Biz Weekly Feature
Student Stories
Celebrating Your Achievements and Milestones!
Meet Afaf Osman, a 2nd-year Global Business major student at the Dhillon School, and a rising star in building meaningful connections and exploring career paths.
As a new Dhillon student, Afaf is diving into workshops and opportunities to connect with professionals across industries. She credits early engagement and genuine connections for helping her explore career paths and build confidence.
“Be friendly, seek opportunities, and put yourself out there – connections and success often follow intentional, genuine effort.” - Afaf Osman
- What has your experience as a new Dhillon student been like so far, and what opportunities or experiences have helped you feel more confident exploring your career path?
As a new DSB student, I've found my experience so far to be exciting, supported by helpful professors and faculty in Advising and Student Professional Development. It has only been a couple of weeks since the semester started, and I am enjoying all the various events, such as workshops and the Career Fair. These experiences allowed me to engage with professionals from various industries, which is especially important for gaining insight into how different industries work, and which one is the right fit for me.
2. Can you share a moment where making a connection or reaching out to someone made a difference for you? What did you take away from that experience
A moment I remember vividly is when my best friend, who works for a local software company, asked me if I was available to help her and her team move boxes as they moved to a new building. I agreed and spent the day with her team, including the company's founder. I was able to connect with the founder with common interests, values and a sense of humour, and went on about my day. A few years later, the founder of the company was on a board for a social services agency that was hiring someone with my skill set, and he recommended me! I worked for the agency for two years before returning to university this semester. That experience stayed with me because I would’ve never guessed that a random evening of helping my friend would change my life so much for the better.
3. What advice or tips would you share with other students who are just starting to explore networking, career opportunities, or putting themselves out there?
Be friendly, seek opportunities, and put yourself out there—connections and success often follow intentional, genuine effort. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs you may not meet all the requirements for, and advocate for yourself. Finally, you already have a built-in network being a DSB student, so utilize it!