What’s it like to work for an innovative, employee-focused, dynamic supply chain software company? Read on to find out what our current Co-Op/Intern students have to say about the Kinaxis student experience!
Kinaxis employs a variety of Co-Op/Intern students and each student has their own situations and experiences. Learn how they're navigating new experiences and gaining valuable career knowledge in these interviews with Kinaxis Co-Op/Interns, including one who's now a full-time Kinaxis employee.
Ahsan Choudhry
Ahsan has completed his third semester of his 12-month placement in our Finance team as a Tax Intern.
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis? Simply put: People matter here. Kinaxis and their employees adhere to this principle to its fullest and beyond by showcasing respect, care, and communication. Both vertically and horizontally, Kinaxis is one-of-a-kind and people who work here treat each other as friends, family, and neighbors more than just colleagues.
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis? As an Intern coming into the Finance/Tax role, I had to quickly learn various distinct parts of finance. One of the many things I learned while working at Kinaxis was Transfer Pricing. My direct supervisor, the Senior Director of Tax, is an expert on Transfer Pricing so I was able to learn a great deal of information about Transfer Pricing from her when she tasked me with taking the lead on the Transfer Pricing Reports for Kinaxis. She directly supervised me and taught me how she makes important decisions that affect our company on a macro and micro level.
What are some of the highlights of your experience at Kinaxis? In my short time here, I have had many wonderful moments with my team. I think my call with the CFO of Kinaxis was my highlight. I won’t go into detail, but Blaine was incredibly informative, patient, and inspirational. We talked about finance, family, economics, hiking, M&A and career pathing. Blaine left me with some words that really inspired me and I don’t think I will ever forget them.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement? The great thing about working for Irina Oks is that she assigned me with challenging and intensive tasks that she knew I wanted to do! I have always wanted to learn more about M&A, Equity, Capital Structures and Irina put me in an excellent position to do so by assigning me various different tasks. The biggest projects I worked on were probably the Transfer Pricing Reports and the Stock Options and Stock Unit models, where I completely revamped the model top to bottom which our team will now use for the foreseeable future!
What advice would you give to an incoming Co-Op/Intern? The advice I would give to anybody beginning their career is to effectively communicate what your goals are, be curious, always ask questions, and reach out to others in the company for advice, tasks, and for any other reasons. I would frequently reach out to my peers, colleagues and superior officers just to chat and get to know them. I totally understand imposter syndrome – there were times where I would not speak in important meetings, but I was lucky enough to have an incredible superior who supported and encouraged me, which helped me combat that issue. Be confident in yourself and remember that your peers and your superiors were once in your position as well, and at Kinaxis they empathize and respect you. There is a reason you are here, so make the most of it!
Noah Hunt
Noah is completing his second semester of his 8-month placement in our Recruitment Programs team as a Talent Acquisition Coordinator Intern.
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis? The culture at Kinaxis is AMAZING. One of the signature Kinaxis taglines is “People matter here” and that is certainly reflected in the organization's culture. Everyone within the organization wants to see you succeed and reach your professional goals at Kinaxis, and the team here has done a superb job at cultivating a workplace culture where employees feel supported in both their professional and personal lives!
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis? I've learned that there is nothing wrong with asking for help. There are so many members of the Kinaxis team with many years of relevant experience to share with you, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is generally when we ask for help, and lean on one another, that teams will accomplish their best work.
What are some of the highlights of your experience at Kinaxis? While there have been countless positive experiences during my time at Kinaxis, one of the highlights has been the opportunity to come into the Ottawa HQ and interact with the team in-person. On top of how lovely it has been to see some of my team in person, the Ottawa HQ has just about anything you might require (rooftop patio, coffee, beautiful cafeteria, game room, employee gym, brand new meeting rooms, etc.) to ensure that you're well equipped to get a productive day of work in, while of course still having plenty of fun!
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement? Throughout my time as a Talent Acquisition Coordinator Intern working with the Recruitment Programs team, I have had an opportunity to work on a variety of fun projects and initiatives! In this role I've been working with the campus recruitment team to recruit university/college students for open Co-Op/Intern roles with Kinaxis. I have also been responsible for coordinating and signing up the Kinaxis team for a variety of campus recruitment events to recruit students to our Co-Op/Intern program. I also have a lot of regular interview scheduling task responsibilities that involve me collaborating with candidates, hiring managers and other members of the recruitment team to coordinate and schedule interviews.
What advice would you give to an incoming Co-Op/Intern? Treat your placement as a learning experience. Ask questions, ask for help, and if an opportunity is presented to you to gain professional experience in an area you are uncertain with, take it! As I stated earlier, the culture at Kinaxis is all about working as a team and supporting one another. With a Co-Op/Intern placement, you have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this culture, and you'll get the most out of this culture if you approach your placement with a growth mindset! Reach out to your team members and introduce yourself. Ask them about their professional history and experiences that have led them to the position they are in today.
If you aren’t afraid to be wrong, are willing to ask questions, not afraid to make mistakes, and take the initiative to learn from your team, you will THRIVE in your placement at Kinaxis. 😊
Riley Lawson
Riley started as a Co-Op/Intern in our Global Customer Care department. In 2021, Riley was hired as a full-time employee as a Licensing Operations Specialist.
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis? From my experience working at Kinaxis, the company culture is positive and growth oriented. If a person needs help, there is always someone willing to either provide assistance directly or send you in the right direction. Aside from that, Kinaxis continues to invest into the employees in many different ways, which improves everyone’s morale 😊.
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis? I started at Kinaxis in January 2018 as a Co-Op and have grown tremendously in many different areas (personally and professionally)… something that is impossible to summarize in a few sentences. Biggest lessons I learned are building solid working relationships across teams and giving each day your best are both very important. I also learned to cut the negativity, and realized that mistakes are a part of life… it's about learning from them and improving to help the team and company move forward.
What are some of the highlights in your experience at Kinaxis? When I think of highlights working at Kinaxis, I think of the people and relationships I have built over the years, and the incredible amount of wisdom I have been able to gain through my colleagues. Getting the opportunity to learn from experienced leaders in all areas of the company has been invaluable and a huge motivator for me.
Completely unrelated to above – the K-days [Kinaxis is closed on the last Friday of each month to help employees recharge], unlimited vacation, new HQ building, team events, and all other perks of working here are something I value more and more each day.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement? As an Intern, I managed a large project which was a nine-month commitment and very stressful overall, as there were time and resource constraints, plus we were dealing with live customer data. The project was completed successfully and I came out the other side knowing it provided a ton of value to my direct team and the company, and proved to me that if we work hard and do not give up, we can reach our goals. I then leveraged the credibility and experience from that project (and overall role) to start my full-time career at Kinaxis once finishing school.
What advice would you give to an incoming Co-Op/Intern? Best advice I can give: If you make a mistake, no matter how big or small, own it. Meaning, do not try blaming someone else, making excuses, or lie about it, as these are the quickest ways to break trust in a team and organization and look really bad on you. Also, do your best each day, learn as much as you can, and do not be afraid to ask questions.
Ready to apply? Here’s how!
If these personal insights sound like the kind of professional experience you’re looking for, be sure to check out our current Co-Op/Intern opportunities right now. Check back often, as more roles will be posted soon!
All of Kinaxis’ Co-Op/Intern role are posted on our Kinaxis Careers page: https://www.kinaxis.com/en/open-positions
To learn more about the Kinaxis Co-Op/Intern program, please contact me at: jhisko [at] kinaxis [dot] com or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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