Hi! My name is Emily and for the past four months I’ve been working as a co-op student on the Canadian Marketing team at FDM Group.
It has been a truly exciting summer in the Toronto office.
I took Finance and Excel courses which helped me expand my skills such as effectively creating and using pivot tables. I reflected on how blockchain is revolutionising supply chains, and how technology is helping to protect our planet. I watched the Toronto Raptors win their first-ever NBA Championship title and cheered as our office joined the parade downtown. Finally, I wrapped up my last week by taking over FDM’s Instagram account and answering questions about my co-op experience.
This blog will feature my answers to some of the most popular questions asked on Instagram, and provide some more insight into my time at FDM!
What is a skill you feel that you honed this summer?
Working on the marketing team allowed me to hone my creative thinking skills. One of my ongoing projects was to research and write tech-related blog posts for our website. I appreciated the freedom that I was given in generating content for the blog and in turn, I delivered engaging material that was a combination of my personal interests and news about relevant technological advancements. I also developed my creative thinking skills through my term research report, as I was challenged to generate clever solutions and recommendations for FDM Canada and share my findings in a well-designed presentation deck.
What was your most memorable or fun experience at FDM?
I have many great memories from my time at FDM, largely due to the amazing group of people that make the office culture truly unique. One of my favourite memories was the scavenger hunt that FDM hosted during PRIDE week. In small teams, we raced through the downtown core, took pictures in front of the famous Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square and danced with street performers outside of the Toronto Eaton Centre. I also loved playing on the FDM softball team every Wednesday night!
Where is your favourite place to get coffee in the Financial District?
Dineen Coffee Company and Boxcar Social are my favourites!
Also, Maman Bakery and Café has the best chocolate chip cookies in the entire city. If you are a cookie-lover like myself, you must give them a try.
Are there other co-op students on the team?
This summer, FDM had two interns – myself and our Data Analyst Intern, Malcolm!
What was the best part about working at FDM?
The best part about FDM was working with such an energetic and encouraging team. I appreciate that I was given the opportunity to introduce and implement new ideas with unwavering support from my teammates. From voicing my opinions at weekly global marketing meetings, launching the first FDM ‘Intern Takeover’ on Instagram, or presenting my recommendations from my term research report, I constantly felt supported in introducing new ideas.
I also enjoyed facilitating events for various women in STEM initiatives. Throughout my co-op term, I had the opportunity to work on events such as the everywoman Ambassador Breakfast and hEr VOLUTION coding and professional skills workshop. I was proud to be able to contribute to organisations that I believe are truly making a difference for women in the workforce. I am also proud that FDM continues to place a high importance on supporting these initiatives; specifically on increasing the confidence of young girls interested in STEM.
Thank you FDM for a wonderful co-op experience!
Check out some of our other Co-op/placement-focused blogs!