I began working for Global Advantage in June 2021 and finished my internship by the end of July. Coming off a Bachelor of Commerce from the Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business and transitioning to an M.A. in Economics at McGill, I was looking for experience in economic policy research. This is why when I saw an open summer position for an economic policy researcher, I jumped at the chance.
Not many business school students transition into the world of economics. I entered a commerce program because it gave me the chance to pursue every area of business that could interest me. I attended club events for everything from marketing to finance. By the end of my third year, it was clear economics and economic policy, in particular, would be my calling card. I wanted the chance to one day help craft policy to ensure the prosperity of Canadians across the country. When asked “Why are you applying to this position” by V.P. Shannon Wilson during my interview, that is exactly what I told her. She replied that working at Global Advantage was the perfect opportunity to pursue my calling, and it really was.
From working on projects that dealt with Canada’s Foreign Direct Investment environment to summarizing reports on intellectual property, Global Advantage gave me the chance to truly learn how to become a policy research analyst. One of the most valuable skills I gained during my internship is the power of visualization. It is a wonder how the human mind can interpret complex issues so easily if visualized in the right way, and that is what building an FDI ecosystem map taught me. The ecosystem map, one of Global Advantage’s premier services to clients, took everything one needed to know about FDI in Canada and turned it into a simple and understandable visual. The same philosophy of ensuring everything done must have a simple visual component applied to everything I did for Global Advantage, from the slide decks to the databases I help build.
Beyond the indispensable skills I learned, the other thing I gained during my internship is invaluable mentorship from my two supervisors Daniel and Michael. I wanted to ensure the end of this piece is dedicated to them, along with Shannon and Omer. Thank you for taking a chance on me; I will forever be thankful.
