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.

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.

The most important lesson I learned, however, was not that teamwork leads to winning, but that teamwork leads to progress. I am very happy to have won the competition but am even more ecstatic to have done so alongside my hard-working team members.

With a co-op work term coming up, many of us are worried but also excited about the accompanying recruitment and application process. I know I speak for many people when I say this: Applying to your first co-op job can be daunting — but trust me, you’re not alone!

A great thing about the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) is how they are always there to support students.

Reprinted from LinkedIn with permission

Isaac, a 4^th year AFM student met with SAF to talk about his experience with this program and how it prepared him for the recent CFA Institute Research Challenge (IRC). "Every student coming into SAF had heard about the 2016 team’s win on the CFA IRC international stage with Canadian Tire. As a result, I was always keen to represent Waterloo on a larger stage and knew this was a great opportunity."

Mitchell, a 4^th year AFM student met with SAF to talk about his experience with this program and how it prepared him for the recent CFA Institute Research Challenge (IRC). "It was the hard work and commitment that our team put in which ultimately made the difference. Our team members during that time were either on co-op or exchange and so it took a lot of planning and dedication for us all to stay connected."

Presenting research virtually, taking online classes, and staying connected to SAF faculty – a student’s account of the last few weeks in the PhD Accounting program.

"With a month left to go in the winter term of my first year in the PhD Accounting program, we were told to pack up our offices and prepare to not be back on campus for a while… little did I know that I was about to experience one of the most challenging yet reflective times of my life."