During my co-op at RBC PH&N Investment Services, I developed an internal tool to streamline our team's Will and Estate processes. The project aimed to replace a time-consuming, three-person process with a more efficient, automated solution. The previous method involved one team member handling client calls, another searching for client details, and a third verifying the information. With the tool I created, a single person can now generate the entire Estate package for the client’s family with just the press of a button, completing a process that once took multiple hours in under a minute.
My co-op experience was unique because I had full ownership of a critical project that the team had been eager to implement for years. This project not only allowed me to exercise my technical skills in VBA but also taught me how to manage a project independently, from idea generation to final implementation. The freedom to approach the project with minimal oversight fostered my ability to make independent decisions, seek guidance when necessary, and be fully accountable for the results.
Throughout the work term, I developed a wide range of skills. Technically, I mastered VBA and applied it in a real-world context to solve a significant problem for my team. On a personal level, I learned the importance of communication and collaboration, as reaching out to colleagues for their expertise was crucial to the project's success. Additionally, I gained valuable insights into the finance and legal aspects of the estate process, deepening my understanding of investment account types and Canadian estate laws.
One of the main challenges during this project was dealing with a significant amount of outdated and inconsistent documentation within the team. The existing documents and processes were not aligned, which created inefficiencies and confusion. I identified these areas of improvement and highlighted them to the team. As a result, they are now planning to address these inconsistencies and update their documentation to better support future work, which will further enhance the overall efficiency of our processes.
Furthermore, this project has significantly influenced my career aspirations. I discovered a passion for process optimization and data-driven decision-making, which I plan to pursue further in my studies and future career. The experience has reinforced my desire to work in roles that blend technical expertise with financial and legal knowledge, shaping my long-term career plans in the field of financial technology and process management.
As the sole developer of this tool, I managed the entire project from concept to completion, which involved independently learning VBA, collaborating with team members to understand their needs, and creating comprehensive technical and user guides to ensure the project's sustainability.