Since 2004, VersaFi has invited young women and gender-diverse senior high school students with an interest in business to spend a day in the Canadian financial district. Offered in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, Job Shadow Day is a free, day-long program that gives students a unique first-hand view of exciting and rewarding careers in finance.
This interactive day includes a morning session complete with workshops, mentoring sessions, and presentations profiling women with diverse careers in finance. Event participants are able to network with sector thought leaders and learn about their career paths and professional experiences. The afternoon component grants students access to a sector professional mentor from one of our sponsor firms, who will share advice and insights into their daily professional life, role, and responsibilities. Students will also have the unique opportunity to tour the offices of Canada’s major financial institutions.
Over its 21-year lifespan, more than 2,500 high school students have participated in this acclaimed high school program, many of whom have continued on to pursue careers in finance due to their experience with Job Shadow Day.
Inspiring the next generation to pursue academics and career paths in business and finance, VersaFi’s high school programming is leading through education and experience by leveraging our network and access to Canada’s largest financial institutions.
If I could give advice to a future student attendee, I would say: take full advantage of this opportunity. Be open, ask questions, and soak in as much information as you can. This event not only gives you valuable exposure to real-world careers but also shows you that there is strong support for young women entering traditionally male-dominated industries like finance and accounting. It’s an eye-opening experience that could really shape your educational and career choices.
Thank you so much for organizing Job Shadow Day! I cannot stress how eye opening it was for me to realize how strong women can (and should) be in the finance industry. I kept being inspired by all the amazing stories and things these professional women are doing and sharing everyday! I want to let you know how purposeful and impactful VersaFi is to me. I never imagined I would be able to speak with all the Directors and VPs personally and learn about their careers, being only in grade 12.
I am extremely excited to attend more VersaFi events and to become a mentee when I am in university.
Being part of the Job Shadow Day event allowed me to gain a better understanding of the career field and what it has to offer, including the teamwork, problem-solving, and communication that go into each day. One memorable moment was learning about each professional’s different and special path. It showed and reminded me that there is no set route to success and that everyone’s journey is unique. Some learned about their interests early on, while others discovered them through different experiences. If I were to give advice to a future student attendee, I would say to go in with an open mind and not to be afraid to ask questions. You will learn so much just by being present, observing, and actively listening. This experience can help clarify your goals, explore different careers within the industry, and get a feel for what your future could look like.
My experience with VersaFi was genuinely unforgettable. We started by touring Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, where we heard from an inspiring speaker who showed us that professionalism and personal style and beliefs can go hand-in-hand. The highlight, though, was the panel discussion—unlike most panels, the advice shared here was extremely practical, relevant, and genuinely helpful for people our age.
My group then visited Birch Hill Equity Partners, where we had one-on-one conversations with successful professionals in our fields of interest. They were so down-to-earth and spoke to us really humbly, offering real, thoughtful career advice. We also got to explore different areas of business—finance, investment banking, accounting, and analytics—in a way that was both informative and super fun because of how engaging it was. It was an amazing opportunity that left me feeling inspired and more confident about my future.
I kept on being inspired by all the amazing stories and things these professional women were sharing and doing everyday! I never imagined I would be able to speak with all the directors and VPs personally and learning about their careers being only in Grade 12.
The Heather L. Main Memorial Scholarship is a comprehensive $25K scholarship, Capital Markets summer internship, bespoke coaching and VersaFi membership program for women who are graduate students.
VersaFi’s Post-Secondary Mentorship Program pairs young women and gender diverse undergraduate and graduate students with a professional currently working in the finance sector.
