Student Spotlight: Lathika Saravanan

June 10, 2024 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Lathika Saravanan, a second-year Commerce Co-op student majoring in Finance, describes her heritage as “a blend of Indian roots and Saudi Arabian upbringing.” To Lathika, her journey at Dalhousie is not just about academic excellence, but also about breaking stereotypes and pursuing her passions. “The world of Commerce has captivated me since high school, with its intricate dance of money and global economic dynamics. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about understanding the heartbeat of economies and how they shape our world.”

During her first co-op in winter 2024, Lathika worked with Scotia Wealth Management as a Service Support Officer. In this role, she played a pivotal part in the Private Banking team, ensuring adherence to regulations and internal procedures while delivering exceptional service to clients.

While Lathika didn’t work on specific projects, her contributions were nonetheless significant. By tackling various tasks aimed at enhancing team efficiency, such as organizing client data and managing administrative duties, she enabled her colleagues to focus more on delivering personalized service—an accomplishment that underscores her dedication and commitment to excellence. According to Lathika, her biggest accomplishment this term was her coffee chats with coworkers. “I’ve managed to keep my network tight knit. It’s like nurturing a friendship garden, where trust and camaraderie bloom. Mixing work with a bit of fun, that’s the secret sauce!”

Beyond her professional endeavours, Lathika is an active member of the Dalhousie Quantitative Finance Society, a relatively new society at Dal. As a representative, she strives to support its growth by connecting with students and imparting valuable insights about the society and recent finance news, underscoring her passion for fostering growth and learning among peers.

Through another student society, Lathika had the opportunity to participate in the DALIS (Dalhousie Investment Society) Stock Pitch Competition this year, which she describes as a nerve-wracking yet rewarding experience. Despite initial challenges, her team secured third place—a testament to their resilience and determination. “Winning isn’t everything. What truly matters is putting yourself out there, embracing the opportunity to grow and learn. As a student, that should be your primary focus.”

Lathika shares that networking has played a crucial role in her co-op journey so far, especially in securing her first opportunity. Embracing platforms like LinkedIn opened doors to unexpected encounters and connections, ultimately leading to meaningful opportunities. “The more active and engaged you are on LinkedIn, the more employers will take notice. It’s where sincerity in your job search shines through.”

Here is Lathika’s advice for you:

Prioritize learning and growth over winning.
Embrace opportunities for personal and professional development.
Be authentic and proactive.
Seize every opportunity to make your presence known.
Utilize QR codes provided at networking events to continue making connections.

Student Spotlight: Kevin Vigneau

November 5, 2019 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Kevin Vigneau is a fourth-year student from Bradford Ontario. Originally planning to go to university for kinesiology, Kevin found a passion for finance and decided to come to Dalhousie. Here he had the opportunity to explore Nova Scotia from its trails to beaches, as well as the mandatory co-op portion of the Commerce Program.

Two of Kevin’s three co-ops have been with large real estate investment and development firms. Working with the Toronto market, the growth and demand in the industry was eye opening with an added twist of being able to see what you were investing in rather than seeing it as a general financial asset. Over the past summer, Kevin secured his position with CacheFlow through Venture for Canada, a government funded program to connect students with small start-ups for mutual growth. CacheFlow is an organization focusing on creating a smart budgeting tool for organizations that helps match and predict spending patterns as well as understand spending behaviour. Watching the entrepreneurial process and being able to work directly on projects affecting the direction of the firm was a amazing learning opportunity. Kevin recommends this exposure in entrepreneurial realm to any student, especially if you are driven by the fast-paced problem solving. Venture for Canada also has workshops available during your time with them. They offer training that is applicable in the business world as well as networking with businesses across Nova Scotia.

In his final year at Dalhousie Kevin is balancing his school and graduate job hunt as well as being the Commerce Society President. This is a challenge that he recommends to any student, as it provides the ability to work on leadership skills and make a positive impact for fellow students. The balancing of commitments is difficult, but the society works as a team with delegation and team work required to succeed. Through this and an organized schedule, Kevin has been able to successfully balance his obligations while still being able to enjoy his final year.

In this spare time Kevin has been participating in case competitions and summits. In October he participated in the Rumble in the Rowe Case Competition with his team of 4th year Commerce students coming out on top against MBA students and his peers. Kevin got into case competitions as a recommendation from a friends and has continued to pursue them. Kevin says they can get stressful taking on a challenge in such a short amount of time but the skills you develop and experience is worth a little stress. He also displays these competitions prominently on his resume saying they really help show your aptitude to handle high stress situations and problem solving.

After graduation Kevin is looking to explore career options, possibly going back to his co-op roots in real estate investment and development. To follow Kevin’s success’ check out his LinkedIn page here.

To find out more about Venture for Canada click here for their website.

To find out how you can get involved in case competition watch out on the MyCareer calendar as well as the Management Career Services and Commerce Societies news feeds.

Student Spotlight: Adam Sussman

October 29, 2019 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Adam Sussman is a first-year dual JD/MBA student who participated in the Rowe Rumble over the weekend. Originally from Toronto, Adam studied Business Administration at American University in Washington, DC, before moving to Halifax. The ability to pursue a corporate residency in conjunction with the dual degree was a determining factor that brought him to Dalhousie. Adam has already started to get himself involved in the school community, becoming CRMBA 1st year academic representative on top of participating in many case competitions.

This winter, Adam will be working at QuantRes for his 8-month MBA residency. A trading firm that focuses on using scientific methods, data analytics, and mathematical modelling to exploit market inefficiencies. Adam was attracted to this unique finance opportunity due to the tangible financial skills and the ability to participate in such a highly competitive field.

To secure this placement, Adam approached QuantRes for an informational interview even before commencing his interview preparation. Adam extensively researched QuantRes online as well as utilized class resources and his classmates to simulate mock interviews. In these practice interviews, Adam and his peers rotated, playing the roles of both interviewer and interviewee to help hone their skills. Even before the interview, Adam was setting himself apart from the pack. Prior to the interview, Adam had engaged in numerous exchanges over both email and phone with his interviewer to continue building rapport and learning about the firm.

In these exchanges, he learned about the company’s values and needs, which in turn helped guide his responses and thought the process in the real interview. Adam highly recommends a proactive and eager approach that can truly differentiate yourself from other candidates. A quick email or LinkedIn message is a great way to do this. Balancing a job search and class obligations is challenging, but the CRMBA has implemented ways to help students balance the two. Adam took advantage of his PPE class (BUSI 5000), which applied job search lessons as part of the course content throughout their summer semester. On top of this, formal interviews are concentrated into an interview week in September to really focus his time on securing his residency position.

Adam’s goal for this residency is to learn as much as he can about money markets before coming back to continue the Law degree aspect of his degree. Adam is confident all of these experiences will contribute to his personal development and aid in his pursuit of a career in corporate law.

To follow Adam’s adventure and experiences his LinkedIn here or his Instagram is @adamsuss24.

To learn more about the JD/MBA program click here or contact CRMBA@dal.ca

Student Spotlight: Emilie D’Costa

March 1, 2016 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Meet Emilie D’Costa, a second-year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Finance. She took an interest in capital markets during a “Take Your Kid to Work Day” where she spent the afternoon in CIBC’s trading room and had the opportunity to trade bond futures. Six years later, she is completing her first co-op term at CIBC as an analyst on their securities lending team. Receiving this job offer was greatly influenced by her networking with CIBC during the 2015 Toronto Corporate Tour. Emilie discusses how she utilized this opportunity to make connections with her employer:

“I chose to participate in the 2015 Toronto Corporate Tour because I really wanted to do my co-op work term in Toronto. Last April, I had just finished my first year at Dalhousie and had not made many connections in Toronto. The Toronto Corporate Tour gave me the opportunity to meet several professionals from different parts of the financial industry who I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to meet.

The Toronto Corporate Tour is an action-packed three-day networking event divided into three streams: Finance, Marketing, and Career Discovery. I chose to participate in the Finance stream of the tour. We had the opportunity to visit and network with many potential employers, and we had the chance to practice our elevator pitches, do mock interviews, and work on our networking skills. In addition to this, we visited several institutions, such as CIBC, RBC, and Scotiabank. The Toronto Corporate Tour offers you a chance to learn about the different companies, how their application processes work, and about potential co-op opportunities at their company.

While on the Toronto Corporate Tour I networked with CIBC and met several contacts with whom I stayed in touch over the summer. In September, when the banks began to post their jobs, I reached out to my contacts and told them I had applied and they helped me get an interview and eventually secure the position with the securities lending team at CIBC. During the time I’ve spent networking, I’ve learned that employers really want to give back to students and help them get into the industry.

If you’re interested in working in Toronto for your work terms, the Toronto Corporate Tour is a great way to meet professionals you would not otherwise have the chance to meet. It’s a really safe environment to put yourself out there and make valuable connections.”

The Toronto Corporate Tour registration deadline has been extended to Monday, March 7^th at NOON. Spots are filling up fast, so sign up now! For more details on the 2016 Toronto Corporate Tour, as well as registration information, visit our website!

Build your career in Finance this summer!

June 17, 2015 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Are you interested in finance and want to know more about the industry? Here’s your chance to participate in five career enhancing events that will increase your finance knowledge, expand your business network, and give you an inside perspective of top finance companies. Get your finance game on and don’t miss out on these amazing learning opportunities!

1) LinkedIn RBC Campus Recruiting

Date: June 23rd – August 27th, 2015
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m
Location: Online, on the LinkedIn RBC Campus Recruiting page

The RBC Campus recruitment team will hold Live LinkedIn chats, giving students the opportunity to interact about the various areas within the bank. The session scheduling and topics are as follows:

July 23^rd – Personal and Commercial Banking (CBLP, Advice Centers plus more)
July 30^th – Day of Finance (CPA and FMDP)
Aug 6th – Wealth (WMGP, DS, GAM)
Aug 12^th – Capital Markets & Group Risk Management (GRM Leadership, Credit Risk)
Aug 20^th – Insurance
Aug 27^th– Campus Recruiting Wrap up – Be Prepared for Fall recruiting!

How to apply:
Join the LinkedIn RBC Campus Recruiting group and submit questions to receive live responses. Students can also pre-submit questions by emailing campusrecruitment@rbc.com.

2) RBC Capital Markets – Celebrating Women Networking Session

Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 5:00 -7:30 p.m
Location: The RBC Plaza, Toronto, ON
Application Deadline: Monday July 20th, 2015

RBC invites female students heading into the 3rd year of their undergraduate degree to The Women Networking Session. Students interested in Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, Debt Origination or Research are encouraged to apply. This session is a great opportunity for students to meet senior professionals and alumni of RBC’s Global Investment Banking and Global Markets Programs.

How to apply:
Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and passion for the industry by Monday July 20th. Note that travel and accommodation will be for your own account.

3) PepsiCo Canada – Finance Open House

Date: Thursday, August 6th, 2015
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m
Location: 5550 Explorer Drive, 8th floor, Mississauga, Ontario

Are you passionate about starting a career in Finance? PepsiCo’s Finance Open House is the chance for you to learn about the New Grad and student opportunities, and showcase your skills to the Finance Team, Senior Executives and CFO of PepsiCo.

How to apply:
Email PFCHQHR@pepsico.com with the following information:
• Name
• Email
• School
• Year of study
• Are you in a Coop Program? Y/N
Please note that spots are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis

4) Speed Interviewing & Networking for Financial Services Professionals

Date: Wednesday, August 26th, 2015
Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m
Location: TBA once you have been accepted to attend
Application Deadline: Wednesday August 5th, 2015

Brought to you by The Halifax Partnership and Job Junction, this event invites participants to be interviewed by financial services professionals from several companies in a round of 7 minute interviews. This interview style is called Speed Interviewing and it is intended for you to put your best foot forward and give the company a glimpse of your skills and personality. If they are interested in a follow up interview, they will contact you. At the end of the event, there will be a Networking Social that will allow you to further connect with professionals.

How to apply:
Email your resume to Isaac Mbaziira at isaacm@halifaxpartnership.com by Wednesday August 5th, 2015. As there are a limited number of spaces, it is advised to apply promptly. Please note that there will be a pre-screening interview before you are accepted to attend this event.

5) hEDGE Finance Conference 2015

Date: August 26th – 28th, 2015
Location: Throughout the financial district in Downtown Toronto
Application Deadline: Friday, July 3^rd, 2015

hEDGE Finance Conference 2015 focuses on Investment Banking, Sales & Trading, Asset Management, Equity Research, Private Equity, and Venture Capital. The three-day conference will be packed with firm-led workshops at each of the respective sponsors’ offices, keynote speakers, networking events, mock interviews, a competition, and delegate socials.

How to apply:
Applications are now open at: https://hedgeconference.ca/apply/ Students are encouraged to send in their application early.
For more information contact hEDGE at info@hedgeconference.ca

Register for Super Wednesday

August 15, 2012 Amy McLellan

On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, Management Career Services (MCS) welcomes Canada’s top employers to participate in our interactive recruiting event, Super Wednesday. Employers will join us on campus specifically to assess and recruit Dalhousie’s graduating finance students. This is your opportunity to showcase your skills and experience, make industry connections and potentially land a full-time job!

Your Participation:

Participating students will be showcased as Dalhousie’s top finance talent available for hire in May, 2013. Students will have their profiles and resumes packaged in an booklet and sent to a number of recruiters in the finance industry. At the Super Wednesday event, participating students will have the opportunity to make a first impression by networking during a lunch reception and by delivering an ‘elevator pitch’ to employers joining us on campus. Students will be selected for interviews according to their profile, resume and/or personal impression.

Unsure who you want to work for? Employers joining us on campus will also be delivering their own ‘evelavtor pitch’ to you; describing their company and the benefits of working for them.

Job opportunities are not advertised through the Super Wednesday event, however, employers will often extend an opportunity to students they’ve identifyed and wish to hire. For a list of employers participating in Super Wednesday, contact Lori.Bauld@dal.ca

Who Can Participate?

If you are graduating in May, 2013 from the Commerce, Management or CRMBA program and are looking for full-time career opportunities in the Finance industry, we encourage you to register.

How to Register?

In order to participate in Super Wednesday, students must submit the following information to mcscoop1@dal.ca by Friday, August 17, 2012. Registration forms are also available online.

Your name, program, year of study and your Banner Number.
Arrange for payment of the deposit by credit card or cash (See details below).
Submit your resume and profile in Word format. Please use the subject line: ‘Super Wednesday Documents’.

Event Deposit

The Super Wednesday event is free of charge, unless you fail to show up. MCS requires all student participants to provide a $100 deposit to confirm your participation. All deposists will be returned to participating students concluding the Super Wednesday event. Because a number of employer parnters are coming on campus specifically to meet you, the deposit will ensure student indeed attend and participate. A $100 deposit is payable by credit card or cash. Please phone 902-494-1515 or visit MCS, (Rowe, 2100) to arrange your payment.

Contact

For further information, contact Kelly Tracey (kelly.tracey@dal.ca) or Lori Bauld (lori.bauld@dal.ca) by email or call MCS at 902-494-1515.

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