Transformational: How Luis Bridgeman Went from York University Graduate to RBC Market Surveillance and Never Looked Back
“I was really looking for my first opportunity to get into the professional market. And that’s exactly what Career Edge gave me.”
Luis Bridgeman graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from York University in 2019 and landed at RBC’s market surveillance division through Career Edge. It sounds straightforward. But what happened inside that role – the relationships built, the confidence developed, the professional identity formed – is what he’s still drawing on today.
He describes the internship in one word: transformational. 
“The experience really gave me exposure to working in my first professional business setting, developing relationships, and nurturing my confidence. With all those things coming together, that helped really transform and shape the beginning of my career.”
He breaks it down into three ingredients: working cross-functionally, mentorship, and building confidence. Not technical skills. Not certifications. The things that compound quietly over a career and show up years later in ways you didn’t expect.
The most valuable lesson he took from the experience was deceptively simple.
“Be curious and ask questions. Your early experience, when entering whatever industry it is, is going to be shaped a lot by those you work with and those above you. The more you can be intentional about the questions you ask, it demonstrates a level of openness and willingness to learn, and other folks will notice that as you continue to progress.”
The advice he’d give his younger self goes a step further, into the specific moments that feel the most uncomfortable.
“Ask questions in a public setting. You might find yourself in a team meeting where your manager has a question for you or the group, and you don’t have the answer. That’s pretty typical at the start of your career. But that’s actually the perfect moment to ask your question out loud. It gives your manager trust and confidence in you, and it gives you a way to understand things moving forward.”
Vulnerability in public, it turns out, reads as strength.
On what employers can do better for early career hires, Luis’s answer mirrors his own experience almost exactly:
“Give them meaningful work – work that will actually move the needle. And offer some form of mentorship. When you allow someone to have work of meaningful value, they get invested in what they’re doing every day. When you pair that with mentorship, it allows them to really leverage their ability to ask thoughtful questions.”
And for Career Edge on its 30th anniversary, from someone whose career it quietly set in motion:
“Congratulations on reaching 30 years, that’s a significant milestone. It’s wonderful that programs like Career Edge exist, especially in Canada, for over 30 years. Thirty years of helping transform entry-level folks, or those new to a profession or industry – that can genuinely change someone’s life.”
Want to learn more about Luis and his journey, watch the full video here