Hey there! My name is Janet Zhang and I’m currently an associate in TILT’s Activate Strategic Functions: Global Risk Management (GRM) rotational program at Scotiabank. I joined the GRM program right after I graduated from the University of Waterloo with an M.A. in Economics. During my academic studies, I enjoyed playing around with numbers and graphs. I was often fascinated with using statistical and mathematical techniques to solve complicated and dynamic problems; however, like many of you, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I should do in the future. Rather than sticking with one business line, I knew that I wanted to gain a breadth of exposure in different fields and find mentors to help me discover my potential career trajectory. For these reasons, I was interested in a rotational program given they provide more variety in terms of exposure to teams and potential careers within an organization. After discovering the GRM program at Scotiabank, I knew it would be the best fit for me! When I’m not working, you can find me dancing, cooking, painting, or traveling!
The reason why the Activate GRM program stood out to me is that it incorporates all the risk management areas that I am interested in and provides me with mentors who coach and support me throughout the program. This mentorship and exploration of new projects are the aspects of the program that I enjoy most. I am so thankful for the learning opportunities that are presented and the individuals I get to work with. Each rotation has given me exposure to a variety of different fields which include programming skills, model development, risk measures, and metrics. Every day is a new opportunity for me to improve my skills, which makes me very proud!
I have now completed my first rotation in the program. As you can imagine, a typical “day-in-the-life” of an Activate GRM associate has changed due to the pandemic. Being a newcomer to Scotiabank, I haven’t had the chance to physically meet my manager or colleagues! The great thing is that my manager worked super closely with me throughout my rotation, setting up multiple virtual meetings for us each week to craft project ideas, analyze model results, and even debug codes. I also had a weekly update meeting with our VP where I was provided with mentorship, encouragement to use my critical thinking skills, and insight as to how my work had a direct impact on the Bank. To stay connected to the greater team, I was also able to attend virtual self-development workshops such as technical skills and personal branding sessions with my peers. To network outside of Global Risk Management, I was involved in other learning opportunities such as a bi-weekly reading club to discuss relevant journal articles and papers with associates outside of my team!
A lot of students tell me that they don't know what they want to do in the future. My advice is to find your passions and utilize your strengths. Also, always be proactive and expand your horizons. Try to actively reach out to professionals in different industries and ask powerful questions (coffee chats are a great way to do this!). I always believe that thinking ahead will lead you to be ahead!
To learn more about the Activate: Global Risk Management rotational program, click here!