Diya Chandna is just like the majority of the class of 2026. She knows her visit to Convocation Hall is scheduled for 10 June. The Trinity College graduand also knows she has fully earned her degree as an Economics Major, with English and Psychology Minors. Beyond those details? She doesn’t know precisely what is next. She is on the hunt for her first job after convocation.

Chandna’s situation is completely normal. Only a handful of students finish undergraduate degrees with a spot at graduate school or an entry level position lined up.  What students like Chandna know is that the world is full of opportunities. She is positive, proactive and thoughtful about how her education and industry fit together. She knows what kind of position she wants to find.

“Last summer, I interned with Starbucks India and worked on their rewards team, where we were studying consumer behavior, things like which rewards get claimed and why,” Chandna said. “I remember thinking, ‘I learned this in my behavioral economics classes.’ It was really satisfying to see the theory I learned at U of T play out in a genuine business setting. I understood not just what worked, but why it worked.”

She’s thinking in terms that matter to employers. She knows how to apply theories about consumer behaviour to real world marketing scenarios. She’s comfortable using data to see how rewards and incentives can be fine tuned to meet the needs of international markets while respecting brand contexts. [Read more…]