“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
– Elson Leung, Co-op Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Candidate 2023, University of Toronto Scarborough
Congratulations to Elson, recipient of a Management Co-op Work Term Excellence Award for his contributions at TD Securities in Winter 2022!
How did you get hired at TD Securities?
Securities?
It was in the latter half of the seeking term. After not hearing back from a few employers, I had a quick and casual interview with a senior TD associate, then I received an offer via email minutes after! Needless to say, I was incredibly excited.
Tell us about your portfolio and the workplace culture.
One of my biggest projects was leveraging several datasets to form a complete picture of TD’s tech expenses by cost center, project, expense type, etc. which was presented at the VP level and up. I gained a lot of insight into how the bank works and advanced my learning and creativity with Excel. TD Securities and the team make great effort to include co-op students in discussions, meetings, and email communication, which made me feel appreciated as a part of the team. Co-op students also gain access to internal networking events with executive-level colleagues who we wouldn’t normally get the chance to meet.
What are your career goals and how will you leverage your BBA experience to achieve them?
I want to continue working closely with financial data in a technical background, and possibly explore academia or capital markets down the road. The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program has amazing courses that will translate very well to your career: for students interested in tech and finance, I highly recommend taking MGOC15: Introductory Business Analytics, CSCA08: Introduction to Computer Science, and MGFD25: Financial Technologies and Applications (FinTech). The assignments you do in these courses are strong examples to leverage in an interview.
Why was the Management Co-op program at U of T Scarborough the right fit for you?
Being born and raised in Scarborough, UTSC is local, and I truly value the Management Co-op program for delivering real-world experience and personal growth. The University provides us with all of the opportunities and experiences we need to become the next generation of leaders—no matter if you’re in finance, IT, HR, accounting, economics, you name it. As a co-op student, you have the privilege to reach out to almost anyone within your company and seek new connections from your coworkers. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Speak up, ask questions, provide input.
