![image of PWC building](/olc/sites/default/files/styles/blog_lead_image/public/2020-04/photo-1575879350239-af1a104bbec0.jpg?itok=k4wLdQUq)
Bachelor of business administration graduates Luming Zhao and Xiwen Zheng have more reason to sing the praises of SFU Co-operative Education than most students.
Thanks in part to the co-op program they have both secured prestigious full-time roles with global consulting firm PwC’s Shanghai office.
![Luming and Ximeng](/olc/sites/default/files/2020-04/Luming-Xiwen_0.jpg)
During their studies at the Beedie School of Business, the duo completed successful co-op terms in the company’s Consulting Advisory Services department. In Canada, such positions in multi-national tax firms are usually reserved for MBA students, not undergraduate co-op students.
But the two were so successful in their co-op roles that they were offered full-time consulting positions with PwC Shanghai upon graduation, bypassing the regular recruitment process.
They have been working full-time since January 2015, but are returning to B.C. to attend their convocation ceremony.
“The co-op program is a great place to start your career,” says Zheng, now a consulting associate. “It differentiates you from other students, builds your professional and personal networks, and shows you what the real-world working environment is like.”
Zhao and Zheng are two of more than 60 Beedie BBA students who have obtained co-op terms at PwC in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong since fall 2013.
“Working with PwC you meet a lot of influential people, and it’s a great platform to utilize the skills gained from the classroom,” says Zhao.
The pair recognizes the role the SFU co-op program network played in launching their careers, and they are now working to promote SFU as a feeding ground for potential PwC interns.
Since beginning her full-time position as a business development consultant, Zhao has taken on a formal role in recruiting SFU co-op students. One of her first acts was to initiate a new tax-internship program at PwC Shanghai, which has already accepted SFU co-op students.
“I feel very proud to be able to help SFU students achieve their career goals with a global organization like PwC,” says Zhao. “The experience I gained through co-op was so beneficial, and I am pleased to strengthen the company’s connection with SFU.”
Beyond the Blog
- To learn more about opportunities like Luming and Xiwen's, head to the International Co-op Homepage!