Career Blog
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“One word that I would use to describe Telfer is family. I love that the Telfer community is one big, happy family that supports you no matter what. Whether you’re celebrating a new job offer or crying over an unbalanced balance sheet in financial accounting (trust me, we’ve all been there!), you can always count on the Telfer community to have your back!
My most memorable moment at Telfer so far has been joining CASCO (shoutout to the CASCO fam ♡)! Being able to work with such hard-working students who come together to give back to the community has been truly inspiring these past two years. The CASCO community helped me find growth and confidence in myself, which allowed me to even go on to be this year’s president!
If I could go back and advise my 1st-year self, I would tell her to GET INVOLVED! As cliché as it sounds, it is through Telfer clubs, case competitions, and so much more, that I was able to meet some of my very best friends. Not only did I meet the loveliest people, but I was also able to gain valuable work experience and grow my professional network!
All in all, these past 3 years at Telfer have been quite the ride! I’ve met amazing people and made amazing memories, and I can’t wait to see what my last year here holds. Whether we’ve interacted directly, or if we just walked by each other in the halls of DMS, thank you for being part of my Telfer journey!”
– Patricia Felthman
4th-year Accounting student and President, CASCO
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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Q. Why did you choose Telfer?
A. I chose Telfer because of its variety of specialized programs and its collaboration with other faculties. I am currently enrolled in my second year of the BCom/J.D. program, which allows me to study at both the Telfer School of Management and the Faculty of Law. Thanks to this specialized program, I can complete an undergraduate degree in both commerce and law. There aren’t many schools in Canada that offer this opportunity directly out of high school, which is the main reason why I chose Telfer.
Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
A. The biggest challenge that I faced last year was studying in French. I am an anglophone and I have been in French immersion my whole life. However, I still find it quite difficult to take university-level courses in my second language. I struggled to take my tests in French, fully understand my professors, and communicate with my peers. Although this was my biggest challenge, I also consider it my biggest accomplishment. In retrospect, I can confidently say that putting myself in this situation a year ago has allowed me to further develop my communication skills in French, making me a better speaker.
Q. What would be your ideal job?
A. Ideally, I would like to become a corporate lawyer. I appreciate and love every aspect of business, including finance and management. I believe that a strong business background and leadership skills are key assets for corporate lawyers. In addition to being a lucrative profession, corporate law touches various industries, such as insurance, retail, and the public sector.
– Karishma Kanagarajah
2nd-year BCom and J.D. student and VP Marketing, DECA uOttawa
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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Q. What do you like most about Telfer?
A. I like how Telfer feels like a community. Everyone at Telfer is very kind and helpful to one another. Telfer also has a calm working environment which helps while working/studying.
Q. What would be your ideal job?
A. I actually have two ideal jobs (I will be happy with either)…
1. Partner at a public accounting firm
2. Director for the government (ex. CRA)
Q. Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life?
A. My parents are my biggest inspiration. Seeing them work hard my whole life (English is not their first language) has pushed me to do the same.
– Maneesha Rakhra,
4th-year accounting student and member, Telfer Accounting Club
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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Q: What do you like most about Telfer?
A: “The flexibility and wide range of the programs available to Telfer students is so unique and one of my favourite things about the school. Throughout my time at Telfer, I have been able to pursue not only accounting, but also business analytics when it became a field of interest for me during my second year. Telfer’s commitment to allowing students to learn in all fields of business, not just their specialization, has been a great benefit to myself and my peers alike.”
Q: How did you decide on which career you would like?
A: “I chose a career in accounting based on the process of elimination! Throughout high school and my first year of university, I was exposed to a wide range of courses (from the sciences in high school to mandatory first-year courses) which helped me clearly see what I liked and disliked. As of right now, accounting courses seem to always be the most interesting and engaging for me, which is why I have decided to pursue a career in accounting.”
Q: What has been the biggest challenge so far?
A: “Learning to code in my business analytics courses has been by far the biggest challenge for me. It is so satisfying when it works, but it ever so rarely works for me!”
– Katherine Hall, 3rd-year Accounting with Option in Business Analytics, and Treasurer, Residence Association of the University of Ottawa (RAUO)
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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“My time at Telfer has been great. What I like most is being able to meet like-minded people. I have made some close friends from classes and clubs who have really shaped my university experience for the better.
I wanted to study marketing, because I wanted to learn how to present a brand in the most appealing way. I love marketing because it brings together data and creativity.
A couple of things Telfer has taught me is to go after things I want, and not to let opportunities pass me and to build meaningful connections because they can lead to great things.
Some of the highlights of my Telfer adventure have been being part of Enactus, working on the Legacy conference, and being part of a club. It has brought me amazing opportunities and allowed me to make great connections. Hearing the feedback about the conference from students after they attended and seeing the impact it had made on their journey made me happy.
The past 3 years at Telfer have taught me a lot and have allowed me to have new experiences, to make tons of new friends and to do what I love.”
– Favour Okeugo, 3rd‑year Marketing, Enactus participant
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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Extracurriculars allowed me to meet my best friends,
gain valuable work experience, but most importantly,
changed my mindset about what I wanted to do after graduation.
This week’s Humans of Telfer blog features Alexis Raymond, a 4th-year student leader specializing in Business Technology Management. Alexis is incredibly involved on campus: he has even led Telfer to win 10 podiums at JDC this year! Here’s what he had to say about his Telfer experience:
“When I joined Telfer 4 years ago, everyone would tell me that I should ‘get involved’. I did, and that was probably thebest decision I could have made! Extracurriculars allowed me to meet my best friends and gain valuable work experience. But most importantly, they changed my mindset about what I wanted to do after graduation. Going into university, I was set on following the traditional and safe career path. However, after talking with colleagues with various backgrounds and ambitions, I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. They encouraged me to reach for opportunities that I did not think possible and to explore fields in which I am now passionate. Maybe I would have figured this out by myself, but I for sure would not have had as much fun doing it!
In a few weeks, I’ll be leaving Telfer to enter the workforce. However, I’ll always carry with me this Telfer pride that has truly connected me to what matters over the past 4 years.”
– Alexis Raymond, 4th-year Business Technology Management, JDC Coordinator, Telfer Competitions Committee, Tech Editor, uOBR, Vice-President, IT and Marketing, JDC 2022
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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“I’m from Morocco and I’m currently completing my Bachelor of Commerce (International Management) at the Telfer School of Management. One of the best memories from my years at Telfer is the exchange I took part in third year. Through this experience I got to live amazing moments and meet great people while discovering a new academic environment.”
Q: Why did you choose Telfer ?
A: “I had to choose between Université de Montréal (Psychology) and Telfer (International Management). I tried to examine the pros and cons of each school. The co-op program at Telfer offered a double advantage: a degree combined with several months of professional experience. On top of that, there was Telfer’s reputation across Canada and around the world. I also considered the “personal growth” factor of studying at Telfer. By moving away from my family (spread out between Montréal and Morocco), I was able live a full experience that would allow me to become more resourceful and independent.”
Q: What has been your greatest source of inspiration?
A: “My parents. Even though they did not come from affluent families nor stayed in school for very long, they managed to start their own business and paved the way for their children. My father had to quit school while still in elementary, and my mom, in 10th grade. When I see how far my brothers and I have come, I tell myself that they have succeeded! It was not easy, but they did it. I also feel like I’m their hope. Even though they did not pursue long studies, today their daughter is about to graduate from a renowned university. Somehow, they are living their dream through me. And that inspires me enormously.”
– Ghita Laadila, 4th-year International Management (co-op)
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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“My happiest moment at Telfer was during the Telfer Finance Society’s Toronto Trip. We visited very prestigious firms where I was able to meet some of Canada’s top finance professionals.”
– Hyah Alnehmi, 2nd-year Finance, and Vice-President, Sponsorship, Telfer Finance Society
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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“I like the environment at Telfer. Most students at Telfer are incredibly kind and supportive. Students who have just met would work together to tackle a difficult assignment question or help one another understand a hard concept. The environment at Telfer fosters collaboration and support, which creates an amazing space to learn in.
I chose Telfer because it offered an amazing co-op program with plenty of connections to both the public and private sectors. Ottawa being 5 hours away from my hometown, it gave me the opportunity to move out and be independent.
Telfer has also given me many memorable moments, but one that stands out to me is when I got selected as the first-year representative for the Telfer Human Resources Association. This moment was memorable to me because it allowed me to meet so many wonderful people (both students and professionals) and it opened the door to many learning and career opportunities. There are so many aspects of Human Resources I want to dabble in once I graduate. Thinking of the many avenues that I can explore if I work hard right now has kept me motivated most days.
My biggest inspiration would be my parents. They are both immigrants who work blue-collar jobs and earn an hourly salary that’s less than what I make in my internship. However, they managed to raise a family and work hard to give their children as many opportunities as they can. Their work ethic, determination and diligence inspire me to work hard to reach my goals.”
– Janosha Indrakumaran, 3rd-year Human Resources and Vice-President, External Affairs, Telfer Human Resources Association
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
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Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.
─ William Arthur Ward
“Telfer presents multiple opportunities for its students; and those who take advantage of them manage to thrive in their careers. Students have numerous chances to connect with employers from well-known companies during networking events hosted by the Telfer Career Centre, the most prominent of which is Telfer Networks. Telfer graduates also tend to have a very strong, diverse business education (in both their specialization and business in general). During my time at Telfer, I enriched my knowledge in different aspects of business, increased my confidence in presenting, and learned to network. I can say with conviction that I am glad to be a Telfer student as it has successfully guided me through the intricacies of the world of business.”
– Maria Bssadh, 2nd-year Finance
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
