Career
Meet Our Analyst Rotation Program Participants
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
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Our investment platform is dynamic and diverse, spanning geographies, public and private markets and a wide spectrum of risk profiles and investment strategies. It’s an ideal training ground for young professionals seeking exposure to a broad range of learning opportunities within commercial real estate.
We created our Analyst Rotation Program to help students and early career professionals learn real estate fundamentals and gain exposure to a wide array of potential career paths within the real estate industry. Over the course of two years, program participants get the chance to complete three placements across different areas of our business. The first two placements are typically within our Investments and Asset Management teams. The third placement provides exposure to other business functions – such as development, investor relations or marketing – and could be located in another regional office, giving participants exposure to international markets.
The Rotation Program is open to new analysts who join Slate with under two years of work experience. Our objective is to train well-rounded professionals and provide ample opportunities for internal networking and knowledge sharing between teams and colleagues. As part of that effort, senior leaders at Slate also hold weekly “office hours,” where they offer mentorship, skills training and career guidance to our analyst-level team members.
We see great value in cultivating young talent within our organization, and we strive to give team members the opportunity to continue their learning and development within our business. At the end of the two-year program, our goal is to permanently place participants on one of our teams – based on their personal goals, professional skillset and the needs of the firm – so they can continue their growth at Slate.
We asked two of our newest Rotation Program participants, Jacky Black and Will Graham, to share a bit about their experience so far.
What is unique about Slate compared to other firms you’ve interned or worked at?
Jacky: The entrepreneurial culture is a big part of what attracted me to Slate. During my interview process, I learned that I would have the opportunity to take on interesting and important projects – and that benefit was reinforced during my summer internship and now as an analyst. Getting to contribute in a really hands-on way has been a great learning experience for me. And it makes me feel that, even as an analyst, I’m part of the bigger picture.
Will: Feeling as though I’m a critical part of the team and that my work directly contributes to the success of the firm has been a really rewarding experience for me. I’m given a significant amount of ownership over my work and the autonomy to determine my own approach and process for the projects I’m working on. At the same time, I have a lot of support and guidance from my team when I need it. I think that balance is really unique.
What kind of skills are you learning on your current rotation, and how have your teammates helped in that process?
Jacky: I started the Rotation Program as an Asset Management Analyst in the Calgary office. The biggest value-add for me so far has been the wide range of projects that I’ve already gotten to work on – from budgeting, to leasing to spending time on site at our redevelopments. My teammates have quickly integrated me into our various workstreams while taking the time to explain important nuances to me and encouraging me to ask questions. Being immersed in the day-to-day operations and management of our properties has already taught me so much about the real estate industry as a whole.
Will: In my current rotation, I’ve been helping manage assets within Slate’s Canadian Real Estate Opportunity Funds. This includes a wide range of responsibilities, like identifying acquisition and disposition opportunities, implementing asset management strategies and assisting with investor reporting. My teammates have been instrumental in helping me learn the ins and outs of the asset management business. Having mentors dedicated to my success who are always willing to explain a model or answer a question has been really beneficial in getting up to speed quickly.
What are you most looking forward to for the duration of the program?
Jacky: This program is a really unique opportunity to gain experience across a range of roles and functions within the span of two years – while benefiting from a really supportive and collaborative environment. I’m excited to continue developing holistic perspective on the industry and also gain a better understanding of the various teams and capabilities within Slate. It will be interesting to apply the knowledge I learned during my Asset Management rotation to my placements on other teams across the business.
Will: The Analyst Rotation Program is helping me discover what I’m passionate about and what kind of career within real estate I’m most interested in. As an intern, I had the opportunity to work on some of Slate’s credit transactions, including our credit facility to InnVest Hotels last year. I really enjoyed that experience and am looking forward to my placement on the Investments team in the coming months, so I can gain more exposure to that area of our business.
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