Jacqueline Stesco
MA in International Affairs (2011)
- What field of work are you in, and what duties are required in your position?
I am in Risk Management. Currently, I work at the Canada Revenue Agency in their Enterprise Risk Management function. I am responsible for reviewing the risk management of all Agency projects valued at over $1M, I complete Internal Fraud Risk Assessments and I do ad-hoc risk advisories with clients across the Agency to help identify and mitigate their risks.
- What challenges did you face when looking for work after graduating?
I wanted to work for the government and when I graduated, there was a hiring freeze. No jobs to be had. I pivoted and expanded my horizons to the private sector landing a job at EY. Working at EY was the perfect solution. Working out of the Ottawa office, most of my clients were government so I was able to soak up all the experience I needed to eventually transition into government.
- How did you arrive at your current position?
I found my current position via my network. I knew about the function through my previous consulting work and was intrigued. When I heard that there was an opening, I jumped!
- What advice would you give to a graduate student looking to follow a career path similar to yours?
There is no one way to achieve a goal. Few people achieve what they want right off the bat. Often, it takes a little maneuvering. I think that understanding how what you’re doing now will connect to the next step will be more helpful in the long run and will get you to where you want to go!
Jacqueline Stesco has been involved with Carleton’s Alumni Mentoring program. The Alumni Mentors program pairs motivated upper-year students and recent graduates with an alumni mentor. Mentors are established professionals who help students and recent graduates develop skills for the workplace and expand their professional networks.