Douglas Bowerman is a 4th-year Bachelor of Management student who is completing his 8-month internship with Scotiabank as a Marketing and Customer Engagement Analyst. Through hard work and networking, Douglas was the 1st BMgmt Internship student to self-develop an internship opportunity with Scotiabank, although the bank recruits many Commerce & CRMBA students for work terms. If you’re interested to learn what it can be like to develop your own job opportunity, take inspiration from Douglas who seized an opportunity to make a meaningful connection and saw it pay off in big ways.
Douglas says that he was interested in the Internship Program from the beginning of his first year at Dalhousie; recognizing the importance of obtaining work experience while completing his undergraduate degree.
“The Internship Program gave me the freedom to graduate in four years and work for 8 straight months. Additionally, I was excited for a work term more towards the end of my degree. I believe a work term later in an undergraduate degree allows for more practical application of course material and increases the potential of post-graduate employment.”
Dedicating an appropriate amount of time to his job search, while keeping up with the demands of a rigorous course load proved to be one of the biggest challenges he faced while searching for an internship. He was also set on staying in Halifax and wanted to do his internship with a large organization.
“The most difficult part of my job search was finding something local, that aligned with my job preferences. At the time, the majority of marketing related job postings were located out of province. I was pretty firm on staying in Halifax, so that came with some limitations.”
It was through the 2017 Ethics in Action Case Competition in his third year that Douglas found the opportunity he had been looking for. His team placed 3rd overall and during the gala dinner, he had the unique opportunity to network with Scotiabank executives. Through those conversations, he was encouraged to follow up about a job opportunity at the Atlantic Regional Office.
“Following the meeting, I kept in touch on a monthly basis via email. I was assured there was still interest in hiring an internship student, and that the process was underway. This process took a number of months, but in the end, a job posting was made for a marketing position at one of their regional offices. I applied online and received an offer shortly after.”
Through his internship with Scotiabank Douglas has had the opportunity to be involved with various marketing initiatives. He played an important role in coordinating the Maritime NHL’ers for Kids event in Digby, NS this past summer. Maritime NHL’ers for Kids is a celebrity golf tournament that raises money for families involved in youth hockey programs across the Maritimes. He was tasked with designing Scotiabank-branded socks to provide as part of the participants’ gifts. Douglas says that his team “received great feedback, and the socks were a huge success”.
He was also presented with the opportunity to partake in the United Way Campaign Associate program as a Scotiabank representative. The leadership of his supervisor and the executive team has made his internship a great learning experience because of the focus they put on their employees and on creating an environment that allows them to experience different roles and ultimately thrive personally and professionally.
“The leadership team at Scotiabank makes a conscious effort to create opportunities for deserving employees.”
Douglas says that his advice for students looking to create a self-developed job opportunity is to never underestimate the power of networking.
“A job search can be hard but can pay off if you put in the work. Learn how to market yourself, speak to your skills with conviction and proof and reach out to people in a respectful and professional matter.”
“You can’t get a job you don’t apply for, and you won’t create a job you don’t ask about. This raises the importance of networking and treating every person you meet as a potential employer and an important professional contact. Usually, the best opportunities come about when you least expect it, but they won’t arise without effort and involvement in extracurricular activities or networking opportunities.”
“Ultimately the more effort you put into your job search, the more opportunities you will have to choose from.”
If you want to learn more about the Bachelor of Management Internship program and how you can apply, register to attend our Information Session on Tuesday, January 15th via myCareer.