Lauren Johnson
October 1, 2021
Hi everyone, my name is Lauren Johnson, and I would like to start off my blog series by introducing myself! I am a third-year student at Dalhousie University’s Bachelor of Commerce Co-op as an accounting major. I am originally from a small town in Ontario called Newmarket which is just north of Toronto. Once I saw the East Coast, I knew that this place was going to be my new home. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard the sentence “Once you go to the East Coast, you’ll never come back” and it could not be more true.
Outside of work I really liked to be involved. This year I am the Vice President of Internal Operations on Dalhousie's Accounting Society team, which allows me to use my creative side to plan and execute events while educating and helping others within the student community. I am also involved in Rowe’s Women in Business Association and the RoweOUT Society to connect with others and learn from the individuals within those societies. Along with being involved, I love to be around the water whether it be swimming in it, hiking around it, or taking my camera and taking pictures of it!
About My Co-op
In grade eleven I took my first accounting course and immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do. Everyone makes accounting seem like this boring desk job, but my team at JDI proved them wrong. It is truly the people you work with that make a job that much better, and the atmosphere that they brought into the office was something I looked forward to everyday. I started with JDI Finance in the Shipbuilding Division back in January where I was working specifically with their project accounting team and I was able to do some work with our FELEX, CSC, and AOPS programs. Throughout my first work term, I was able to learn skills that I would take with me for the rest of my career, and I built connections that I will hold onto forever, but most importantly I was given numerous opportunities to grow. That is why I chose to come back to JDI this fall. I knew that coming back I would be able to expand my knowledge, build on my strengths, and learn from some of the best people I know.
Along with my work experience, I was able to visit the Halifax Shipyard twice, once to see the assembly hall and get a tour of the shipyard facilities and the second time was to get a tour of HMCS Ville De Quebec that was being repaired with our FELEX program. Being able to have that bigger picture of what you are doing can really help with your understanding of your everyday work and what is happening around you. Our teams here at Shipbuilding and J.D. Irving want to set you up for success and they give you all the support you need to be able to thrive in this type of environment. I am beyond excited to be back this fall and I cannot wait to learn more about the accounting world!
Stay tuned this fall for more blogs about navigating co-op and some advice I have along the way!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog 1: A Little About Me
Blog 2: What it's like being in Halifax
October 7, 2021
Hi everyone,
This week I decided that I would share a little bit about my life here in Halifax and what it is I love about working here. As I mentioned in my last post, I am originally from somewhat small-town Ontario and after being a student in Halifax I never want to leave. There is something about living and working on the East Coast that brings people over and makes them stay.
When I first moved to Halifax, I was so happy about the amount of greenery and water we had and how close it was to me. Growing up I loved being outdoors or being by the water, and living in Halifax allows me to continue that love. There are hiking spots, trails and water everywhere, so if you love to be outdoors just as much as I do it might be in your best interest to move to Halifax.
Another perk about living in Halifax is the city we live in and the people that live in it. One thing that I love is that you really get that city vibe but with a suburban feel. I know that big cities are not my thing so living here allows me to get both ends of the spectrum. Not only is the city nice and there are a lot of things to do (especially in the summer) like taking a hike in Point Pleasant Park, visiting Peggy’s Cove, or taking a stroll down at the waterfront. What makes it even better is that everyone in the city is extremely friendly. I know whenever I get lost, I can count on the Haligonians to point me in the right direction, and we can get a little friendly banter going. Mostly my favourite part about living in Halifax is there is such a relaxed way of living and when I get too caught up in my life, I can just sit back and take a moment for myself to smell the roses.
That same energy that you get with the city, you also get at work. When I first applied for this job, I thought I would be working right in the city, but little did I know that I would be working in our Dartmouth office. Which I truly think is better because if you know the MacDonald bridge, you are practically escaping traffic both ways as most people commute from their homes in Dartmouth to work in Halifax and not the other way around. As a student I have used the bus system and my feet to get around everywhere so when I heard Dartmouth I was scared, especially as we start our days at 7:30. Fortunately I was able to carpool into work, but I had to take a 45-minute bus ride back home. I think with everything you must look at the opportunities that are ahead of you, so I took these bus rides as a time to reflect on my day, what I did and didn’t like or what made it a good day, and sometimes listen to a new podcast.
Some of the best advice I received from another co-op student is to really reflect on your co-op. This is a time for us to figure out what we want to do in our careers, to find out what we like about this job, what makes it a good job, and what we don’t like so we can help guide our futures. So that was what that bus ride allowed me to do, and those bus rides were a big reason for me coming back to Irving. When the weather got nicer, I even decided to start taking the ferry home from work and believe me it is so worth it. You get the chance to sit on top of the boat enjoying the ocean breeze and observing the beautiful city landscape of Halifax instead of sitting on a crammed bus.
Truly the best part of working in Dartmouth is my team and the type of environment they create in the office. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have the opportunity to learn from them each and every day. I think they all embody that east coast lifestyle, where they are very laid back but still want the best of us to be brought to work each day. The most important part is that they promote such a positive work-life balance and ensure that we are all following it everyday. Working and living in Halifax is truly a pleasure and I hope that I can do it for the rest of my life!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Co-op is probably one of the best things that a university can provide their students; it allows you to gain real world experience, network and build connections, and build your soft and technical skills. I know that coming into your first co-op it can be really nerve-wracking and causes people to worry a lot - so that is why I chose to write about this topic. Here are a few highlights that I have for individuals starting their first co-op or even starting in a new role/company!
Learning the Ropes
Honestly, this was one of the hardest aspects for me when starting out at JDI, especially coming from no accounting experience and just taking two university courses of accounting. Coming in I was scared out of my mind that it was going to take me forever to learn everything and be able to execute it in the way they wanted but trust me they do not expect you to be perfect. My biggest advice is to ask as many questions as you need because your team is there to help you. Another tip, when someone is explaining something to you bring a pen and notebook to take notes about the process or ideas. When it comes to trying to do tasks by yourself maybe write down a list of questions you have while going through it, see if there is previous documentation that can answer those questions, try it again, then ask your coworkers for help. I think the most important thing when doing a task is to be able to understand if you are not getting anywhere in that task. Try to recognize that and work on something else until you can get help. It will take time to understand tasks and ideas, but you will get there and even after being with JDI for 6 months I still slip up and it happens, and that is what learning is!
It Is All in Your Mindset
Coming into co-op you need to make sure that you are coming with a positive mindset, and you set realistic expectations for yourself. I know when I came in, I got imposter syndrome (if that is what you want to call it) bad and I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. This ended up draining me and took a lot out of me. It took me to look at myself and understand that I need to create realistic expectations and goals for myself that are attainable and can meet my coworkers’ expectations. To help with this I made sure that every time I slipped up, I would tell myself that they know that I am new and that I am bound to make errors. What you need to learn is how to learn from those mistakes and make changes for next time. We are only human, and we cannot do everything right the first, or even the second time. We need to focus our energy on how we can go on from there.
Take Initiative and Communicate
One of the most important things that I have learned and will continue to use in my career is my communication skills. Being able to effectively communicate things to your team is beyond important and can really help with your success. My key notes when it comes to communication is that you need to tell your team when you are struggling, when you need help, ask about deadlines, and talk about where you are in your tasks. Being able to talk to your team lets them know where you are at and how you are doing which is extremely important when you are doing tasks that affect the whole team. I know when I get a task I ask when it needs to get done by and what is expected from this task, this allows me to plan my time ahead and make sure that I am doing what is expected of me. Another important thing with communicating is that it will help you take initiative, if you have been talking to your team, they can see that you are handling things well and that you have capacity to take on more. Use your communication to your advantage, if you want more challenging work ask for it, or if you think you are given too much talk to your supervisor. The people you work with want to help and want to watch you succeed.
Use Your Resources
At first co-op can be very confusing, and you can get caught up in everything, so it is important to be able to use everything around you. I know when I have a lot on the go, I use my team’s outlook calendar and the sticky notes app a lot. With my calendar I tend to put my weekly tasks on it so I can visualize what needs to be done in the week and I can get reminders on my laptop to ensure it gets done when it needs to be. Also, with outlook I can see time my team has blocked out for meetings or individual tasks so this can help me see what type of day they have ahead and if they would have time to help me and when they would. I tend to use the sticky notes app on my laptop to create more daily to do lists or notes about miscellaneous tasks I do so I can see what needs to be done individually in a day and create a schedule for myself. All this really helps with time-management of my tasks and can ensure I meet my deadlines.
With J.D. Irving they have a set co-op program so you are put into a group with other co-op students where you can have coffee chats, learn about the other divisions of Irving, take your white belt, and may more exciting events. Use these to your advantage to learn more about the company and talk to other students to share your experiences and learn from each other.
Be Reflective
However, I think the most important thing to do is to look back on your work term and learn from it to help build your career. I think the biggest reason to be a part of a co-op program is to learn more about the career path you desire. Each day make a mental note of what tasks you liked, what tasks you did not like as much, or even in a broader sense what made is a good day or a bad day. At the end of your co-op take these mental notes and use it to help figure out if this is the right path for you, because at the end of your undergrad you might be heading into a full-time job right away and may not end up loving your job. Use this time to make sure post-graduation you will be in a spot where you will be happy.
Hopefully some of this insight can help you along the way whether you are starting your first co-op or starting at a new company but most importantly enjoy these next months, befriend your coworkers, and have some fun along the way!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
October 29, 2021
Blog #3: Navigating your Co-op
Blog # 4: A Day in the Life as an Accounting Co-op Student
December 7, 2021
When it comes to working as an accounting co-op student at J.D. Irving, Limited, no two days are the same! So, I thought I would take you through my standard type of day and talk a little about what I do in my role.
7:00/7:10AM – Although work starts at 7:30AM, I like to be early. With some time on my hands, I can scroll through my emails, look at what the day will be like for me and plan it out.
7:30AM to 12:00PM – What time of the financial period it is greatly affects what type of tasks I will be doing.
If it is before our period end, I tend to do miscellaneous jobs to help my coworkers with their tasks and do my weekly tasks to report to the business. Much of my job is to help those within the company and our clients with important tasks like setting up account codes, reporting hours of work that have been done, or fixing accounting charges. I also ensure that we code certain accounts properly and I reconcile some of our accounts to make sure when period end rolls around we can report the proper numbers.
If it is period end my tasks do change a little bit as I am helping my team report the activities that happened in the past four weeks to the business. Along with my period end tasks I still must make sure that I am filling the same responsibilities as above. My period end tasks include building up various journal entries to post to our general ledger and it includes more reconciling for some of our bigger projects.
12:00PM to 1:00PM – Lunch time! The one great thing about my team is that we are all very close with each other and are massive foodies! Very often, we all get together to have a special lunch. Some of our favourite lunches to have together are always sushi, Humble Pie or Chanooey’s! I can’t forget our practically daily coffee trip; our team runs on caffeine. This honestly has been one of my favourite parts of my day because it is just an hour of the day that puts work aside and we can just have some fun and bond.
1:00PM to 4:00PM – Just like I mentioned in my mornings, this time of my day is made to catch up on work and finish tasks, hop on any meetings that are scheduled for the day, or work on some of my period end requirements.
4:00PM – As a co-op student you are not expected to stay late or work beyond the work hours but there have been times that I have stayed a little bit late to ensure that I meet my deadlines. So, at four I head out for the day and hope that there is not a ton of traffic on the way home.
After I get home, I work on some of my school projects that I have for the week, watch some Netflix, go on a walk, or I will just hang around with my roommates. I think the most important part is to remember to create a healthy work-life balance, making sure that your work is not consuming all your time, and you still make time to do things that you enjoy!
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
Blog #5: Not a Goodbye but a See Ya Later!
As it comes to the last couple days of my second term and I reflect on the past eight months all I can think is how grateful I am for this opportunity. JDI Finance gave me the start to my career, and they have really helped shape me into the working professional I am becoming.
Starting off on the shipbuilding team, I was welcomed with open arms and thrown into work right away. On this team I was able to get opportunity after opportunity to learn and grow, and truly that is more than I could’ve ever asked for. After these eight wonderful months this team feels like my own little work family. I am beyond thankful to have had the chance to learn from each one of them. A special thank you to Kate Horne for seeing potential in me when I first stepped into the office for my interview and taking a chance on me, you are such an amazing boss!
Although this may be the end of my work term this is not the last you may see of me. I am happy to say that I will be back here in the new year working part time for a couple months supporting this awesome team.
The best thing about working for JDI is that there are endless opportunities to grow, whether that be within your team or within the whole company, there is always room to learn and do more. This is a place that encourages the challenge and wants you to get as much experience as you can. So, if you are in the co-op hunt, I highly recommend giving J.D. Irving a try!
Thank you for keeping up with my blogs this fall, it has been a pleasure sharing my knowledge! If you want to know more about being a co-op student at JDI keep up with these blogs or reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have questions about being an Accounting Co-op Student.
Happy Holidays and I wish you all the best in the New Year!
Lauren
Some of you may be reading my blog posts and thinking “Okay what you’re telling us is great but is what you’re learning really something you’ll use forever?”. My answer to that question is the same as what your high school teachers said when you used to ask them if you’d ever really use what they’re teaching you in the real world: YES!
To reassure you, here are 4 things I think everyone will learn when they do a co-op term with JDI:
How you work
Working in a professional environment is a lot different than managing coursework at school. During a work term you’ll learn a lot about yourself, especially what it takes for you to be motivated and excited about your work. You’ll also be able to learn how best to prioritize your work and what helps you stay organized to get things done.
It’s good to take risks
To clarify, I’m not saying you should run wild and try to do everything yourself. What I mean is that after you’re comfortable with your role, sometimes it’s good to take a chance with something or make an independent decision. You might end up being wrong or making a mistake, but that’s just another chance for you to learn.
The work culture you want
School is way different than a professional work environment because most of the people around you are the same age and dealing with the same problems. Working in a “real” work environment for a co-op term can help you figure out the culture you’ll be looking for when you start your career. Luckily for me, the culture at Lake Utopia is a definite example of what I’d like to be a part of. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and approachable – which is great for a student who has a lot of questions.
What your future career will be
My supervisor told me that there are three “L’s” that will help you decide what your full-time job will look like: Love, Location and Lifestyle. One of the things your co-op term will help you figure out is if you love that industry, job, or company. You can adjust your future job searches accordingly when you know what you love from an actual experience. Location and lifestyle might not be as easy to figure out as a student, but you have to wake up every day and do your job, so loving what you do is really important.
I will never forget my first day of my first term at Irving Shipbuilding, as I walked through Halifax Shipyard for the first time. At the end of orientation, all the new hires, (several of which were co-op students from my own university!) were brought on a tour of the yard to see shipbuilding in action. It was quite a significant thing to witness in person.
It is a massive production line that extends 4 football fields – with several ships in various stages of production. Plates of steel are mark the beginning of the ship as you enter the Assembly Hall. Laser cutters make precision cuts for the steel to be welded and formed. As you move down the hall the mega blocks (there are 3) are taking shape. At the end of the Assembly Hall, the awesome mega block is in front of the massive blue hangar door, ready to be moved 27 metres high, 2600 tonnes of ship!
Caption: Stern and Centre Mega Blocks for the third Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the future HMCS Max Bernays move from the Assembly Hall at Halifax Shipyard to be joined at land level, January 2021.
Stern megablock (1) being moved alongside centre megablock (2)
A lot has changed since that first tour of the Halifax Shipyard. Those steel plates I was initially surrounded by at the entrance of the building are now pictured above in the form of the recently moved Mega Blocks for the third of six Artic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) being built for the Royal Canadian Navy. This move was a major milestone for the program.
In addition, during my 2020 co-op term, HCMS Harry DeWolf (AOPS 1) was being prepared for test and trials – it has since been delivered to Canada’s Navy and is in active service. At the same time, the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program has been progressing quickly! The team is working on the Preliminary Design Phase right now to ensure the CSC design is meets the requirements set out by Canada for the various missions the Royal Canadian Navy will undertake with this new class of ship. Everyone is working hard to have everything ready in time for when the fast-paced build of AOPS ships has concluded.
It is an exciting place to be as a Naval Architect – part of a new era of sophisticated ships. There is always something new –and interesting— to be observed or learned. Adapting quickly and using every opportunity to take in something new has meant some really rewarding assignments!
December 14, 2021
