10 job seekers now using mobile devices to find jobs, those employers who do have mobile enabled sites will attract more attention from students (ADP, 2013).

(Jobvite, 2013)

Global Reach

The following graphic (as seen in the MCS 2013 Annual Report Card) shows where Dalhousie’s Commerce, Management, and CRMBA students were placed for their work terms or internships in 2013:

Note that although Dalhousie’s student attend school in Nova Scotia, many of them choose to complete their work terms or internships outside of the province, and over 50% of them are not originally from Nova Scotia. Therefor, employers can broaden the scope of their Dalhousie recruitment efforts to not only include regionally based jobs, but national and international opportunities as well.

Student Engagement

As a recruiter, it is important to develop an appropriate recruitment strategy that appeals to the student demographic that you are targeting. Our recent survey shows that Dalhousie students in Commerce, Management, and MBA differ in how they engage with employers on campus:

Commerce students exhibit their highest level of engagement with employers during information sessions and networking events.
Management students exhibit their highest level of engagement with employers through corporate tours and professional workshops
MBA students exhibit their highest level of engagement with employer guest speakers and during networking events

When asked which organizational traits Dalhousie Commerce, Management, and CRMBA students valued the most, their responses were again quite different and interesting:

Commerce student value continuous learning and advancement the most.
Management student value work/life balance and continuous the most
MBA students value salary and advancement the most

This information helps employers to identify which types of events and traits they should focus on when trying to recruit students from specific programs.

Candidate Experience

Aside from social media recruitment and establishing a strong online presence, it is also very valuable for employers to have a strong personal presence with Dalhousie students and connect with them through multiple touch points. Larger companies like banks and accounting firms have the funding and the capacity to engage with students on campus as well as virtually and create that connection that students appreciate. However, for companies without access to those resources, it can be difficult to achieve the same level of student connection.

Developing a strong social media and online presence can help smaller companies build their brand and virtually connect with students, but to consistently engage with students Ally and Lori recommend an Integrated Talent Attraction Strategy should be implemented to connect with students. This means that in addition to having a virtual presence, companies should be active on campus and participate in student engagement activities such as career development workshops or corporate tours.

Ultimately, the more touch points a company has with Dalhousie students, the more effective their recruitment efforts will be.

Student & Employer Testimonials

As part of their research, Lori and Ally also interviewed a Dalhousie student and two Dalhousie employer stakeholders. Follow the links to hear what they have to say about the employer/student interaction and recruitment process at Dalhousie and get their thoughts on how effective an Integrated Talent Attraction Strategy can be to recruitment initiatives.

Andrew Quinlan: Student Insight

Samantha Whitehall: PWC, Talent Aquisition Specialist

Bruce Smith: Scotiabank, Senior Manager

MCS’s Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

January 1, 2014 Management Career Services

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

We’ve gathered together our top 10 MCS-inspired New Year’s resolutions to help you start 2014 on the right foot. The New Year is full of promise and opportunity, so be sure to take full advantage of it!

Attend Career Smart Workshops
Go on a corporate tour
Work on your CCR by taking part in the Career Prep Program
Attend an Industry Week event
Attend an employer information session
Make an appointment with a Career & Recruitment Specialist
Practice networking
Follow MCS on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for all the latest career news and tips
Watch MCS’s e-learning webinars
Check myCareer frequently for the latest job postings, event information and registration, and access to your work term documents, Co-Curricular Record, and other essential career resources

Category: Bachelor of Commerce

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

What is LinkedIn?

Building Your Professional Brand

Finding Your Career Passion

Building a Professional Network

Turning Relationships Into Opportunities

Preparing for the Interview