![Giulia standing in front of a window](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_lead_image/public/2023-02/Applying%20for%20jobs%20outside%20your%20faculty%20low%20risk%2C%20high%20reward_0.png?itok=6rbzsEDn)
I am a fourth-year Economics student.
I have completed two terms at Trulioo (Summer and Fall 2022) as Strategic Expansion Co-Op.
When I applied for the job, I was working with a Beedie professor on a project involving the role of fake reviews. I knew Trulioo works with a top 3 global marketplace and other companies to verify their customers’ identities and thought it would be interesting to apply. The interview was about my strengths and my work ethics. Mentioning the project I had been working on definitely helped me.
My first weeks consisted of going over training modules to learn about the company and its products. It was a little bit of a repetitive task, but it was fundamental to get my work term started. I felt like I had a lot to learn, but once I began completing tasks, everything fell into place, and I quickly figured out what my role would be.
The thing that helped me the most was going to the office on a regular basis (Tuesday and Thursday) although my position is hybrid. Doing so, I met other Co-op students and regular employees and soon developed great connections with them.
Trulioo’s workplace culture is absolutely fantastic: we have weekly office lunches as well as monthly happy hours. I often find myself going to team building events, such as exhibits or hockey games. I can safely say I have developed amazing friendships with some coworkers, and this is something I was not expecting at the start of the internship.
My daily tasks involve many meetings with my supervisor as well as different teams. Every day is different though, and I often find myself completing projects and tasks to help departments other than mine.
I think this position definitely helped me improve my interpersonal and communication skills. As I have at least four or five meetings every day, I learned how to have conversations with coworkers in a professional way. Even if I am not shy, working at Trulioo totally helped me become more spontaneous and less hesitant to share my opinions.
For my role, I use Salesforce and Tableau on a daily basis, and knowing how to use these platforms is something I am extremely grateful for. I believe these systems are very important and so many companies outside of Trulioo use them nowadays.
Probably that being adaptable and willing to work in many different departments can help you figure out what you want your future to look like.
Yes, absolutely. This experience has helped me decide I will pursue an MBA within three years of my graduation from SFU. I am not sure what specific field I want to explore yet (definitely not marketing).
I would tell them to apply for a job even if they do not meet all the job requirements. I am not a business student (my position was under Beedie Co-Op) but still got the job because my skills align with what Trulioo is looking for. I would also suggest to “apply, apply, apply!”: I sent over 35 applications during my first seeking term because I had no experience other than a research assistant position, and I knew I obviously would have higher chances of landing a position if I applied to more jobs. Lastly, start applying as soon as the term starts: I began seeking as the postings were released in Week 1 and got this job in Week 5 before my midterms: it was a really good feeling!