I work with TD Wealth as a Senior Financial Planner where I assist high net worth individuals, families, corporations, and trusts with portfolio management services and help them achieve their goals such as financial freedom, lifestyle and legacy planning.

The structure of the full-time Project Management program helped prepare me for the realities of the Canadian business environment. During our study period, the workload never seemed to end and the assignments were due back-to-back.  While this was very stressful at times, it also prepared me for my current workplace.

Coming from Chandigarh, India (a town nearly the size of Winnipeg and extraordinarily beautiful too), there were lots of challenges in the early days of my studies. As a new immigrant, my life in Canada was very different - even the cars were driven on the opposite side of the road. Cultural shock shaped many of my first interactions with my domestic classmates at university.
 
Time management was essential to my success, which is especially important to an international student striving for the opportunity of Canadian work experience through the internship program. At one point in my studies, I was working two part-time jobs at almost 18 hours per week, in addition to 30 hours of course lectures during the week, and another 30 hours of homework. Nevertheless, I never had a professor complain about a late assignment, a lack of professionalism in the quality of my work, or poor exam results.

Volunteering through the Internship portion of the program was another valuable tool. Considering the fact that the Project Management Program is only 10 months long, there wasn't enough time for an international student to gain Canadian work experience during the program. That is why I felt it was necessary to give myself this competitive edge, by participating in the internship, as I approached my job search stage.

In the words of Shakespeare, "All's well that ends well." By building connections and staying connected to the right people in the industry, I was the first person in my class to land a great job opportunity. What made the difference? I believe that being proactive and assertive in my job search made me look beyond the want ads and network effectively.

In my estimation, the University of Winnipeg is an academic hub that brings together students from around the globe and nurtures them for a better life, while imparting unmatched quality education.

Paramvir Khurana
Senior Financial Planner
TD Wealth Financial Planning