"I am currently working at the Canadian Olympic Committee in Toronto as Marketing Partnerships Intern. In my role, I am responsible for assisting the Partnerships team with servicing our Marketing Partners who aid Canada's Olympic Team during the Olympic Games. As the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics are this summer, I have assisted partners with creating retail, event, television, and digital activation to showcase their sponsorship of Team Canada and individual athletes. I work daily with Olympic athletes to book athlete appearances with our partners, as well as assist with the planning and executing of partner events. In addition to my role, I have assisted with Merchandising and Licensing, Olympic gifting and outfitting in Rio, Ticketing, Commercial Rights Management, and Events. Some programs that I am currently working on are the Bell Athlete Connect Program, Canadian Tire Events, and Team Canada Viewing Lounges throughout Canada. What an exciting time to be here!
The networking opportunities I have had working at the Canadian Olympic Committee have been amazing. Working daily with our 40+ Marketing Partners from companies such as Canadian Tire (including Sport Chek), Bell, RBC, and Adidas, in addition to working with individual National Sporting Federations have allowed me to expand my employment opportunities post-graduation. I have currently secured my next co-op with Canadian Tire's Partnership Department as a result of my current co-op!
I am a strong believer in experience being the best education. While completing my 3rd co-op, I was able to draw on my experience from working at Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment as well as Global Spectrum to provide creative and relevant ideas to my employers. Being able to come out of school with over 2+ years of work experience from co-op will really allow me to be very competitive in the job market after graduation. I have also learned great resume and interviewing skills that aided me in landing my co-op experiences and will continue to assist me in future career opportunities.
Tips I would give other co-op students seeking similar work experiences is to be proactive while searching for jobs. Do not be afraid to reach out to companies where you are interested in working to ask if they hire students. In addition, use the colleagues you have previously worked with to see if they have connections with employers you are looking to complete co-op's with. Having someone who can promote you definitely aids with securing a job."
Maggie Aziz
Kinesiology Sport Management Co-op