Alifa Jamal graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program in 2018 where she majored in Marketing Management. Alifa is currently working at Ada as a Digital Marketing Specialist.

Q: Tell us about why you choose Dalhousie and the Bachelor of Commerce.

A: I visited a few campuses in trying to decide where I wanted to go to university. When I got to Halifax I immediately fell in love with the city, the friendliness of the people and the charm of the Dal campus. The 4 year Dal Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program stood out as a lot of other co-op programs are 5 years in length. The Dal co-op program appealed to me as the entire Commerce cohort moved through the 4 years collectively.

 

Q: What is your favourite thing that you were able to accomplish while in the commerce program, and since graduating?

A: My favourite thing I was able to accomplish during my degree was being able to participate in the semester-long exchange program. I was fortunate to go to Paris and attend the SKEMA Business School. This was an opportunity that I encourage all future Dal Commerce students to take advantage of. I was able to travel to several countries, meet tons of people and immerse myself in the French culture.

 

Since graduating, I kicked off my career at Outshine (a Halifax based advertising agency) as an Advertising Analyst and then after two years, being promoted to an Advertising Associate. Outshine provided me the opportunity to explore all aspects of digital advertising and allowed me to collaborate with several tech clients all over the world. I’m currently working at Ada (an AI chatbot software company) as a Digital Marketing Specialist for Strategic Campaigns. I would have never imagined that after graduating I would land a position in an industry with an abundance of opportunities and the ability to connect with highly skilled people from around the world! Through the Commerce Co-op program, I gained a vast amount of experience across various industries and roles, which ultimately set me up for success post-graduation.

 

Q: What advice would you give to future Dal Commerce students?

A: I would encourage them to get to know everyone in their classes and their Commerce cohort. It’s very easy to fall into a routine of hanging out with the same people you met in your first year and not opening yourself up to meeting others. Once you graduate, your class becomes your network, and that network can provide you with support and opportunities throughout your career. Even after 3 years post-graduation, I still reach out to people from my class to learn from their experiences and to explore the many verticals of business.