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Student Spotlight: Joseph Habchi

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Joseph Habchi is a fourth-year Joseph MCSManagement student here at Dalhousie University. A Halifax local, Joseph decided Dalhousie University’s Management program was the choice for him because of the breadth of business streams he could learn rather than focus on only one subject. Currently, Joseph is in the last two weeks of his eight-month internship with Management Career Services.

Having worked in sales for a couple of years, Joseph decided to complete an internship to diversify his workplace experience and put what he learned in class into action. With the length of the internship being eight months, he went in knowing it was a perfect amount of time to make an impact in the organization as well as make meaningful connections. Having been hired as the Events & Programming Assistant with Management Career Services (MCS) Joseph has had the ability to plan the logistics and execution of various events for the Faculty of Management students. Events he has worked on include the Halifax Corporate tour, CRMBA Interview week, and Rowe Networking Night. Joseph says a highlight of his position is how no two day are the same, each day he is confronted with a new task or challenge making every day an adventure.

Over the last eight months, Joseph has leaned a variety of skills from everyday applicable ones such as advanced expertise in the Microsoft Office programs and time management to networking and how to properly conduct an informational interview. With this, he highly recommends the internship program for Management students, saying “the internship provides you with the necessary training and professional development needed to secure potential job opportunities, not just for your internship but for after you graduate”. A tip Joseph gave for students pursuing an internship was Festive Josephto reach out for informational interviews. He stresses how these interviews both get you better informed on the industry as well a the business and how it shows initiative to the organization. Knowing how scary this could sound to some, Joseph said this “Daunting as it may be, employers, value young professionals reaching out to learn more about their industry or role”.

After his time with Management Career Services Joseph has a final semester of classes before graduation. In the short term, Joseph plans to pursue a CPA designation and eventually become a consultant to help clients and customers. To follow Joseph’s journey follow him on Instagram @jhabchi or connect with him on LinkedIn.

To learn more about the Management Internship Program click here!

Student Spotlight: Shumei Wang

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Shumei Wang is a third-year commerce student majoring in finance Shumei Wang Headshotfrom Chengdu, China. She chose Dalhousie’s Commerce program for the mandatory co-ops and the opportunity to gather real work environment experience while trying out multiple industries that co-op provides. Shumei’s first co-op experience was in the Undergraduate Advising Office (UAO) in the Rowe managing their communications. Currently, on her second work term, Shumei is working with Marsh working in Captive Solutions a more accounting-related position in the organization.

Before coming to Dalhousie, Shumei worked an administrative job with BDO China, a major accounting firm in China. Her work term with UAO was her first job in Canada, she spoke to us about this transition saying “the biggest difference between working in China and Canada is that I need to speak in my second language, English… became more brave of speaking in my second language, speaking to strangers”. She goes on to speak about how the lessons taught to her in the COMM 1710 and 1720 Business Communication classes combined with her work experience helped her develop her communication skills, professionalism, and friendly demeanour in the workplace.

For other international students looking for a co-op or coming into the co-op program, Shumei had some tips to share from her experience. She stresses never giving up on the job hunt, “students with super high GPA will have a lot of interviews and some of them might get ideal offers in late September, but don’t be panic, some good companies posted jobs late, even in late November”. Coinciding with this she stresses putting in effort for each job application tailoring your cover letter and resumes for each application.

Wrapping up our interview Shumei told us about her thoughts on the new International Student Work Experience Program (ISWEP) and her career goals. Shumei regarded the ISWEP as a good opportunity for students to learn and gain experience. In the short term, Shumei wants to find a finance position for her final co-op position and then pursue further education after graduation.

To follow Shumei’s story and adventures follow her @shumei_w27 on Instagram. To learn more about the International Student Work Experience Program visit the informational page here.

 

Student Spotlight: Kevin Vigneau

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Kevin Vigneau is a fourth-year student from Bradford Ontario.Kevin Vigneau spotlight 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

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Adam Sussman is a first-year dual JD/MBA student Adam Sussman Headshotwho 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: Jenn Dubois

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From her time with Big Brothers Rowe Headshot - Jenn Duboisand Sisters Canada to her time with Health Canada, Jenn Dubois has found her passion of helping people. Jenn is a fourth year Commerce student majoring in Managing People and Organizations. On top of her studies, Jenn is also Co-Captain of the ROWE JDCC, a youth mentor, and a SPCA foster parent.

Before coming to Dalhousie Jenn lived all around Central and Eastern Canada. Though the transition of moving was difficult Jenn found a way to get involved in extra-curriculars while maintaining her studies. The mandatory co-op drove Jenn to choose Commerce at Dalhousie, prompting her to move again from New Brunswick to Halifax.

“Moving around showed me there is something different about every place you go, and to seize any opportunity rather than waiting for an opportunity to fall into your lap. No matter how scary or different it may seem, it could be a one-time opportunity that you may not get again and if you do, you never have to do again.”

Award - Jenn DuboisJenn deferred her first co-op to focus on her studies part time while working with Health Canada. This experience allowed her to network for her co-op and gain expertise about Government Human Resources. Jenn has since completed her two co-ops with Health Canada allowing her to experience the organization in different positions as well as notable moments. During her Winter 2018, she earned two awards of excellence for Excellence in Service Delivery, one from the Assistant Deputy Minister, and another from the Deputy Minister himself. She accomplished this when a vacancy opened and volunteered to help fill the organizational gap, which placed her into the teams working to fix the Phoenix pay issues the organization was facing.

“A tip for any students looking to secure a co-op with the federal government Federal government should create an account on GCJobs and look at FSWEP [Federal Student Work Experience Program] or COOP opportunities posted.” She also suggests that if you are interested in a role related to Managing People and Organizations that it doesn’t hurt to try one out. There is a wide range of jobs types and it is a great way to network as well as get to understand companies better.

Jenn is hoping to secure her final co-op and secure a full time position with the governments Human Resources division. With the connections she has made in the industry, as well as the experiences she’s had, she is in good standing to secure such positions! If you would like to reach out to Jenn or follow her career connect with her LinkedIn.

If you are interested in working in Managing People and Organization please feel free to contact our CRS specialist Maggie Ma for more information, or Jennifer Coombs to learn more about applying to government organizations.

Student Spotlight: Sasha Paikin & Keshav Paliwal

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Sasha Paikin and Keshav Paliwal are two second-year Bachelor of Commerce students who made the most of their first year in anticipation for their first co-op job hunt this fall! We asked them a few questions to find out how they did it, how it helped them, and wether they have any advice for students entering their first year:

Untitled design (14)Sasha Paikin is from Burlington, Ontario and is thinking of majoring in accounting. In her first year, she attended 15 MCS events, including numerous Info Sessions, and the Toronto Corporate Tour. During her summer off, she worked for Durward Jones Barkwell as an accounting intern.
Keshav Paliwal is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and is thinking of majoring in accounting or finance. In his first year, he attended 12 MCS events including many Power Hours Workshops and the Toronto Corporate Tour. During his summer off, he worked in commercial banking with Scotiabank.

Here are a few of the questions we asked them:

How did you find the time to attend so many events between classes and homework?
It honestly wasn’t difficult; most events were either in between my classes or afterward so I never had to miss any class to go to an event I was interested in. – Sasha

If you plan ahead and stay on top of your work it’s not a problem to find some time to attend an event. –Keshav

Which event was your favourite?
The Halifax Corporate Tour was my favourite event because of the opportunities to network in small groups with so many interesting organizations. – Sasha

I don’t have a particular favourite event, though any event in which recruiters from an organization came to the school was a really valuable experience, as you get to learn about opportunities and expand your network. – Keshav

What was your impression of the Toronto Corporate tour?
The Toronto Corporate Tour was a great experience and I would recommend it to everyone. The networking events were a great opportunity to make connections and the corporate tour visits allowed me to see the positions I would like to apply to this fall first-hand. – Keshav

How do you feel going into your first co-op job hunt this fall?
Attending these events has definitely made me feel more prepared. I now feel more comfortable making meaningful connections and selling myself in interviews. – Sasha

I feel really well prepared to go into my first job hunt thanks to the MCS events which helped me develop my interview, resume and cover letter skills. I’ve also found that it really helps to get advice from upper-year students who have a few co-ops under their belt. – Keshav

What advice do you have for a first-year student coming to Dal?
I recommend learning as much as you can in your first-year about the co-op process through MCS events so that you don’t feel stressed in the fall of second-year. I would also 100% recommend going on a corporate tour, even if you aren’t interested in working in Toronto or Halifax. They are a great opportunity to make connections that could help you secure a position in the future.  – Sasha

I recommend taking full advantage of all the DCS [Dalhousie Commerce Society] and MCS events, particularly, the case competitions. They offer a great opportunity to build analytical and presentation skills. Definitely apply for the Toronto and Halifax Corporate Tours, they expand your network and learn what job opportunities may interest you. – Keshav

To learn more about the events we offer and what MCS can do for you, check out our website and the Events Calendar on myCareer!

Danielle Skuy: Student Spotlight

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Danielle Skuy

Danielle Skuy is a second year Commerce student who was a finalist in last year’s You’re Hired Interview Competition. As a first year student participating in the competition, Danielle was diligent in her preparation and offers some advice on how to prepare an elevator pitch for the second round of the competition:

“Memorize your elevator pitch, then practice in the mirror and try to make your memorized pitch sound conversational so you do not sound like a broken record. Remember to be yourself; I loved giving the elevator pitches and I loved making the judges laugh. ”

Beyond reaching the final round and participating in a live interview with representatives from Scotiabank, Danielle claims the experience she had during the Interview Competition was something that helped her secure her first co-op work term:

“I think a large part of the reason that I got the first co-op position I interviewed for is because of how the Interview Competition prepared me. Once you interview for a job in front of a room of people while being filmed, regular interviews are a breeze.”

Danielle also offered some encouraging advice to students who are unsure if they should register for this year’s competition:

“Compete! You are going to spend the rest of your life interviewing, but you will not always get the chance to receive constructive feedback. It was so much fun and learning how to interview truly is a learned skill that takes practice. My advice is to go for it- especially if you are in your first year. It is excellent practice for co-op interviews.”

Visit dal.ca/mcs for more information on how to apply to the 10th Anniversary You’re Hired Interview Competition. Registration closes on January 9th!

Student Spotlight: Yiran Chen

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Yiran ChenYiran Chen is a second year Commerce student who recently secured her first co-op work term in Halifax with Ernst & Young. From the time she began her first year at Dalhousie, Yiran has been dedicated to developing her professional skills by participating in career workshops and information sessions. She believes that taking this initiative can make the job search process easier and more successful:

“Never hesitate to ask for advice from senior students, your professors, mentors, and advisors at MCS. The earlier you start asking them questions, the more you’ll learn, and the better you will be prepared for the job search.”

Yiran is also making the most of the opportunities Management Career Services offers students who are preparing for their job search. For example: Yiran attended an Ernst & Young information session where she gained insight into the company before applying for their co-op position. She then used the advice and knowledge she took away from the information session to help her build a strong application and eventually secure a position with Ernst & Young:

“MCS is very useful and helpful. I recommend you take advantage of their resources from day one. I learned almost everything about the business world (such as appropriate business attire), from workshops held by MCS. Attending events and info sessions is the best way to learn about employers and to show them your initiative.”

Yiran shares her advice for both first-year and international students on how to become confident with their career development and co-op job search:

“Don’t be terrified to show up at an info session when you are a first year student. Just be present in the room and listen, see how other students ask questions and network with employers. You will get used to it and learn how to do employer research and ask smart questions, which is much easier than learning all those things while under the pressure of job searching. “

For information on upcoming MCS events, visit the events calendar on myCareer.

Alumni Spotlight: Gray Little

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Gray LittleGray Little graduated from the CRMBA program in May and currently works for Procter & Gamble (P&G) as an account manager. Although Gray now works in marketing, his focus while on his corporate residency with BMO Capital Markets was on the banking sector.

At BMO Capital Markets, Gray was assigned projects that pushed him outside his comfort zone; something that he claims was very valuable and helped him become successful after his corporate residency was over:

“BMO has a great culture, I accomplished a lot and made some great connections. I was given the opportunity to have a lot of responsibility and to learn new skills, especially when I was given tasks that were out of my comfort zone. Although challenging, those experiences helped me gain confidence, take initiative, and recommend changes while working on projects.”

“Participating in the CRMBA program will lead you to great things. Even the smallest skills you learn will affect your professional career. For me, it was learning how to develop a strong elevator pitch. On Interview Day, it was my pitch that caught the attention of BMO.”

“Your corporate residency will help you step outside the box and feel more confident in the workplace. More importantly, it will give you a good idea of what you want to focus on with your career. It will help you realize what you are good at and what profession you truly want to pursue.”

Using the skills he gained while on his corporate residency, Gray later attended a P&G information session on campus where he spoke with P&G representatives. By showing initiative and networking, Gray was able to have a good conversation with the representatives which increased his interest in working for P&G. The conversation he had during the information session lead him to apply for a positon at P&G online. Gray was hired soon afterwards.

Through the career development skills he gained during his corporate residency and the valuable company insights he received during the P&G information session, Gray has become a strong member of the P&G team.

For more information on career opportunities with BMO, visit the Career Opportunities page of their website.

For more information on career opportunities with P&G, visit the Careers page of their website.

Spotlight: Taylor Thompson

Is the experience and/or skills section of your resume lacking? Feel like you have limited connections to professionals? Getting involved in your campus community is beneficial as you search and compete for employment opportunities.

Getting involved and taking on new responsibilities has certainly proven to be beneficial for 3rd year Commerce student, Taylor Thompson. Participating in extra-curricular activities since his 1st year, Taylor began as a member of the Dalhousie JDC Central team, and is currently Co-Chair of the 2013 Planning/ Host Committee. He has also worked as a Resident Assistant and been an active participant in the Residence Charity Face-Off.

This type of involvement proves your abilities to employers; showing enthusiasm, dedication and leadership. Start a new year off right! Volunteer opportunities (of all commitment levels) are advertised on myCareer or contact your Career and Recruitment Specialist to learn more.