Written by: Mara Williams

Management Career Services (MCS) takes great pride in providing our students with the support they need to find rewarding work-integrated learning experiences, and helping employer partners hire exceptional business student talent. In addition to facilitating up to 1,000 work terms for Dalhousie business students every year, MCS has been welcoming co-op and intern students into its own office for more than 25 years.

To celebrate this milestone, we heard from a previous MCS student employee about how her time working at MCS helped shape her career trajectory and life today.

Kelsey Roy (BComm’23) worked at MCS as a Digital Marketing Assistant in winter 2021 for her first co-op. Interested in the role because of her passion for creative writing and graphic design, Kelsey was able to develop those skills and learn more about marketing and leveraging social media during the term. In addition, Kelsey’s time at MCS helped her identify what she wanted in a career. “The environment I worked in was welcoming, accepting, fostered learning and professional exploration, and gave me many opportunities to work on a variety of tasks which allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of what I liked and disliked.” As a young professional, this was extremely valuable knowledge, as it helped her chart the right path for her future co-op positions and eventual career.

In addition to figuring out her personal preferences, working at MCS helped Kelsey immensely when looking for her next position. Being pushed outside her comfort zone in areas such as public speaking gave Kelsey the opportunity to grow and feel more equipped for her next career opportunity. In fact, before her graduation, Kelsey was offered her current full-time position at EnPoint, a startup that offers mentorship software solutions to help organizations implement and run successful mentorship programs. She credits Management Career Services with helping her achieve success with this organization. “I attribute much of my early on professional development that has helped me excel at EnPoint with my position at MCS.”

Hearing Kelsey’s reflections on her time at MCS emphasizes the importance of work integrated learning and the lasting impact that a work term can have on one’s career. MCS is proud to have provided more than 25 years of work term experiences and is grateful to have benefited from student contributions to the team. Students at MCS have provided a unique perspective that has helped the team at MCS provide the best possible service for students and employer partners alike. And we’re looking forward to the next 25 years!

Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management is home to more than a dozen business student societies. Management Career Services (MCS) is committed to collaborating with our student leaders throughout the academic year, positioning us to facilitate connections with our employer partners. This fall, we hosted two events with our student society leaders at the forefront.

Society Summit

Each fall, Management Career Services kicks off the academic year with a Society Summit. This September, 33 executives from 13 societies got together to make connections and share ideas. With the goal of encouraging collaboration across societies and with MCS, each society shared their planned events and programs for the year. Keeping up to date with each society’s plans and goals positions MCS to make strategic connections between student leaders and employer partners.

Dal Business Society Showcase

This year, we ramped up our society engagement efforts with our inaugural Dal Business Society Showcase. After a suggestion from an employer partner, we organized this virtual event where employers heard a three-minute pitch from a representative of each of our business societies. Working with industry professionals is a goal for most of our societies, and this event gave employer partners the chance to see which societies are best aligned with their recruitment strategies.

It has been a busy September, with these two events allowing us to connect with student leaders and showcase the exciting opportunities they have planned. MCS is eager to continue supporting each of the business societies and the dedicated students that run them.

Whether it’s through guest speaker spots, office tours, networking events, financial or in-kind sponsorship, or workshops, there are plenty of ways that employer partners can collaborate with student societies to streamline their recruitment and build relationships with talented students. Reach out to Brittany.Warren@dal.ca or Robert.Wooden@dal.ca and we would be more than happy to connect you.

We look forward to seeing how the academic year unfolds, with plenty of society events and collaboration across our department, our student societies, and employer partners!

Written by: Ainsley Wallace

Tarah Johnston (BComm’98), General Manager for Global Advisory and System Integration Partners at Microsoft Canada, empowers partners to support customers in embracing productivity, cloud, and AI solutions. But the roots of her remarkable career can be traced back to her formative years at Dalhousie University. “There is no doubt my time at Dalhousie in the Commerce Co-op program changed the trajectory of my career and my life. Though it was decades ago, the experiences and lessons I learned still apply today and will continue.”

Self-Discovery Through Work-Integrated Learning

Reflecting on her work terms, Tarah acknowledges their impact in shaping her career. “My work terms provided clarity in my natural strengths and what I enjoy doing, and what I did not enjoy doing, which was just as important.” Her first work term at Diversey-Lever is a prime example of this. Hired as a Marketing Information Assistant, Tarah’s initial responsibilities involved working in isolation, consolidating and calculating marketing data—a task she found less than fulfilling. However, when a critical error in program instructions threatened the accuracy of marketing plans from over 50 countries, she seized the opportunity to pivot into a tech support role. Drawing on her skills from an ‘Intro to Computers to Business’ course, she resolved the issue, working directly with each country. This experience helped her discover her passion for translating technology into business solutions and her preference for being in an environment where there is consistent human interaction.

Introducing New Technology to Institutions

Tarah completed two work terms at IBM in the 1990s, when the internet and laptops were not yet used in classrooms. At IBM, she played a pivotal role in the integration of laptops into curriculums at colleges and universities. “In my second work term at IBM, I was part of a pilot program for co-ops to work with resellers in Canada to introduce them to the business opportunity of a new technology called the Internet.” This experience was a turning point for Tarah, as it challenged her to adapt quickly and think strategically. “In four months, I had to quickly get comfortable with the technology, its practical applications, and the value proposition for the resellers. That experience taught me how to seek out experts in the company, build a point of view, and learn quickly from what works.”

Getting Involved on Campus

During her time at Dalhousie, Tarah immersed herself in student life, where her leadership qualities began to shine. In her second year, she took on the role of VP for Bronson House in Residence Council. Her dedication to making an impact continued as she became President of the Commerce Society and later, valedictorian of the Faculty of Management upon graduation. Reflecting on her journey, Tarah offers this advice to current students: embrace variety.

 

“Being open to different societies and activities gives you diverse opportunity to understand what your natural talents are, who you enjoy spending time with, and what contributions you can make in your life.”

Working with Students at Microsoft

Today, as a senior leader at Microsoft, Tarah values the fresh perspectives that students bring to her team. She sees their potential to challenge the status quo and infuse energy into the organization. “Students in our organization can lift spirits and even remind people how exciting it is to be part of an organization and career with endless possibilities.”

In fall 2024, Management Career Services reached an incredible milestone of 20,000 business work terms for students in the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op, Bachelor of Management, and Corporate Residency MBA programs. These programs have produced a diverse group of alumni who have made significant contributions across industries. To learn more about their stories and the impact of these work-integrated learning programs, visit our website.

Hannah Brown is a third-year Commerce Co-op student majoring in Entrepreneurship with a certificate in Marketing. Originally from Guelph, Ontario, Hannah chose Dal because of the co-op program and the excitement of experiencing an unfamiliar environment.

In winter 2023, Hannah completed her first work term at Doing Things Simply, an audio-visual company based in Toronto. “At Doing Things Simply, I was the Support Services Coordinator. I would help the team schedule appointments with their clients.” During her time at Doing Things Simply, she quickly connected with her manager, as they were both new to the company. Throughout her work term, Hannah collaborated with her manager to reorganize the company’s procedures and processes, transforming how the operation runs.

She then worked at the Society for Enterprise Education and Development (SEED) for her next co-op in fall 2023, a non-profit organization specializing in increasing youth employability skills. There, Hannah was an Administrative Communications Coordinator and her main focus was creating content for their social media channels. She also had the opportunity to contribute to the Skills2SucSEED (S2S) program, a series of workshops for students. “S2S is a workshop program that works with around 20 youth at a time to help them learn employability skills, and it ends with a work placement.” The program was a highlight for Hannah. “My favourite thing about working with SEED was that I was able to work with the youth in the program during workshops.”

For her next venture and final co-op, Hannah has decided to do an Entrepreneurial Work Term (EWT) this summer, focusing on growing her subscription box service. Her company currently has two products, one designed for students, and the other contains local Nova Scotian products. Hannah says that she has wanted to pursue entrepreneurship for quite some time, stemming from her desire to run her own business in the future.

Throughout her time at Dal, Hannah often leveraged the assistance offered by Management Career Services (MCS). “MCS was a really big help in finding my first two co-ops. I found both through myCareer. I think that the variation of jobs is great and having them all in the same spot and not having to look too far for them is very helpful.”

Here is Hannah’s advice for you:

• Start early while looking for co-op. If you find something you are interested in, be sure to jump on it.
• If you have an idea, pitch it to someone. There are a lot of people that are interested in helping you if you are willing to put yourself out there.

Meet Lauren Mannix, a third-year Commerce Co-op student majoring in Marketing and completing a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Last fall, Lauren completed her second co-op at Digital Nova Scotia, where she worked as a Project Coordinator. Over the course of the term, she was in charge of planning and coordinating various events and projects, some very large in scope. “I took the lead on organizing and executing a virtual networking event connecting over 250 students in the Skills for Hire Atlantic Program to industry professionals.” Lauren also had the opportunity to attend and represent Digital Nova Scotia at numerous events, such as the Social East Conference and a recording of the All Hands on Tech podcast. Overall, she says that she found her co-op to be a very fulfilling experience. “I loved the variety of tasks I got to work on. It was so exciting to be able to contribute to teams that were originally outside of my job description.”

Throughout her co-op, Lauren was always making an effort to maximize the amount of learning she was able to undertake. “On my first day, my supervisors asked me what I wanted to get out of my experience that wasn’t outlined in the job description. I expressed my interest in marketing and event planning, and they continuously helped me find opportunities to work on projects in those fields.” Lauren was eager to interact and work with other teams as well. “Whenever I felt that my workload was light, I would always ask for more to do across various teams to give myself the opportunity to make the most of my time at Digital Nova Scotia and maximize my skills and learning opportunities.”

When it came to her job search, Lauren was proactive in securing her co-op at Digital Nova Scotia. “I had actually reached out to a previous Commerce student who had worked at DNS for advice and she connected me with their hiring manager, and I took it from there!” All of her hard work resulted in Lauren securing her position before it was posted on myCareer!

Most recently, Lauren has decided to undertake an Entrepreneurial Work Term for her final co-op this summer. “I am so excited to take this next step; I will be working on upcycling furniture and home goods.” Lauren has also recently launched a new podcast called The G’63 Club, where she discusses topics such as mental health, grief, navigating life’s challenges in your 20s, and the process involved with launching a company.

Here is Lauren’s advice for you:

• LinkedIn is your best friend! Reach out for coffee chats and stay connected, because you don’t just want your resume sitting at the bottom of a pile full of other candidates.
• If you don’t have enough work to do, ask your supervisor for more to strengthen your relationship with the company and maximize your efforts in learning.

Asia Bernabo is a second-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student from Ottawa, Ontario. When choosing universities, flexibility was an extremely important factor for Asia. “I chose Dalhousie specifically because of the co-op program—I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so the opportunity to work various jobs was very appealing.”

Asia has started down the path to becoming a consultant and secured her first co-op at IBM, a global technology and consulting company. She currently works as a Consulting Intern on the federal team, which is directly responsible for selling to and consulting with the Government of Canada. “I am responsible for learning and understanding the federal sales process, identifying areas that can be made more efficient, and brainstorming and implementing solutions that will help expedite the sales process and improve the quality of proposals being submitted. It’s not a traditional intern role, where often students work alongside teams and assist on projects, but I find it extremely fascinating because I am essentially taking on the role of a professional consultant!”

While on her work term, Asia has learned to use many tools available to her through IBM. One of these tools is watsonx, IBM’s in-house artificial intelligence. “I am currently evaluating different watsonx models to determine which will be the most efficient for the federal team, and if all goes according to plan, soon I’ll be helping to develop an AI ‘assistant’ that is tailored to the needs of the federal team!”

One aspect of the job Asia is enjoying the most is working in an office. “I love working in the office because it gives me the opportunity to work with such smart people. All consultants work on one floor, so it’s very easy to collaborate with people of all ages and all positions—I’ll often chat with executives in the kitchen and lunchroom in between meetings!”

When securing her first work term, Asia chose to self-develop her job. However, she was not without support. Asia attended MCS’ Toronto Corporate Tour in 2023, where she was able to network with business professionals. It was there that she met representatives from IBM. “I met the leader of the associates (and intern) program, among other consultants, and those connections helped me meet the right people and ultimately land the job.”

Outside of her co-op, Asia is an executive on two student societies. She holds the role of VP Marketing both with Dalhousie’s Women in Business Association and Consulting Association. “I am primarily responsible for managing social media, creating posts and advertisements, and expanding the reach of the societies across both the student community and corporate landscape. I’m not actually a marketing major, but I pursued the positions because I have an eye for design, and I enjoy creative work.”

When asked about advice for other students, Asia says, “Network, network, network! Networking gave me the opportunity to explore many different industries, and really helped me discover which path I wanted to take,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to try everything out! First year, I joined five different societies as a general member because I wasn’t sure where my interests lay. Once I learned what each association represented, there were naturally some that piqued my interests.”

Spencer Robertson is a Dalhousie alumnus who graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program with a major in Finance in 2021. Originally from Whitby, Ontario, he chose Dalhousie because of the mandatory co-op program. “Having the ability to gain tangible work experience while earning my degree was truly a win-win.”

Each of Spencer’s co-ops were completed at RBC, which provided him with the opportunity to learn more about the organization. During his first work term, Spencer’s role was Banking Advisor at RBC’s Advice Centre. He supported clients with a variety of personal banking requests. Throughout the day, he connected with upwards of 60 clients, each with unique situations requiring personalized solutions.

During his second co-op as Project Coordinator under the Technology and Operations department, Spencer supported RBC’s goal of attracting early talent. One of the main initiatives he had the opportunity to work on was the planning and execution of the Halifax Innovation Challenge. “The goal of this hackathon-like event was to build deeper relationships within the academic ecosystem to better attract early talent in Halifax.” For his third and final work term, Spencer again worked within the Technology and Operations division where he worked on holistic strategies enabling RBC to connect with academia across the country. “This role was a great opportunity to continue building RBC’s presence from coast-to-coast.”

Spencer shares that one of the key takeaways from his co-ops was the importance of communication. “Regardless of the role or industry, communication will always be a top priority. Having the ability to successfully convey your ideas will allow for better team collaboration and ultimately helps drive better results for individuals and organizations.” Another piece of advice he has to offer is to always be curious. “Learning more about different teams and areas of the organization is a great way to explore future careers and expand your network.”

Spencer went on to secure the role of Manager of Transformation Enablement within the Enterprise Operations division at RBC after graduation. There, he focuses on partnering with teams across the back-end payment processing side of the bank to identify saving opportunities and create efficiencies. Spencer’s co-op experiences helped him build the skills he needed to succeed in his post-graduate career, which led to him having the confidence to jump into the real work world, ready to make an impact. “From learning to prepare and present key presentations, to drafting an effective email, my co-ops gave me the opportunity to develop these skills in a safe environment.”

Meet Lukas Beaton, a second-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student pursuing a major in Finance. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Lukas was drawn to Dalhousie’s excellent reputation and mandatory co-op program. “I believe that getting real-world experience is crucial for my future career.”

During his first co-op this past winter, Lukas worked with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a non-profit organization advancing ocean research. As a Growth Analyst, he researched and compiled ocean-related opportunities into a digital hub, making it easier to access ocean sector opportunities. “I worked on creating the digital hub with over 600 unique programs that people can explore to get involved in the ocean sector. It was exciting to contribute to something that can have a positive impact,” Lukas says. He also analyzed the data to create a comprehensive report that will guide future investments. “The report I created outlines the various programs available, their locations, and potential gaps. It’s essential information for future funding decisions and investment strategies.”

Lukas also embraced the opportunity to contribute to the organization’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee by helping to make the funding process more inclusive. “I found it quite interesting to be on the committee. It helped me understand the challenges in creating an inclusive environment.”

Management Career Services (MCS) supported Lukas’ job search by providing resources and guidance. “MCS has been great in helping me find co-op opportunities,” he says. “They provided valuable resources and assisted me in the application process. I’m grateful for their dedicated support.”

Looking ahead, Lukas is excited about securing his next co-op in a finance role and applying the skills gained during his first work term. “I’m eager to apply my learnings and make a meaningful impact in finance. I believe my co-op experiences will prepare me for the challenges ahead.”

Lukas’ advice for you:

• Begin your job search early to give yourself ample time to explore and secure the right opportunity.
• Embrace new experiences, and don’t let fear hold you back from achieving your goals. Co-ops are a great way to grow both personally and professionally.