Employers Benefit by Hiring Extraordinary Talent from Western
Employer: Highstreet Asset Management
Supervisor: Robert Yan
Students: Michael Liu and Jack Zhao
Position: Research Intern
Timeline of Internship: Summer 2017
Program: Economics, Ivey, Statistics, Law
Degree: Master of Financial Economics
My Experience Recruiting at Western MFE – Robert Yan, Highstreet Asset Management
How did the process of hiring a Western student work for you?
The hiring process is one of the key strategic planning efforts of our company. We spent quite a lot of time in the past couple of years hiring Western MFE students as summer research assistants. The process is usually kicked off around January each year. We clearly defined the position requirements and then used the interview process to find out the right candidates who have the necessary skills, experience, and motivation. Our process resulted in great co-op hiring and some full time investment staff conversion.
What skills and abilities from Western students do you value most?
An aspiring candidate for research assistant, from our company’s perspective, should have, at minimum, a background in finance, mathematics and computer programming. In addition, we also look for the ability to work well with a team and good communication skills.
What benefits have you experienced from hiring Western students for co-op, internship and practicum opportunities?
For us, co-op students are good source of manpower to fill human resource needs for short-term projects and the hiring also provides an opportunity to evaluate potential candidates for full-time employees. As well, co-op students are able to offer a great infusion of energy to our team as they are eager to learn and to make a difference.
Why would you recommend employers recruit at Western?
We have been hiring MFE co-op students for four years and we found that they have solid educational background and a strong desire to contribute. It is a win-win situation for both our company and the students.
