Over the past four months, our Nova Scotia branches have been lucky enough to work with Dalhousie Commerce student, Elizabeth Grant during her work term! We sat down with Elizabeth for a Q&A to learn more about her experience at the RBC Dominion Securities Nova Scotia offices.
Q: What made you want to pursue a work term with RBC Dominion Securities?
Well, I used to be a summer intern in with RBC Wealth Management in Toronto and I really enjoyed that experience because it provided me with the fundamentals I needed to know about the industry. After that, I knew I wanted to pursue career opportunities in Finance.
Q: What tasks did you accomplish during your work term at RBC Dominion Securities? Were you involved in any interesting special projects?
I accomplished a number of tasks during my work term at RBC Dominion Securities! In January I did a lot on the administrative side for the whole branch, which included processing and approvals for advisors and their teams. Then I moved on to completing various tasks for different teams that needed assistance. It was great because I got to make cold calls, research different companies and assist advisors and their teams with anything they needed help with. Then, during the last month of my work term, I had the opportunity to work with one of our advisor teams exclusively, so I was able to focus my efforts on specific tasks and projects that needed to be done for them to enhance the client experience.
Q: Can you run me through a typical ‘day in the office’ for you?
It’s difficult to explain a ‘typical’ day in the office for me during my work term because I was assisting with a number of different tasks for various teams. Again, at the beginning of my work term, I spent a lot of time on administrative processes for the whole branch, but then when I started working with one team, I was able to narrow in on the exact processes they needed help with for their clients. During my time with that team, we had daily team meetings at 9:00 a.m. and then I would prioritize what needed to be done from there. Lots of administrative work and communicating directly with clients, which was great.
Q: What did you learn the most about over the past 4 months? Did any of your learnings about the business surprise you?
I learned a lot about how different teams function and run their respective businesses and that it’s possible to deliver an exceptional client experience in different ways. The business is more entrepreneurial than I initially expected, which is really interesting.
Q: Is there any advice you would give to someone who would be considering pursuing a work term at RBC Dominion Securities?
I would say that’s important to be open-minded and tackle any task that comes your way. Even if it seems small, you are making a positive impact on the business and that’s what matters. Of course, it also helps to have a positive attitude!
Q: What aspect of your work term did you enjoy the most?
I think I enjoyed working with one specific team during the end of my work term the most because I could communicate directly with clients. This gave me the opportunity to see the positive impact I was making for them and that’s always encouraging. Of course, it was also great meeting so many amazing people who work at the RBC Dominion Securities Nova Scotia offices.
Thank you for your contribution, Elizabeth! Your hard-work and dedication did not go unnoticed and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours!