The snowball effect: connecting with Asper Co-op grads across the globe

During your co-op terms, what company did you work for and what was your role?

I landed my co-op placement at BDO, an accounting firm in downtown Winnipeg, and ended up spending all three of my co-op terms there. I worked across audits, reviews and compilations, and got a very early introduction to what working in public accounting actually looked like.

What did you learn during your co-op term/terms that you couldn’t have learned in a classroom?

A lot of it was simply learning how to be a professional. You learn pretty quickly that doing the work is only part of the job. You have to communicate well, be reliable, pay attention to the details and put forward work you’re comfortable attaching your name to. You also make mistakes — plenty of them — and learn how to recover, fix them and get better.

While I was at BDO, I also attended a few marketing events with a mentor I’ll never forget. He taught me something incredibly simple: before people will work with you, they need to know you, like you and trust you.

It’s funny because I learned that at an accounting firm, but it has probably stayed with me more than anything else. At the end of the day, business is about people.

How did your co-op impact your career?

Asper co-op gave me a head start on becoming a professional.

I ultimately decided not to build my career in public accounting, but my time at BDO gave me a foundation I’ve carried through every job since. When I entered the workforce full-time, I didn’t have to spend as much time learning how an office worked or how to conduct myself professionally. I could focus instead on learning the business, taking on more responsibility and figuring out what I was actually good at.

What’s your advice for students who want to work internationally?

If working internationally is something you want to do, joining a global company is probably one of the most practical ways to make it happen. Large companies tend to have offices, teams and internal mobility programs around the world, and once you’re inside the organization, those opportunities become much easier to access.

The other piece of advice is simpler: try things.

Not every experience is going to work out. Some will be great, some will be terrible, and some will just be strange. But almost all of them teach you something. Every time you try something new, you get a little closer to understanding who you are, what you like and what you’re actually good at.

You don’t need to have your whole career mapped out. You just need to be willing to take the next interesting opportunity when it shows up.

During your co-op terms, what companies did you work for and what was your role?

My first term I was a Corporate Communications Coordinator at The North West Company. In the next two I was a Special Projects Manager at the Birchwood Automotive Group and an Assurance Articling Co-op Student at MNP. 

What did you learn during your co-op terms that you couldn’t have learned in a classroom?

How to work effectively in a real business environment. In the classroom, you can learn the technical concepts, but a co-op placement taught me how those concepts are applied when there are real deadlines, stakeholders, competing priorities, and business consequences.

I also learned a lot about cross-functional collaboration. I had to communicate with people from different teams, understand their perspectives and priorities, and translate information into something that was useful to them.

I learned that being successful at work is not only about having the right technical answer, it’s also about knowing how to communicate it. It’s also about building relationships, managing expectations, and moving a project forward.

It’s impactful to start your career already understanding what a professional workplace is like, rather than having your first exposure to it after graduation.

Any favourite memories from when you were in the Asper School?

I would say being involved in CSA and various STAGs really shaped my time in Asper. I made lifelong friendships and built a really great network.

What are the perks of working for Netflix in Brazil?

One of the biggest perks of working at Netflix in Brazil is the opportunity to work in a truly global company while still having a significant connection to the local business. Brazil is an important market for Netflix, so the work we do locally can have a meaningful impact.

I also really value the culture. There is a high level of autonomy and accountability, and you are surrounded by very talented people who are experts in their areas. That creates an environment where you are constantly learning and are trusted to take ownership of your work.

Another major perk is the exposure to international teams. Working with colleagues across different countries and functions gives you a much broader perspective and allows you to understand how decisions made at a global level translate into the Brazilian market.

And, of course, there is something pretty special about working for a company whose product is something that millions of people use and enjoy every day. It makes the connection between the work you do and the consumer experience very tangible.