Data strategist shapes her career, her way with RBC’s support.
Jasmine Blakemore
Senior Manager, Data Strategy
A career in the financial services industry wasn’t on Jasmine’s radar when she graduated from university. Although she had a master’s degree in statistics, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do until she discovered RBC’s Graduate Rotation Program. The year-long internship program helps young people gain work experience so that they can become marketable to employers across many different industries.
“It was the perfect experience for where I was at,” she explains. “The internship allowed me to explore a variety of jobs to see what I enjoyed.”
Jasmine couldn’t have known at the time that her internship would set the stage for a series of progressive roles, focused on everything from business development to artificial intelligence, to digital banking. Now as a senior manager in data strategy, she’s able to look back and see how each role helped shape her versatile experience and how RBC supported her along the way.
“RBC gives you so many great opportunities and challenges throughout your career. Part of career development is planning, but part of it is putting your hand up as opportunities arise, too,” she says.
Jasmine raised her hand last year to be part of RBC’s Social Impact Learning Program, where employees form volunteer teams to help community groups solve business problems. Her team helped YWCA Canada evaluate staff training platforms to identify one that worked for their post-pandemic needs.
“I used a lot of my existing skills and developed new ones while our team provided immediate value, which was so fulfilling,” she says. “And the fact that RBC encouraged me to work with the YWCA twice a week was really incredible. It’s great to work for an organisation that supports the community.”
Over the course of her 10-year career, Jasmine’s roles may have changed, but her approach to career development has not. Continual learning and smart risk-taking are behaviours she’s encouraging on her team and beyond.
“We don’t lose anything by trying,” she says. “Learning, growing and trying new things is encouraged at RBC and it’s so fulfilling.”
