Entering the working world for the first time can feel daunting. Maybe you’ve already started your job search, or perhaps you’re still in school and are looking for some career advice. In any case, York’s Career Centre is here to help! Nawshin Nawal, a recent Bachelor of Commerce graduate, chatted with us about her experience with the Career Centre and how she secured a full-time role within two months of graduating.
Tell us a bit about your work experience and involvement while you were a student.
Nawal says that being involved on campus helped strengthen her career skillset, while also providing valuable experience that she could add to her resume. “I tried to get involved with campus activities to show my leadership skills to companies, and started off as a peer mentor for LA&PS,” she says.
After gaining experience in this position, Nawal began applying for jobs with her resume that she reviewed with a specialist from the Career Centre. “I took a Career Centre workshop first, and they helped customize my resume, pointed out areas for improvement and sent it back to me for corrections and feedback,” she says.
After applying between January-March of her third year, Nawal landed her first nine-month co-op program in digital engagement support at Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical company.
Looking for internships and co-ops? Use Experience York to search for and apply to positions. It’s where Nawal applied for her co-op role!
What was your co-op experience like? What did you learn?
“My first couple months at Sanofi were solely focused on understanding the pharmaceutical business and the company,” Nawal says, adding that she consistently asked questions to her manager to help make the most of her experience.
“I started doing technical and strategic work; I was creating and presenting sales reports,” she says. Nawal soon realized she was interested in creative marketing and negotiated a transfer to a product team. “That was an amazing experience because I got to see medical device products go from the market-ready stage to full market launch, and it usually takes a lot of moving pieces to make that happen,” she says. Nawal also worked on marketing materials including leaflets, website mockups and presentation slides.
“I would highly recommend students to ask questions and learn as much as possible during their co-ops so that you can reflect it on your resume!”
What was it like to start applying for your first full-time job?
After working at Sanofi, Nawal worked a second co-op at Unilever, a consumer goods company, and then began applying for full-time roles. “I was nervous when I graduated because the job market can be so competitive,” Nawal says. "I was trying my best to find all the resources I can at York in order to help get a job.” Nawal says she landed three to four interviews from various companies and reached out to the Career Centre for guidance.
York's Career Centre offers workshops and support to help you feel career ready. Bonus: it provides guidance for up to two years after you graduate!
How was your experience with the Career Centre?
“They were so fast. As soon as I reached out, they contacted me to talk to me and set up a mock interview session,” Nawal says.
“I felt very supported before my actual job interview, because I could assume the types of questions they would be asking,” she adds. “My career counsellor was so accommodating, she even helped me do a mock interview session at 8 a.m. ahead of my actual interview, which was amazing.”
Nawal ended up securing a marketing position at a media company two months after graduation, where she currently works. “I'm very grateful for my current position. I have flexibility and I'm learning a lot in my first job,” she says.
How did your experience at York help you with your career after graduation?
Nawal says that while at York, there was someone always available to help guide her. “I feel like I’m very supported, even right now as a recent graduate. If I need help with something I can still reach out to the Career Centre.”
“I feel like I’ve gained new perspectives, and I can work in a lot of different branches and areas; it doesn’t always have to be one particular type of job."
Do you have any advice for students looking for career support?
“If you have any questions at all, definitely reach out to the Career Centre,” Nawal says, adding that York students should take advantage of the University's career portal. “I think a lot of times, people think you have to apply for jobs through LinkedIn or Indeed, but applying to jobs that are allied with York and can make the hiring pool a lot smaller!”