“The experience boosted my confidence to let my creativity shine.”
– Nidhi Shah, Co-op Management and International Business (BBA) Candidate 2024, University of Toronto Scarborough
Congratulations to Nidhi, recipient of a Management Co-op Work Term Excellence Award for her contributions at Gardenview Mortgage Corporation in Summer 2022!
How did you get hired at Gardenview and how would you describe the company culture?
I applied to the role of Social Media Manager through our internal job portal for Management Co-op students. As someone who advocates for working with small companies and start-ups, I was incredibly excited to join a boutique brokerage like Gardenview where everyone is openly communicating with one another, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere. My supervisor, Daniel Stein, was supportive and encouraging from the start of my work term, and he created space for me to bring forward opportunities that I believed would add value to my learning and the organization overall. Giving employees a mix of guidance and autonomy allows them to understand their role while also contributing their own ideas to enhance the organization. Daniel’s management style provided great insights into what type of leader I want to be.
Walk us through some of the most impactful projects you worked on.
During my first week, I was asked to conceptualize a logo for a subsidiary company. I approached the assignment by seeking to understand my supervisor’s vision while incorporating my own creative thought process. Creating a logo require lots of trial and error, so we had a series of engaging meetings to process feedback and refine the creative direction. Then, when we considered the final four options, one caught my supervisor’s eye and he immediately went with it! He was overjoyed with the results and I felt a sense of accomplishment for being able to complete this task so early on. The experience boosted my confidence to let my creativity shine. Another big project was hosting a company golf tournament for partnering brokerages and lenders. This gave me a taste of planning large corporate events and how to leverage market segmentation for future campaigns.
What are your career goals and how will you leverage your BBA to achieve them?
I would like to work as a corporate lawyer and my BBA degree, combined with law school, will provide me with a great deal of knowledge and experience to succeed. Ideally my dream would be to open my own law firm and offer consulting services.
Why should a high school student choose to apply to the Management Co-op program at U of T Scarborough?
The Management Co-op program provides excellent job opportunities from companies large and small across a variety of industries. If a student is unsure about deciding their BBA specialization then their first co-op work term can help you determine your strengths and preferences. Gaining professional work experience can set you apart as a candidate and you will create lasting relationships with employers and colleagues.
Any advice for future co-op students?
When seeking for co-op, consider looking at the role and not the company. If a job title intrigues you, read the job description! If you are only targeting large organizations, you could miss out on potential opportunities. And joining student clubs is a fantastic way to build your knowledge in industries of your choice.
