Meet Thiago and Liz, two of the interns in Scotiabank’s Velocity program – a development program for interns and co-ops that helps provide your career with a rapid kickstart! Read about their experiences as they discuss their career journeys, program rotations, and what makes the Velocity program so amazing here at Scotiabank.
Meet Thiago!
Hi there! My name is Thiago and I'm excited to talk about the amazing experience I’ve had at Scotiabank thus far. I started university by pursuing a degree in life sciences, but I always had the idea of pursuing finance in the back of my mind. I entertained the idea by networking with people in finance, attending case competitions, and continuously keeping up with the markets. Eventually, I decided to switch to Ted Rogers School of Management where I am now majoring in finance and minoring in economics. I am currently in my second co-op term in the Velocity program working as an Analyst in the Group Treasury Market’s team. My experience at the bank has been nothing short of incredible and I am excited to be returning next summer as a Sales and Trading Co-op Analyst!
During my second year of university, I attended multiple networking and recruitment events, including a Global Banking and Markets networking session which made me highly interested in joining Scotiabank. The recruiters were passionate and confident when speaking about Scotiabank’s culture. The entire experience felt very personalized as the recruiters were able to connect with every student and answer any questions they had. I felt drawn to Scotiabank after this, and knew I wanted to pursue an internship with the Velocity program.
My current role as a co-op Analyst in the Group Treasury Market’s team is fast-paced and rewarding! I am constantly keeping up with developments in the market and I get to work with an incredibly intelligent team every day. My responsibilities include calculating and reporting the profit and loss of portfolios, tracking trade and investment strategies, following economic reports and the markets, and helping to simplify operational spreadsheets. Towards the latter half of my internship, I will also be trading my own mock fixed income portfolio. In the future, I hope to continue my journey at Scotiabank by joining Impact: Global Capital Markets New Graduate Development Program. This program also has a rotational format which will allow me to gain exposure to a variety of different groups on the trading floor and give me insight on which areas I am most interested in. What excites me most about this program is that you have the opportunity to do a 4-month rotation at one the Scotiabank trading floors in another country!
Throughout my experience at Scotiabank, I have had great memories and have learned a tremendous amount. One of the best things about Scotiabank is the number of resources they provide to their employees. Whether it is mentorship, networking opportunities with industry leaders, or a day dedicated just for their interns, the Scotiabank Campus team is always there to support the personal and career growth of their students. It truly feels like everyone at the bank is investing and rooting for your success.
When it comes to providing advice to other students, I cannot stress enough the importance of networking! It is an amazing tool that allows you to expand your knowledge by learning about others experiences and career paths. You will meet extraordinary people and make solid connections that can further your professional progress. Networking isn’t just a tool for your career, but also for your personal life!
Meet Lizzy!
Hello everyone! My name is Lizzy and I am currently a fourth year student at the University of Alberta pursuing a Bachelor of Science with a specialization in computing science. Outside of work and the classroom, I love to listen to podcasts, re-watch sitcoms, and read!
So far, I’ve had the pleasure of doing three internship terms at Scotiabank as part of the Velocity program. I have worked as a Software Developer Intern, a Data Science Intern, and a Developer Intern on the Event Driven Services Team. Each of these terms have allowed me to grow immensely as a student, scientist, and person and I am incredibly grateful to Scotiabank for facilitating such growth!
My journey to the Velocity program began when a friend recommended that I apply to the program as they thought it aligned well with my interests and experience as a computing science student. Once I heard about Velocity, I wholeheartedly agreed! Within the Velocity program, I have worked on technical solutions to improve client experience by making banking products or building tools more accessible. Building technology solutions that affect people’s lives for the better has been a very heartening and motivating element of my Velocity experience so far. This program has certainly inspired my future career plans where I hope to continue combining STEM with doing good for the world.
There have been many highlights during my time in Velocity as it’s truly an awesome program! I’ve been a part of the Velocity Social Committee in two different terms where I worked on newsletters and social media postings to share with Velocity students. I’ve also had the opportunity to use cutting edge technology such as Confluent Kafka and prominent machine learning algorithms. Best of all, I’ve been a part of an amazing student community where we always encourage each other and have fun!
There are many highlights of working at Scotiabank as an overall organization, too! For instance, Scotiabank affirms everyone’s contributions and insights and, even as an intern, we are given opportunities to do influential work. Furthermore, Scotiabank values diversity and inclusion through learnings, events, and actions which has made me very proud to be part of the organization. In terms of day-to-day work, Scotiabank’s digital prowess has been super interesting to work on as a computer scientist and I have learned a lot. Overall, the top highlight for me would have to be the people of Scotiabank. Everyone from senior leaders to fellow interns have been nothing but kind, welcoming, and engaging to interact with. In particular, the community that we as Velocity students form with the enablement of our Program Managers has been such a heartwarming experience.
Lastly, my advice to fellow students is to take every opportunity to talk and learn from the people you work with and to take every chance to be creative!
Interested in applying for our Velocity Development Program? Check out our open opportunities here!