Working at Level5 this past summer was an unforgettable experience. From Day 1, I was surrounded by an immediate sense of family and support, which made my introduction to consulting seamless and immensely welcoming.

I enjoyed the fact that, during my internship, no two days were the same. Unlike many organizations, at Level5 you get the opportunity to work on multiple projects simultaneously, giving you both breadth and depth of experience. This unique work structure accelerated my learning as I was immersed in several different industries. During my four-month internship at Level5, I was part of the strategic visioning process for a start-up; helped conduct a two-day strategic planning workshop with a healthcare regulator’s board and executive team; built a risk management engine for a major public safety regulator in Ontario; and conducted a competitive analysis and communications audit for a clear aligner company. It was exciting to work on multiple projects at one time.

While creating solutions for clients in a number of different industries, I constantly laughed and learned. There is an incredible amount of support and moments of celebration at L5, ranging from monthly socials after work called ‘Level 5 After 4’, volunteering at the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre summer camp, and even visiting a cottage offsite. There are countless opportunities to get to know the culture and bond with everyone.

My summer was not a coffee-running internship. It was a deep dive into what consulting looks and feels like, filled with client meetings, building slide decks, and even working offsite with clients. It was inspiring to be a part of high-impact projects where I constantly felt a sense of ownership with the ability to add value. I even had the unique opportunity to interact with clients in Spanish and French and engage with board members during a two-day strategy workshop.

At Level5, you can also gain exposure to other areas of the business by participating in ‘Strategic Imperatives’ where you dedicate some of your time to help with non-client activities, such as joining the marketing team or participating in recruiting initiatives. These imperatives keep things exciting because you get to collaborate on fun and engaging projects, get to know more L5’ers, and help shape the firm’s success and future direction. This is a unique opportunity for interns that’s generally exclusive to smaller firms. For my ‘Strategic Imperatives’, I developed corporate videos featuring interviews with C-suite executives and training videos that outline L5’s toolkit. Contributing to the firm’s ‘Strategic Imperatives’ allows you to build other skill sets. These learnings, along with the opportunity to collaborate with an amazing team and get client exposure, have helped me grow significantly this summer. I enjoyed getting to know and truly understand the L5 team and culture; the lessons that I learned will last a lifetime. Thank you to Level5 for an inspiring summer filled with laughing and learning!