Every year, Barrington welcomes a new group of co-op students from a variety of disciplines and universities. They arrive with fresh perspectives, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. They leave having contributed to meaningful client work, built lasting relationships, and gained a deeper understanding of what consulting really involves.

This year, Simon Kimbley, Skyler Delorey, and Patricia Tagliapietra joined the Barrington team from Dalhousie University’s Industrial Engineering program while Evan Dennis, Sam Beaton, and Blair Penney joined from Dalhousie University’s Corporate Residency MBA program. Throughout their time with us, they supported projects spanning strategic planning, digital transformation, operational excellence, privacy, and energy.

As they reflected on their time with Barrington, four insights emerged: 

1. Consulting starts with listening.  

Before joining Barrington, many of our students believed consulting was primarily about solving problems and providing recommendations. By the end of the summer, they had developed a much broader perspective. 

Skyler Delorey reflected that she originally viewed consulting as “providing immediate solutions to problems that clients had already identified.” Her experience taught her something different. 

“Effective consulting begins with listening, learning, and understanding the client’s unique context. Rather than jumping straight to solutions, consultants take a holistic approach to ensure recommendations address the broader challenges and underlying root causes.”

Simon Kimbley experienced a similar shift. 

“Before, I thought consulting was mostly analysis and writing reports. Now, I think it’s about understanding problems and helping people make meaningful, lasting improvements.”

For Blair Penney, the biggest realization was that successful consulting extends well beyond analysis. 

“A lot of the time, folks know the problems they’re facing, but they either aren’t empowered to work on them or don’t know how to make the necessary changes. Change management, relationship management, and pulling together the right facts and figures help organizations operate more successfully and efficiently.”

2. Real Projects. Real Impacts.

One of the most rewarding aspects of Barrington’s co-op program is that students contribute to meaningful client work from day one.

Evan supported the development of a strategic plan for a Nova Scotia not-for-profit, working on the project from kickoff through implementation planning. One of his favourite memories was co-facilitating workshops alongside the client team. 

“Interacting with the folks that will ultimately benefit from our work was very meaningful.”

Simon worked alongside the Operations Performance Excellence team supporting ISANS, a leading community organization that welcomes immigrants to Nova Scotia, as they redesigned the newcomer client journey. 

“Knowing it will help newcomers to Canada have a smoother experience was very rewarding.”

Blair supported an enhanced student awards initiative for a Nova Scotia post-secondary institution, giving him the opportunity to contribute throughout the full project lifecycle while seeing the direct impact the work would have on future students. 

Patricia supported Nova Scotia’s Independent Energy System Operator (IESO)’s Integrated Resource Plan, gaining firsthand experience with long-term electricity system planning and optimization modelling. 

“It was especially interesting to see how legislation is translated into model constraints that help guide future planning decisions.”

Meanwhile, Sam supported several Privacy Impact Assessments for a provincial government client while helping develop supporting assets and training materials. At the same time, Skyler contributed to an internal initiative exploring how AI and automation could streamline Barrington’s proposal evaluation and bidding process. 

Across every service line, students were trusted to contribute, alongside their Barrington colleagues, to deliver work that matters.

3. Learning to think like a consultant.

Their co-op terms were as much about developing technical skills as they were about developing a consulting mindset. 

For Skyler, that meant learning to ask better questions. 

“By focusing on questions that generate meaningful insights, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of stakeholder needs, uncover underlying challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement.”  

Patricia found that asking the right questions also helped projects move forward more effectively.

“By preparing in advance and connecting with the right people, I was able to find answers faster and help projects progress more efficiently.” 

Blair developed a newfound appreciation for presentation design.

“I will never review another slide without using gridlines and guides.” 

While Blair’s comment was lighthearted, it reflected a larger lesson: small details matter when communicating with clients. 

Evan discovered the importance of proactive communication. 

“Creating a no-surprises experience is key. If anyone is asking for an update on a task or project, it is a missed opportunity to be proactive.”

For Sam, one of the biggest lessons was adaptability. 

“Being able to learn, pivot, and collaborate effectively will be valuable in any role I have.”

4. More than client work.

While meaningful client work defined much of the co-op experience, so did the relationships that were built along the way. 

Outside the office, many of our students highlighted Barrington’s inaugural softball team, curling events, Lawn Summer Nights (in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada), and Ronald McDonald House’s Home for Dinner program as some of their favourite memories. 

These experiences reinforced what many students said they appreciated most: the people. 

As Evan put it: 

“Lean on your team. I haven’t had a single interaction with someone from Barrington that hasn’t been positive. Everyone wants you to succeed.”

Advice for future co-op students

When asked what advice our co-ops would give to next year’s students, their responses shared a common message. 

Be curious. 

Ask questions. 

Take initiative. 

Say yes to opportunities. 

Blair summarized it best: 

“Your experience, to a large extent, is what you make it and what you ask for.” 

Looking ahead

At Barrington, we believe the best learning happens through meaningful work. Our co-op students aren’t here to observe from the sidelines. They’re trusted to contribute to real projects, collaborate directly with clients, and develop practical skills that extend well beyond the classroom. We look forward to seeing where their careers take them next! 

Top Row L-R: Evan Dennis, Blair Penney, Sam Beaton

Bottom Row L-R: Skyler Delorey, Simon Kimbley, Patricia Tagliapietra

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Nadia Dajani leads the firm’s Operational Performance Excellence practice. Having built her own career at Barrington, Nadia Dajani is deeply committed to developing young talent and fostering the next generation of consulting leaders.