The Transportation & Customs program at Seneca provided me with the soft and hard skills that workplaces require. The courses taught me how to get the job done with a great customer service-minded attitude. In addition, the co-op program provided me with amazing opportunities to experience the industry and eventually helped me get to where I am now in my career. I am incredibly grateful for the support from professors and faculty at Seneca.

I used to manage retail logistics for Canada Goose and now I work for Aritzia. My job is to manage the transportation budget and identify our financial wins and opportunities with action items for external clients. I also work with internal and external teams to ensure Aritzia provides excellent delivery service to elevate the client experience. 

I started my studies at Seneca in the International Transportation & Customs (TCS) program in 2017. Shortly afterwards, I got a job through the Seneca Works Career portal and I was hired by Applied Lubrication Technology as a customs co-ordinator.

In this position, I had the opportunity to co-ordinate overall importing and exporting processes within the company, ensure compliance to regulations and create the procedures for the area. It was a challenging environment as the company imported thousands of parts and exported hundreds of pieces of equipment dealing with countries such as the United States, Thailand and China. Also, I had the opportunity to help a new distribution operation in Mexico and to visit important clients such as Honda, ABC and Magna in Queretaro, about 220 km northwest of Mexico City.

After working in customs for the company, I went on to collaborate in purchasing, logistics, customer service, quality management and the financial department. I continued my education and earned some important certifications, such as the International Transportations & Trade (CIFFA), Customs Compliance Specialist (Canadian Society of Customs Broker) and Internal Auditor (ISO 9001 - BSI).

Recently, I accepted a new challenge to become a customs and vendor specialist at Prodomax Automation.

Prodomax is part of Jenoptik group and employs more than 200 staff, who specialize in automation for the automotive industry. I ensure compliance in the customs area, support business partners with the customs process, problem solve and collaborate to make procurement and purchasing efficient.

I am passionate about making things happen, achieving results and solving problems. Seneca represented an important step for me to become a professional in international trade and all that entails in a business environment in Canada.

Seneca taught me many essential skills I would have not learned anywhere else and that was crucial for my personal and career development. Due to the technical training Seneca provided, I have been able to achieve the following industry accreditations:

• Certified Customs Specialist
• Customs Broker Professional Examination
• CIFFA Certificate
• IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations Certificate
• MSR Customs Automation Certificate
• International Transportation and Customs Diploma
• Certified Trade Compliance Specialist Program (in progress)

I came into the program with zero knowledge about customs and freight forwarding. By the end of the second year, I was well equipped to begin my journey in the workforce. 

Thanks to a curriculum that teaches the important fundamentals, dedicated and knowledgeable professors and an exciting learning environment, I was able to take what I learned and apply it to my daily work, which was exactly what I wanted.

I started working with Universal Logistics in May 2016 and I was responsible for high value truck and courier clearances. After working with the customs operations team providing transactional and technical support, I was promoted to the role of team leader – border clearances. In May of 2021, I was promoted to the role of manager, where I continue to work to enhance our border clearance processes.  

Over the past five years, I have been our lead person during the complex implementation of Canada Border Services Agency’s initiatives for data sharing, such as the single window initiative and the integrated import declaration release process. This required an understanding of the reporting requirements associated with the mandatory participating government agencies. I continue to look for ways to improve operations, support team members and provide the highest level of client service.

The International Transportation & Customs Program taught me the fundamentals of the logistics industry and Canadian customs. It gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge to employers and prepared me for all the challenges I’ve experienced in my career. The program provided me with a comprehensive overview of all modes of transportation, which enabled me to take on a variety of specialized jobs in the field.

The professors are dedicated individuals who have experienced the industry firsthand and do their utmost to prepare you for the everyday adventures you’ll experience on the job. In addition, the course material is detailed and very relatable to what you’ll experience when starting your career in the industry.

I’ve been in various jobs with Kuehne+Nagel for about 11 years. I started as an apprentice and worked in airfreight exports, sea freight imports and exports. After that I was fortunate enough to obtain a full-time position within the sea freight export department. I worked as a co-ordinator and gradually moved into a customer service representative role.

After a few years, I was promoted to a new position as a logistics specialist in the automotive sector. In this position, I had the opportunity to look after some of our largest automotive clients within the central region. A few years later, I was promoted to a business development role as an account executive. I have been in this role for four years and it allows me to work with a wide range of customers using logistics services in all modes of transport.

I am a proud supporter of Seneca’s program as it helped me become knowledgeable, confident and successful in a very fast-paced and an ever-changing industry. I highly recommend the program. It will prepare you for a future in the industry. And remember if I can do it, you can too!

The Transportation & Customs program fully prepared me for my first role in the industry. It's definitely the perfect mix between theory and practical exercise. All the professors in the program were well equipped to teach us what companies are looking for in candidates. I will be forever thankful and a proud Seneca graduate!

I worked for almost one year at Anixter Canada as a transportation and customs analyst right after finishing my last semester. I then worked at DHL Express Canada as a logistical vehicle system brokerage analyst for more than a year before transitioning to sales-focused roles such as sales lead qualifier and telesales account executive for two years.

After five years in the transportation and customs space, I decided to take on a new challenge in the software as a service and technology industries. I worked for six months as a business development representative at Stack8 Technologies (now ZIRO) and currently work as an account executive for small business at HubSpot Canada.