Aimee Gagnon attended Langara College as a mature student, having previously graduated art school in Toronto before moving into the commercial world for a number of years. Determined to progress her career and advance into more senior management positions, Aimee enrolled in the Marketing Management BBA program at Langara, and integrated a co-op placement with her studies, working as marketing manager for an independent beverage company.
Making the decision to fit Co-op into her busy study timetable wasn’t an easy one: “At the time, it might seem like the process is onerous with all of the other things you have going on in your life, but co-op is invaluable. It is a great way to get real, practical experience and it will certainly give you a leg up when you graduate.”
Aimee considers the breadth of skills she gained whilst on co-op as been foundational in shaping her career since graduation, including working with different stakeholders and learning how to more effectively manage people; although she admits this wasn’t always easy: “I was thrown into managing a team of young people including a junior marketing assistant and group of brand ambassadors. It was really a sink-or-swim kind of situation, which is what the real working world is like – good experience to get early on!”
Since graduating Aimee has Co-founded a Fintech company called Dojo, where she works as VP of Marketing. Dojo is in the final stages of development of a unique app, a financial management tool for families to teach their kids how to manage their money. The added bonus, Aimee says, is that she is now able to pass on her experience directly, “I got to see the value of Co-op in students’ careers, and today I am in a position where I can actually return the favor by hiring co-op students.