Easha Gossain

Sun Life is a leader in the financial services industry. I knew coming out of school that I wanted to pursue a career in finance and wealth, so the opportunity to work for a leader in this space was ideal for me. The exciting thing about Sun Life is that it has business units which span the capital markets, employer benefits, pension de-risking, asset management, insurance, and more. It’s not a typical insurance company. Sun Life offers you the ability to rotate between a variety of business areas and gain exposure to the financial services world in a really broad way, and that was what attracted me.

I tried to demonstrate that I not only did well in school, but that I was well-rounded and had other interests outside of the classroom.  Confidence is important, and being able to understand Sun Life’s big picture business and its global operations was key.

There isn’t any day that’s “typical”. Every day is something new and different. When I first arrive to the office in the morning, I read the news and scan industry newsletters and journals to see what’s going on and keep up to date.  This is very important in a role like mine, where the external environment is very influential on the work we do.  I have multiple projects I’m working on at any one time, so I try to spend a few hours a day working on each.  Depending on what project I have on the go, I could be doing some quantitative work in excel to model how our products perform in certain scenarios, creating income strategies for retirees, or examining market trends to see where we should position products.  The variety of work I have the chance to be involved with is endless.

The most challenging part of my job is being able to deal with different streams of work at the same time.  In any one day, I could be working on three different work streams related to marketing, pricing, and research.  It sometimes can be challenging to juggle a variety of tasks with tight deadlines all at the same time. Sun Life does a great job with helping me meet this challenge through its flexible work arrangements and training. The flexibility to be able to work from home, if I need to, is one example of how I can tailor my workplace to help me be the most productive and efficient I can be. 

Knowing that the work I’m doing directly helps millions of Canadians save and plan for their retirement is a gratifying feeling. It’s nice to know that your work has a direct impact on people and it will outlast you for a long time. I have also been able to learn a lot more about an industry that we constantly hear about but very few new grads directly think about.

Collaborative and friendly.  At Sun Life, people are very open to questions and feedback, making it much easier to transition into a job.  The people I work with are great – we’re able to have a good time on both a personal and professional level.

The people, the variety of job opportunities, and the culture.

It’s hard to say where my career will take me.  One thing that helps is knowing that Sun Life is supportive of your education and career aspirations, and is willing to provide support for you to pursue additional degrees and designations while you are working.  This is a great resource for someone like myself, who is looking to further my education and career at the same time.

Sun Life is a great place to learn about the financial services industry. Opportunities for success are abundant – people are supportive of you pursuing your career goals and are willing to help you get where you want to be.

1. Meet as many people as you can through Sun Life’s networking sessions and on-campus recruiting efforts.
2. Research not only the company, but the industry landscape in which Sun Life operates.
3. It’s not just about your grades or the courses you take – make an effort to make yourself as well-rounded of a candidate as possible.