Andre Brideau and Kevin Vigneau are both 4^th year Bachelor of Commerce students majoring in accounting and finance, respectively. On top of being active members of their communities, Andre through his efforts with the local basketball league and Kevin through his role with the Dalhousie Investment Society (DALIS), they have proven themselves as active networkers and keen participants in the co-op program.

Andre and Kevin were part of the group of Dalhousie students that attended the first Nova Scotia Co-op Summit, which will be held again this year on March 8^th. The Summit is an incredible opportunity for post-secondary students in Nova Scotia to connect with potential employers, learn how to network and pitch themselves, and receive advice from alumni on workplace success.

For both Kevin and Andre, the most valuable outcomes from the event were the connections they made during the networking periods of the event. In Andre’s case, that meant being able to meet and ask questions with a recruiter from the Chartered Professional Accountants Atlantic School of Business. In his words, “this allowed me to gain insight specific to the program, such as pre-requisites, scheduling, and benefits of the designation.” Ultimately, it helped him decide that becoming a CPA was the right choice for him.

Kevin was impressed by the “interesting speakers and recruiters” who attended the event, and suggests that “not every conversation you have will get you a job but every conversation you have will make you better prepared to land one”.

They also appreciated the opportunity to learn how to better market themselves and improve their communication with employers through the event’s Alumni Panel, which included former Dalhousie Students.

“Seeing the panel motivated me to make a bigger impact on my co-op terms,” Kevin said, adding, “I would like to be a part of that panel someday, to inspire other students and to promote our co-op program to employers.”

After attending for their first time, they both left with an abundance of advice and tips. “The Summit also teaches co-op students how to contribute to the workplace by bringing their new and fresh ideas to reality,” Andre noted.

Thanks to his time with Grand Thornton LLP over the past three co-op work terms, Andre has decided to accept their offer to join them as a full-time employee next fall. During this time, he will also complete his CPA designation with the firm, allowing him to fulfill his goal of becoming a public accountant in Nova Scotia.

Having had a busy fall, which included presenting at the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners’ (IAFP) annual symposium in September (alongside Dal teammates Jessie Rankin and Tatum Freigan), and representing Dal (alongside fellow BComm student Madison Lantz) on a student panel at the Campus Recruiting Forum in December, Kevin is looking forward to his 3^rd and final work term this summer and is feeling more confident than ever, thanks to his experience at the Summit.

Registration for the Summit on the myCareer Events Calendar is now full, but students are invited to add their name to the waiting list.