Rowe Women in Business Association

The Fall 2019 convocation ceremony for Faculty of Management grads was held this week. Congratulations to all our BComm, BMgmt, and CRMBA graduating students!

Two graduating students are featured in this week’s Student Spotlight: Breena T’ien and Megan Daviduck. They both managed to secure full-time jobs as a result of their work term performance. Breena is a graduate of the Corporate Residency MBA program, who is now working full-time for Scotiabank, Global Banking and Markets as a Corporate Banking Analyst on the Mining, Power, and Real Estate team following her 8-month internship with the organization in Toronto. Megan is a graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program who majored in Marketing Management and turned her final 4-month co-op with Critical Mass (CM) in Calgary into a full-time role.

Breena was born and raised on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After she completed her Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biology from the University of Victoria, she came to Dal and completed the CRMBA program. Most of her time outside of school was either spent with family, studying with her peers, or participating in an intramural basketball team.

Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Megan was involved in the Rowe Women in Business Association (WIBA) since her first year at Dal. In her final year, she served as the Social Media Manager for WIBA, was a first-year student mentor through the Dalhousie Commerce Society, and she worked as part-time Campus Tour Guide for Dalhousie’s Recruitment Office.

We caught up with Breena and Megan to hear about their work term experience and ask them about how they secured a full-time job with their respective work term organizations.

What were you able to do during your work term that helped lead to a full-time job offer?

Breena: “After I got the hang of my job at Scotiabank, I realized that this work was something that I enjoyed, and I made it known to my head boss about my desire to return and to pursue a career in Corporate Banking. In addition, I made a point to become good friends with the people I worked with as I knew that their opinions mattered on whether I would come back or not. Networking within my department has helped me form bonds that helped me return as a full-time employee.”

Megan: “With a well-known, thriving internship program, Critical Mass was the perfect place to transition from being an intern into a full-time employee. Everyone at the organization is happy to help you learn and grow, while still allowing you to take on real client projects. I think what helped the most was being able to see the impact my work as an intern had on the clients I was working with and the long-term results that I have been able to follow through with as a full-time employee. Being clear with your employer throughout your work term that you would like to stay on as a full-time employee is important and ensures that both yourself and your mentor/employer are on the same page from the beginning.”

Did you have to compete for your full-time role or was the offer extended to you because of your strong performance as an internship/co-op employee?

Breena: “Competition is high for the position that I currently hold. However, due to my vocalization of wanting to come back, a position was extended to me. I have no doubt in my mind that the eight-month internship position was a huge driver in providing me with this opportunity. This is due to the fact that when I left my internship, I was well trained on the system the company uses, therefore providing me a leg up. The full-time onboarding process was much simpler and took virtually no time.”

Megan: “I believe that at CM, the amount of effort, enthusiasm, and passion you put into what you are working on speaks for itself. There were a lot of interns at CM during my work term, and what I noticed we all had in common was that we were all very focused and driven to make the company, and our mentors, proud of the work we were producing. CM is great for recognizing people’s initiative and fit within the company and for hiring people who work hard, are real, and are proud of the work they produce, but stay humble.”

What advice would you give to other students hoping to transition from being an internship/co-op employee to a full-time employee within the same company?

Megan: “I would make sure to keep track of all of the work and accomplishments you have achieved throughout your work term. It allows you to have something tangible to show your supervisor/mentor/HR rep at the end of your work term to reinforce the value you would bring to the organization should they extend a full-time offer to you. Additionally, take advantage of the opportunity to learn new skills and interact with industry professionals, no matter which industry you’re working in.”

Breena: “Demonstrate your time management ability and your willingness to help other individuals. If my own portfolio was having a slow period, I would always ask my supervisor to let the other teams know that I had the capacity to help out. This will help you as you become familiar with not only your own team, but also gain the opportunity to further network within the company. Also, take your time and learn the theory. It is one thing to copy work to get it done as quickly as possible. However, if you spend the time to really understand the big picture of your work, you will be able to grasp the work in a better fashion and outperform.”

What are your short- and long-term career goals?

Megan: “Short-term, I am looking forward to learning more about what goes into producing great work in a digital-focused agency. Being in this kind of agency setting allows me to learn more about not only the traditional side of marketing, but also the intricacies of the digital side including SEO, digital marketing research, tech development, and much more! I am looking forward as well to the opportunity to work on a variety of different accounts involving world-class clients and working with team members from across the globe. Long-term, I hope to be able to work abroad and potentially move abroad permanently. With CM, there is the opportunity to not only move to different offices across the globe but also to work within multiple disciplines such as strategy or marketing science. At this point, I am open to any and all of the opportunities that come my way.”

Breena: “Short term, I hope to become the head analyst in my department and be the person that people rely on for system solutions. Long term, I would love to pursue a path within the real estate industry. I’m yet undecided on what this looks like, but I find the industry itself truly interesting and beautiful. I think it’s important in its own way that I don’t have concrete plans yet as it will allow me to be flexible and to take opportunities as they present themselves. I’m excited to see what the future holds for me.”

***

Congratulations to all of our graduating students. As a new grad, you will continue to have access to your myCareer account, where you can look for and apply to a wide variety of full-time and new grad job postings, and access career and industry-specific intelligence through Management Career Services > Student Resources section of the platform.

This week, we are celebrating the accomplishments of a student society from the Rowe School of Business that has just been named Dalhousie’s Most Impactful General or Special Interest Society, receiving their award at the Dalhousie Impact Awards last Thursday. Since its inception in 2015, the Rowe Women in Business Association (WIBA) has grown its membership and strengthened its programming and initiatives by leaps and bounds. It empowers women to be leaders in the workforce by providing networking events, leadership skill development opportunities, workshops, and an annual conference.

The dedication and commitment of the society’s executive resulted in a series of successful events this academic year that included social activities, charitable fundraisers, student outreach and support, networking with community partners and employer stakeholders, and collaborative initiatives with other societies. Without a doubt 2018/2019 has been WIBA’s most ambitious and most successful year to date.

To get some insider knowledge on WIBA and what it took to earn this award, we caught up with the President of the society, Rosalyn Huynh. Rosalyn is a 4^th year BComm student majoring in Accounting and has been involved in WIBA for her entire undergraduate degree. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time with WIBA, especially this year as she fulfilled the role of President.

Rosalyn has been thrilled with how much the association has grown and improved during her tenure. In her words, “This year I really focused on teamwork and empowering individuals to take ownership of their roles. Additionally, we tried to increase General Membership participation through volunteer positions, and I think this will continue to grow next year. Finally, we have two new faculty advisors this year, and with their guidance, the new Executive Team will be able to accomplish even more.”

As successful as this year has been for Rosalyn and her team, it certainly hasn’t come without its challenges.

“I think as a young association there is the freedom of making the organization what you want it to be, but it was also a challenge because you are paving the way, which means creating new processes, establishing relationships, and seeking feedback. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished throughout my four years on WIBA, and I think the next step is to establish an alumni association. Paige Powell, our incoming President has been on the association for three years, and I am 100% confident in her abilities to move the association forward with our current and new initiatives.”

The 2018/2019 academic year has certainly been a busy one for the Women in Business Association. Since the start of the school year, the Dalhousie Commerce Society’s umbrella society has led numerous events and initiatives, including:

a SPINCO Charity Ride, where their very own VP Conference Olivia Fitzpatrick was the instructor
a fundraiser for the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, raising $450
a Mooseheads x Wings Networking Night, sponsored by Scotiabank

And of course, the shining achievement, their annual conference, which was held on Jan. 18-19 on campus. The event attracted over 100 delegates, which represents a 69% increase over 2018 and enabled them to generate enough revenue to help fund next year’s conference. Students from other universities including Acadia University, Saint Mary’s University, Cape Breton University, and University of British Columbia were in attendance.

For students looking to get more involved, Rosalyn believes the WIBA is the perfect place to start, having shared the following:

“I would encourage students to join WIBA because it is a strongly led organization that runs events applicable to all business students. We have great connections to the community, and our events are well-run and consistent. It is an easy step to be a General Member and can open doors for you. For example, I gained my first co-op through a connection I made when I was a General Member in first year. Students can expect to learn skills from workshops, gain connections, and have a network of students who are ambitious and eager to make an impact.”

As a society, Rowe WIBA has worked hard to embody the values of our Faculty (integrity, inclusion, collaboration, experience, and sustainability) and helped to create a better student experience here at Dalhousie.

“WIBA aims to empower leadership in young women by offering relevant events and opportunities to collaborate with ambitious leaders. Our organization is actually open to members of all genders, and we recently co-hosted an event with the Dalhousie Investment Society.”

There is no doubt that the student leaders in charge of WIBA this year will become the alumni, professionals, and community members that we will be proud of for years to come. Congratulations to WIBA on winning the Most Impactful General or Special Interest Society Award. If you’re curious to learn more, or want to get involved, we encourage you to visit their Facebook page.

Student Spotlight: Breena T’ien & Megan Daviduck

Spotlight: Rowe Women in Business Association

Archives for Rowe Women in Business Association