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Category: Commerce coop

Student Spotlight: Noah Stevens

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Noah Stevens, a Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student majoring in Finance, is an aspiring financial professional who has already acquired a strong background in sales and business development. He chose Dalhousie for its co-op program, which provides hands-on experience and the opportunity to play football at the university level. “Dalhousie gave me the perfect combination of academic and athletic opportunities. The co-op program has been a game-changer for my professional growth.”

Noah’s first co-op was with Causeway Seafood Market, where he worked in sales and business development. This role exposed him to logistics, client outreach, and cold calling. “I spent a lot of time generating leads, which helped me build resilience and confidence,” he explains. The experience taught him persistence and adaptability—key skills for any finance professional.

For his second co-op, Noah joined PepsiCo Foods Canada as a Sales Intern based in Bedford. He started by working with regional sales representatives and later assisted in communicating execution strategies across Atlantic Canada. “One of my most impactful projects was auditing Dollarama stores in Nova Scotia,” he says. “It refined my data analytics skills and gave me the chance to present my findings to executives.” His work identified an opportunity for growth within the Atlantic business, set to make an impact in 2025.

Beyond his co-op experiences, Noah is one of the founders of 1 RUN, an initiative created in response to a teammate’s cancer diagnosis. “Our first 5K run/walk raised $15,000 for the QEII hospital’s Patient Assistance Program,” he shares. He credits the co-op program for equipping him with the communication and networking skills needed to secure sponsorship. “1 RUN wouldn’t be what it is without our team—we all bring different strengths, and that’s what makes it work,” he adds.

Looking ahead, Noah has three main goals: expanding 1 RUN, securing a position at a Big Five bank after graduation, and earning his CFA certification. “I want to start in lending,” he says. “It’s a great way to build a strong foundation and develop a network that will open doors for me.” When it comes to networking, Noah is intentional. “A well-crafted introduction or mutual connection makes all the difference,” he explains. “Networking is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.”

For students considering entrepreneurship or launching an initiative, Noah’s advice is simple: build a strong team. “Surround yourself with people who share your vision and complement your strengths,” he says. “A great team is the foundation of any successful venture.” As he moves forward, Noah remains committed to leveraging his experiences and connections to make an impact in his career and community.

Student Spotlight: Taylor Davis

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Taylor Davis, a third-year Commerce Co-op student originally from Toronto, Ontario, is majoring in Entrepreneurship. She chose Dalhousie to experience life on the east coast, inspired by her parents’ fond stories of the region from their time at Dal. Drawn to the Commerce program for its co-op component, Taylor enjoys applying classroom concepts to real work experiences, enhancing both her academic and professional growth.

During her first co-op as a Market Research and Events Coordinator with Dalhousie’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Co-op department, Taylor gained insights into her working preferences and skills. While she enjoyed market research, she realized that people-oriented roles suit her better long-term. Managing long-term and short-term projects simultaneously improved her time management, task prioritization, and communication skills, which will serve her well in future roles. “In my role, it was absolutely crucial to manage my time effectively,” she says. “There was one ongoing project from day one that lasted until the end of my term, and I had to complete this project while simultaneously being assigned other short- and long-term projects. I had never had a role with so many rolling starts and deadlines, and all of a sudden I was planning each day out because every day would look different. I definitely got better at planning in advance and communicating with my supervisors about my progress.”

For her second co-op as an Administrative Assistant at CIBC, networking proved crucial. Without being assigned a team, Taylor proactively reached out across departments, offering support and identifying opportunities. This experience taught her the importance of building connections, taking the lead, and strengthening interpersonal skills to generate meaningful work. “There was no room for nerves, I had to jump right into making connections for myself in order to generate meaningful work.”

Balancing a job search with school can be challenging, but Taylor made it manageable by integrating the search into her daily routine. By treating it as a regular task during library time, she stayed organized and consistent without feeling overwhelmed.

After gaining corporate experience, Taylor emphasizes the importance of punctuality in building trust. Arriving 15 minutes early each day ensures she is prepared to start on time, creating a positive impression and setting a productive tone. “Being punctual helps people see you as reliable, hardworking, and trustworthy. Then from a personal perspective, it gets my day off to a good start because I don’t feel like I’m just showing up to clock my hours. I’m showing up because I am motivated to get work done.”

Taylor has developed a passion for private wealth and wealth management and plans to continue exploring this career path. Looking ahead, she intends to apply her lessons on trust and dependability to foster strong relationships with colleagues and supervisors, ensuring mutual support for future challenges and opportunities.

Personalizing your myCareer Account (Name, Pronouns, Phone, etc.)

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Quick Steps:

  1. Log in to myCareer > Select “My Account” at the top of the screen
  2. Scroll down the page to enter your First Name Used and check the corresponding feature to apply this name across myCareer, identify your pronouns, or provide a secondary phone number and your consent to text.
  3. Press Save at the bottom of the screen.

If you require guidance on your name or pronoun usage decisions, contact Dalhousie’s office of Human Rights and Equity Services or a 2SLGBTQ+ Advisor for support.

For more detail on the steps above, review the full step-by-step directions below.

There are several ways in myCareer that you can personalize your profile and provide more information on how you would like to be addressed and contacted. All the following changes can be made from the “My Account” tab of your myCareer dashboard.

1. Updating your First Name Used:

Within your My Account tab, enter your First Name Used, and “check” the box immediately below the field. Press Save.

Your First Name Used will now be displayed (instead of your Legal First Name) within your user profile, job applicant lists and interview schedules for employers, appointment bookings with staff, and your Co-Curricular Record.

If you enter your First Name Used, and do not check the box to apply the name across the site:

  • Onlyyour Legal First Name will appear to employers across the myCareer system
  • However, staff will see both but will default to your identified First Name Used when communicating with you and employers

To avoid this discrepancy, always check the box if entering your First Name Used.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This change affects the myCareer system only. Access DalOnline to edit your First Name Used for other Dalhousie systems (such as Brightspace, myDal, etc.) and/or consult the University’s Student Guide for options on transcript updates.

2. Updating Your Pronouns:

Further down the screen, you will find a section where you can enter your Pronouns. These are the part of speech used to refer to someone in the third person (E.g., She/Her/Hers, He/Him/His, They/Them/Theirs, Ze/Hir/Hirs, and many more).

Your pronouns will not appear to employers or anywhere else within the myCareer system but can be referenced by staff to inform how they can respectfully refer to you.

3. Secondary Phone Number and Consent to Text

If you wish to provide a secondary/cell phone number, you can enter that further down the screen and indicate whether you consent to be texted via this number. This can be utilized by staff to reach you should we have important alerts or reminders on key co-op communications or deadlines.

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

Accepting Terms and Conditions in myCareer

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Note: The “Accept Terms And Conditions” link will only appear to students once recruitment for the applicable work term has been opened by MCS.

Quick Steps:

  1. Log in to myCareer > Management Career Services
  2. Scroll down the page > Select “Accept Terms and Conditions” for the appropriate upcoming work term.

For more detail on the steps above, review the full step-by-step directions below.

Before students can review myCareer co-op job postings or submit a self-developed work term record for an upcoming work term, they must review and accept Management Career Services’ Terms & Conditions which outline key responsibilities and regulations for all students throughout their job search efforts. The option for students to accept Terms & Conditions will only appear once recruitment for the upcoming work term period has been opened by MCS. Students need to re-accept Terms & Conditions at the beginning of each work term job search period to be eligible for posting or work term record submission access.

Follow these instructions to review and accept your Terms & Conditions in myCareer:

  1. Log in to myCareer: https://mycareer.dal.ca/login/student.htm
  2. Click on Management Career Services in the main menu (left-hand side of the screen if viewing from a laptop/desktop computer)
  3. From the Management Career Services dashboard, you will see a variety of Quick Links. Scroll down the page past those Quick Links to review your upcoming Work Term schedule. If recruitment for the upcoming work term period has been opened by MCS, you should see “Accept Terms and Conditions” under your next upcoming work term period.
  4. Once you select “Accept Terms and Conditions” a pop-up window with will appear. Read the content and select “Accept” at the bottom of the pop-up window.
  5. If all other eligibility requirements have been met and the MCS work term job postings have been already opened to students, then once you have accepted the Terms & Conditions you will be able to access the MCS work term job postings, and the option to Add a Work Term Record will now appear on your profile.

If you have already accepted your Terms & Conditions within the correct upcoming term, but still have no access, then either the postings have not yet been opened to students or the following eligibility requirements may also need to be met (contact MCS for more details as needed):

  • Completion of outstanding co-op/internship preparation tasks
  • Work term course registration in DalOnline
  • Proof of a valid Co-op Work Permit provided to the MCS office (for international students only)

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

Student Spotlight: Sydney Saunders

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Sydney Saunders is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Finance. Originally from Toronto, she moved to Halifax to attend Dalhousie, where she was drawn by the hands-on learning that comes along with the co-op component of the Commerce program.

Currently, Sydney is working as a Business Analyst at RBC for her second co-op term with the company. “The group at RBC I am working with is Personal and Commercial Banking, which focuses on project management, solving issues within the bank and developing solutions to make the changes necessary or new solutions come to life,” she says. “What I enjoy most about the job is that you are never working on the same task twice, and there is always a new project.” Sydney also enjoys working with her team, who she says are very welcoming and helpful.

In the past year and a half, remote work has been a part of many students’ co-op experiences, and Sydney is no exception. “In terms of benefits, it allows me to have a flexible schedule and the opportunity to work from anywhere,” she says. “The downside of working from home on a co-op is that you cannot go into the office and experience working in the corporate environment and meeting your team face-to-face.”

Sydney attributed her growing skill of networking to helping her land her position at RBC. “I found my current role through my student ambassador role, where I was asked to assist with prototype testing for the group I work in now. From there, I reached out and asked if they were hiring within that area, went through the hiring process, and ended up landing the job.” She also acknowledges the resources available at MCS that supported her in her job search. “MCS was beneficial when fine-tuning my resume and cover letter when my initial job search started.”

Sydney’s advice for you:

  • Never pass up an opportunity.
  • Don’t be afraid to try something outside of your comfort zone. You grow from situations where you are challenged.
  • Always keep an open mind when going into a new role.

Pronouns: She/Her

Student Spotlight: Mikayla Manderville

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Originally from New Hampshire, USA, Mikayla Manderville is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student, majoring in marketing. “I chose Dal because of its co-op program. I loved the idea that I would have the opportunity to try out different jobs that interested me. At the time that I applied to Dal, I had no idea what I wanted to do, so the co-op program is a great opportunity for students like me to figure that out.”

Mikayla is currently working as a Special Projects Manager at 365 Experience here in Halifax for her fall co-op. 365 Experience is a rental property management company that manages Airbnb rentals, as well as an electric scooter rental service for residential building tenants called AirScoot. “I stumbled into the path of Avery Birch, CEO at 365 Experience, during my first co-op job search and had talked to him briefly. I fell in love with the role from our conversation and decided I wanted to circle back around for my second co-op,” says Mikayla. “My CRS Jonathan Perry helped me learn how to utilize LinkedIn for job searching and networking. From there I connected with Avery on LinkedIn and was able to secure an interview which led to me getting the job!”

Mikayla shares that her responsibilities include a variety of day-to-day and larger project management tasks. “On a daily basis I am responsible for managing the strategy we use to price our Airbnb listings. I begin by analyzing the available market and make price adjustments where necessary to optimize occupancy. Additionally, I have created and managed our new Customer Relationship Management system, which was put in place to manage lead generation. I am responsible for the outreach that we send to those leads as well.”

So far this term, Mikayla says she is enjoying her talented team and the autonomy over her work. “There is no task that is out of reach for me to try, or a responsibility I do not have the opportunity to manage. Since day one I have had the opportunity to vocalize interest in projects that I want to take the lead on. Just a few weeks ago, my co-workers and I sat in on a meeting with a local brewery to discuss a potential partnership and we sealed the deal! This is just one example of the autonomy we have as co-op students to take ideas and act on them.”

While it feels great when tasks come naturally, equally as important are the aspects of a co-op that are challenging and result in both personal and professional growth. “My new role has also been pushing me out of my comfort zone. We recently had a hiring week at the company for the next co-op term. Avery likes to have the current co-op students take control of the hiring process until the final interview. This was a bit challenging for me because I had never interviewed someone before. I had to ask valuable questions to get to know the candidates in such a short amount of time. However, it ended up being one of my favorite job tasks so far this work term!”

Mikayla’s advice for you:

  • Utilize the resources at your disposal, especially your MCS Career and Recruitment Specialist. Searching for your next co-op can be daunting but your CRS is there to help. If you vocalize your goals for co-op, they offer much support in the journey to reaching that goal. They are there to help you, so let them!

Instagram: @mmanderville

Pronouns: She/her

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