Prachi Dhanky (she/her), an Honours Arts and Business student with a major in Psychology, shares the story of how she realized she is much more capable of doing things than what she originally believed.
Prachi's work terms so far:
Work Term 1: University of Waterloo, Online Learning Assistant - Helped professors in the Faculty of Arts transfer the entire curriculum online due to the pandemic and help with technical difficulties.
Work Term 2: Canada Startup Co., Business Development Associate - Worked with tech interns to create a startup and establish it as a business in Canada by creating the business plan, financial forecast, pitches, and investor memos.
Work Term 3: Chapman Solutions, Business Analyst - Drew conclusions after an analysis of primary data she was given, which was then given to the consultant to come up with business advice for the client.
What was one of the main projects you worked on?
"At Canada Startup Company, we worked on three different startups. Those were major projects because I was able to explore my interests and potentially turn them into two ways of earning revenue.”
“One of my favorite projects was the first one that I worked on, it was called MicroWellness, a concept that I had come up with as a mental health startup where the user could access customized mental health advice based on their personality and be connected to therapists on the platform.”
“So, bringing it to fruition as a business plan and pitching it to investors, I think that was an exhilarating experience.”
What was the most challenging thing about co-op?
“I am a Canadian citizen, so I qualify as a domestic student, but I did my high school abroad. So, for me, it was finding the job. Most employers were confused by, ‘how is she a domestic student with no Canadian experience?’”
"And it didn't help that I wasn't very good at interviews, either. So, I was able to get my first co-op because it was a phone interview. I do better on the phone because, on videos, I used to have a hard time maintaining eye contact.”
“I practiced my interview skills and landed a job in the second round, of my third work term but the day the co-op term was supposed to start I received an email, that the firm went bankrupt.”
“I looked for a new job in the late continuous round. And I was lucky enough to land a job at the consulting company. And the silver lining that came out of it was that this job is much better, both salary and experience.”
What was the main highlight of your work terms?
“My favorite co-op term so far was my first one when I worked for the University of Waterloo.”
“I spent all of high school wanting to be a teacher and I registered the fact that teaching was all I was capable of. So, while I had worked different jobs in marketing, they were all part time. This was my first legitimate full-time job that was outside of teaching.”
“I was really happy because I was doing so well in the job. Assisting professors while not actually doing the teaching was an entirely different experience for me. But it was a welcome one all the same.”
What did you enjoy about your company’s culture?
“The fact that my input was so valued, that's something that I really appreciate. If you look at it objectively, an intern is not at a very high position in the company, but the company values everyone's advice from the CEO to an intern and that's that that was something very refreshing that I had not experienced in any of the previous jobs I'd held.”
What is something you learned on your work terms that you will take with you moving on?
“That a person is always much more capable than they believe.”
“Like I said, I've subconsciously believed that teaching was the only thing I was capable of, which is why, for the longest time, becoming a teacher was the only option I sought to get ahead.”
“But when I started working, I realized that I was actually pretty good at my job and the same happened with the venture capitalist firm, and with the consulting firm that I'm currently working for.”
“I realized that I was a lot more skilled and a lot more capable than I thought. It also gives a huge boost to your confidence. I think that's going to stay with me for my future.”
What’s next for you?
“I have decided that I want to fund my own master's degree without having to take loans or rely on my parents. So, finding a full-time job once I graduate, and then going to Teachers College, and then possibly doing a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology.”