My internship experience with Invest in Canada

April 2025 was a nerve-wracking time for me because despite completing my final exams, I still hadn’t secured an internship for the summer. I was seeking work experience before my senior year as an Accounting student at the Ted Rogers School of Management to be more prepared for my post-grad job hunt, but even the hunt for student roles had been tough. 

After 90 applications and 10 interviews, I had no offers. Despite knowing that I was giving it my best and that it’s a very competitive job market, sometimes I would get down on myself and wonder: Am I doing something wrong? Will I be in trouble if this doesn’t work out? What if I’m not good enough?

Then, one day in late April, I received an email from Invest in Canada (IiC), a federal government department I had interviewed for two weeks prior. I held out some hope with how smoothly our conversation went, and with it being my final interview for a summer position. Still, I was ready for deja vu and another rejection, just like with the other solid interviews I had. 

To my surprise, however, a contract has been offered to me for the Finance Student position for the summer term! I jumped for joy, shared the news with my family and friends, and felt an incredible amount of relief knowing that all of my job searching efforts over the past months had finally borne fruit. I had finally found a place that accepted me for who I am, with it coming close to the last possible moment too.

Valuable learnings

Invest in Canada is a department of the federal government that promotes foreign direct investment into Canada by working with global businesses to help them expand here, using a variety of resources and programs. I worked full-time at this organization last summer and have been working part-time there since the school year started.

As a Finance Student, my job involves working with the Finance team to reconcile monthly banking transactions, process suppliers’ invoices and employees’ expense claims, and enter contracts and commitments on the procurement side. I’ve been able to facilitate these financial processes efficiently, and thanks to my team, I feel I’ve made great strides in my professional growth. 

Visits to Ottawa office

Despite mostly working from home, I’ve been able to visit my colleagues at Invest in Canada’s office in Ottawa a few times. The first visit I had was for the organization’s all-staff meeting last June. It was awesome to meet and greet all of my co-workers in person, and it was an enriching experience that opened my eyes to the department’s goals and how it aligns with the federal government’s overall vision. We even gave mini presentations on the impact of AI in the workplace, and I represented my group as a speaker to deliver a short presentation on “Writing inclusive AI prompts.” 

Additionally, IiC allowed me to give my parents a tour of the office the day before the all-staff meeting. This was quite special as I was able to show them around the professional establishment that I work at for the first time, and they were happy and proud to see it too. My parents made many sacrifices to move our family from Vietnam to Canada a decade ago, providing my sister and me with better opportunities in education and work. It meant a lot for me to show them that their efforts paid off, and I want to keep working hard to give back to my parents and express my gratitude to them for putting me in the best position to succeed.

My next visit to Ottawa was in July, where I represented IiC at a student conference that was hosted by the Treasury Board of Secretariat, one of the government’s major departments. The Summer Student Comptrollership Event was aimed at students currently working in financial management in the federal government, to celebrate the innovation and ambition of the next generation of public service professionals. 

There were many experienced speakers with a variety of backgrounds in fields such as audit, procurement and finance. By speaking with the reps at the event, I gathered advice on navigating a career in government and developing as a young professional in accounting. I also made some new friends who were working in similar roles to mine, so it was a blast! The event inspired me to maintain an open mind to keep learning new things at work and aim higher as I progress in my career.

Key takeaway

The main takeaway that I’ve learned from working with IiC is that you need to have a good team around you to develop on the right track, and I was fortunate enough to have that. The best part about my job is that I get to work with some of the most genuine and caring people I’ve met. 

Since my internship began, I have been thoroughly trained on all aspects of our team’s financial processes. I’m grateful to have such patient and understanding co-workers who are willing to take their time to show me the ropes. This ensures that I have a strong foundation of knowledge to complete financial tasks, and I always want to put in my best work to effectively help my team and not let them down. 

We’ve made tremendous progress during my time here, and I know that I can always rely on my colleagues for assistance. Conversely, if my manager needs my help or is taking some days off, she knows that she can rely on me to be ready and take care of the work. I’ve felt a warm welcome from Invest in Canada ever since I started, and it creates a great atmosphere, knowing that you come in to work with people who truly care about your development. I’d like to give a shoutout to my Finance & Corporate Services teams for looking after me and helping me grow every day!

Helpful advice

In terms of advice, I’ll reiterate some points that I made in a previous TMU article: be sure to make use of our school’s resources to find work, since we’re paying for them in our tuition, after all! 

The Business Career Hub (BCH) provides excellent career counselling and advice, along with resume and cover letter help to give you the best chance at landing interviews and jobs. Additionally, our school’s Career Boost program provides multiple opportunities for students to work during the school year, and it is exclusive to TMU students, so definitely take advantage of it. 

And finally, keep believing in yourself and never give up! No matter what field you’re in, it is very difficult to get interviews and jobs nowadays, and it’s easy to feel as if you’re one of the lost ones. I know first-hand about the self-doubt and agony that goes with every rejection, and how demoralizing the whole process can be. However, as long as you continue to revise your strategies, stay resilient and keep applying and interviewing for jobs, you’ve got this! 

Make sure to take it one step at a time and stay level-headed despite the highs and lows. Nobody’s perfect, but if you can persevere through your fears and don’t stay dejected when you get rejected, you’ll be able to follow your dreams and overcome anything.

Final thoughts

Thank you for reading my blog post. I wanted to write this piece because I felt that I owed it to myself to put this chapter of my life into words. With my undergraduate studies wrapping up, it’s a note to self that despite the peaks and valleys, if I can stay disciplined and maintain a strong resolve to not change from my path, I’ll be alright. I won’t let success go to my head and remain stagnant, but I also can’t cry when the going gets tough. Life is a film that cannot be rewound, and I want to make every scene of my journey count, without retakes.