Blog

In my past 4 years in AFM, terms such as environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have increased exponentially in importance and frequency when discussing any business. Given my past co-op work terms in finance, accounting, and most recently a not-for-profit organization (NPO), I was interested in how this renewed focus on sustainability would play out as we as a society continue to challenge the responsibilities and duties that a corporation should undertake.

A conference is only as successful as the team who plans it, and while hosting STRIVE virtually for the first time was indeed a challenging decision, it turned out to be very successful! During the summer while I was applying for the STRIVE case competition, I thought to myself, “why not take it one step further and apply for a CBA position rather than being just a delegate?” I thought it would be interesting to take on a role I had never tried in the past.

Now, first things first, as a student in the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program at the University of Waterloo, my knowledge of coding is pretty limited. I had the misconception that only students who knew how to code or “hack” could participate in hackathons. For anyone else with similar notions, let me tell you that you are entirely incorrect!

I think it’s extremely beneficial and inspiring to be able to hear the stories of these women who attended the same university as I am currently, and am grateful I participated in the meeting and unlearn all I thought I knew about the accounting and finance world.

Launch Your Career is a must-attend event!

This year’s Accounting and Finance Orientation Week (AFOW) was the most difficult one we’ve hosted, but, with the combined effort from all of our 17 members, we successfully overcame many challenges.

This year, one of my favorite segments of Co-op Ready was Nailing the Interview with Dinesh Balakrishnan. Not only did he have some amazing tips, but he made sure to keep the audience engaged throughout the segment. As a very informed professional, he provided us with great insights, as most of us work hard on our applications but rarely do we think ahead about the interview process.

Making a lasting impression during the interview is key!

Attending this workshop was helpful because I was able to analyze my character traits more in-depth and establish what my strengths are. Coming out of Steps to a Successful Co-op I feel that I have a better grasp on how I work best, what my strengths are, and how I can be successful in my co-op work term!