What did a typical day or week look like in your role?
A typical week in my role is a mix of communications, content creation, event planning, and working with local businesses and community partners. No two days look the same. Since the Downtown Brampton BIA supports a busy downtown, my work often changes depending on what is happening that week. One day I’m drafting press releases for community initiatives and another preparing content for a business’s grand opening.
What I’ve been enjoying is seeing the impact of my work in real time. The content I create helps bring greater public awareness to local businesses and keep residents informed about the things happening in the community.
Which skills do you feel you developed through your experience in this co-op work term?
Important skills I’ve developed during my work term are strategic communication, adaptability and project coordination. Through creating communications materials, I learned how to shape messaging in alignment with an organization’s mission while considering the audience and purpose of each piece. Due to the fast-paced nature of the Downtown Brampton BIA, priorities can change very quickly. This environment strengthened my ability to adapt, stay organized, and manage competing deadlines while still producing great work.
How did this co-op work term shape your career planning? What is your career/field of interest? How did this role help support your career goals?
Coming into this work term, I had several career paths I was interested in. By the end, economic development had become a field I could see myself pursuing. This role merged my interest in economics with my passion for community engagement and made me realize how much I enjoy supporting small businesses. In addition, because the Downtown Brampton BIA works closely with the City of Brampton, I gained valuable exposure to the municipal sector, allowing me to explore another area I had been considering for my career. This work term did more than give me work experience. It gave me clarity about the direction I want to take my career.
What would you tell other students considering a co-op or internship work experience?
Do it! Take on a co-op or internship. The experience and skills you gain are invaluable. I learned so much about myself, such as what I enjoy doing, the kind of work environment I thrive in, and which career paths fit my strengths and interests. Having that experience before graduating has given me greater confidence and clarity about what I want to do next. Even if a work term makes you realize that a certain field isn’t for you, that knowledge is still incredibly valuable.
Careers & Experiential Education