Career Blog
Meredith Silverman is a 4th-year accounting student at Telfer as well as a returning Career Centre Ambassador. In her Humans of Telfer interview, she shares her experiences as both an Ambassador and a CO-OP student.
Q. What is your favourite Telfer memory?
A. My favourite Telfer memory have been working as a Career Centre Ambassador. I enjoy writing various career blogs because I learn something new every time while helping students with their own career journey. The Humans of Telferseries also remains a highlight each term, as I love hearing different experiences from every Telfer student I interview.
Q. Why did you decide to participate in CO-OP and how has it impacted your academic goals/career goals?
A. I decided to participate in the CO-OP program because it is a great way to get relevant work experience. Regardless of your specialty at Telfer or at any other faculty, the best way to learn is by putting theory into practice. I highly recommend this option to every student. The program has allowed me to land multiple positions at a public accounting firm in both tax and assurance, which enabled me to apply the foundational accounting theories I have learned through Telfer courses while continuing to expand my knowledge.
Q. What are your plans postgrad?
A. Postgrad, I am looking forward to using all the knowledge that I have acquired during my time at Telfer towards obtaining my CPA designation. Every course at Telfer that I have taken and will be taking in my final year will have contributed to this journey. The CPA designation will allow me to practice as a Chartered Professional Accountant either for a public accounting firm or the government.
– Meredith Silverman
4th-year Accounting student and Career Centre Ambassador
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.
One of the main reasons I joined the Telfer Career Centre as an ambassador was because someone told me it would be a great way to learn how to network. The Centre allowed me to start networking in a pressure-free environment. As I started volunteering at networking events and information sessions held by various employers, I was able to practise networking easily. In many of these events, I had to communicate with our guest employers to ensure everything goes smoothly. The best part is that I was paired with another student, usually a volunteer. This proved to be especially important during my first few networking events. It made all the difference knowing that I had a partner there with me.
Getting involved with Telfer also let me see all the opportunities made available to students. I had a chance to meet the people involved in some of my favourite events. When I first heard that it was possible for clubs to prepare case competitions and to compete against other schools from other cities, I was astounded. In other clubs, volunteers are called upon to help organize events such as the CASCO annual gala, which showcases everybody’s hard work towards a great cause. These are only few of the many opportunities and experiences you have access to by getting involved with the Telfer Career Centre. Were it not for my work as an ambassador, I would never have heard or known about some of these events and the complexity of their planning.
Lastly, volunteering at the Telfer School is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to make friends. I often saw the same students in class, but I barely got to know any of them. Once I became an ambassador, I started to realize that many of my classmates were also volunteers! My work as a volunteer gave me a fantastic opportunity to become acquainted with a lot more people from my program and to build my network. This wouldn’t have been possible without the Career Centre!
Hi! My name is Christopher Flores-Lyons, and for the past three years, I have been an ambassador for the Telfer Career Centre. It has been one of the greatest highlights of my university degree. I joined in my second year, the first year you are eligible to become an ambassador. The Career Centre had several workshops that I attended in my first year that helped me gain confidence at networking events. One of the veteran ambassadors encouraged me to join the ambassador's team and take a leadership position within the school to promote the services that are exclusive to Telfer students.
Since high school, I have been very involved. I think it is a great way to meet new people, learn different tools and help behind the scenes at events. With the ambassadors, I have met plenty of professionals that come to Telfer to recruit students, and there have been several fellow students I have met through workshops and networking events. Often, the professionals will also remember you after the event as they see you helping. Another advantage of volunteering as an ambassador is the ability to work on your presentation and sales skills. At the beginning of each semester, ambassadors will do class presentations. Sometimes you will present in front of a large first-year class of hundreds of students, or you may present to a fourth-year class with fewer than 50 students. Either case, you will not be alone during your presentation, and you will have practice in front of audiences big or small. This helps especially prepare you for the ADM2381 – Business Communications Skills class, or a quick elevator pitch you may do while escorting professionals to events. Additionally, as an ambassador, you get an awesome Telfer name tag that sets you apart from fellow students, and you become part of a team that is with you often throughout your university career.
Being an ambassador is a lot of work though. Sometimes you will be at the kiosk in the lobby of Desmarais, but no one will talk to you, or your schedule can get hectic at the beginning of each term. However, the benefits of the Ambassador Program outweigh the cons, and you get to improve your time management and leadership skills. Often you must be proactive and start the conversation with students in the lobby rather than wait for someone to approach you. If you are an introvert like myself, it is tough, but you get to practice, and by the end of the year you will be a professional, ready to help train the next generation of ambassadors. Finally, you become part of a family that you can depend on throughout your years at Telfer and friends that will last you a lifetime.
Applications for the Ambassador Program are out now and involve an online application and interview with the Career Centre’s Manager and another Career Centre staff member. You will also have to answer some small essay questions in the application so make sure you have read through the Career Centre website or reach out to current ambassadors via Facebook if you have any questions.
Apply to become part of the 2018-19 Ambassador Team now!
Deadline is March 23, 2018.
Learn more about the application process by visiting the Ambassdor Program page.