We caught up with Quest alum Xaviera Diaz, who loves her job with TD Bank Group in downtown Toronto.
Tell us a bit about what you do.
I’m the Enterprise Employee Experience consulting lead for the bank. I work as an internal consultant with different lines of business-building strategies for employee experience that are customized and aligned with their business strategies.
Why did you choose this career?
At Quest, I realized that for my career to be meaningful and fulfilling I’d need to have large-scale positive impact. Working in a big organization definitely provides that type of opportunity! I chose my role carefully. I get exposure to all types of businesses throughout TDBG, and the objective for the work I do is to create positive impact for the entire enterprise (85,000+ people), which is pretty unique!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
That no two days are the same! I have a bunch of projects on the go at all times. Some are long-term and will take more than six months, while others are only a couple of hours.
I like working in a lot of whitespace and maturing the work that we currently do by adding my own perspective and innovations. I have tons of exposure to business lines across the bank. The exposure is critical in helping me figure out what else I’m interested in, and what other spaces I may want to grow my career in the future. There are so many opportunities out there—one of the hardest parts is knowing where to look!
How do you feel Quest prepared you?
Taking one class at a time, but having three or four different deliverables due (presentations, essays, exams, etc.) very much mimics what my work is like today.
Quest helped me build confidence in my voice and perspective through round-table discussions and working with such diverse classmates. It’s important to speak up in order to add value, but also equally important to listen and create a space where everyone feels comfortable to have their voice heard. Quest taught me to be able to make informed decisions and take ownership for them.
Going through the Keystone process forces you to own your learning. I’ve found that my ability to make informed decisions with ownership adds a ton of value in the workplace–it’s definitely not something people are typically comfortable with.