Ontario university student lands Shopify internship with viral video pitch

A perfect pitch has helped a university student in Ontario land an internship. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk tells us how she stood out.

A student at the University of Waterloo has secured a major internship opportunity after pitching herself in a social media video that’s racked up more than one million views.

Julia Fedorin, a fourth-year communications and design practice student, pitched herself to Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify in a minute-long video shared to X.

“If you’re all about bold ideas, then here’s mine: Let me be your first,” Fedorin said in the video, referring to her application to be the company’s first marketing intern.

In the video, the 22-year-old from Waterloo, Ont., listed her credentials and discussed her interest in joining the company as a marketing intern. Hours later, it caught the eye of Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lutke, Chief Operating Officer Kaz Nejatian, and President Harley Finkelstein.

“My mindset going into applying to companies as big as Shopify was, I was thinking the long-term game,” Fedorin explained. “I’ll post this video, I’ll show Shopify I’m interested.”

Fedorin said she expected a call back once she graduated and had more experience.

“Never did I think it would happen in under 24 hours,” she said.

While Fedorin won’t be Shopify’s first marketing intern, she will be in a first-of-its-kind role working with the company’s creative teams.

“Julia created an opportunity that didn’t exist through bold, public action,” a Shopify spokesperson told CTV News in a statement.

“Going from viral video to team member in less than a day isn’t just a good story – it’s how we operate when we spot exceptional talent that embodies our values, especially from innovation hubs like Waterloo.”

Fedorin said she’s looking forward to starting at Shopify’s Toronto office in the fall.

“I feel like there’s going to be so much creative freedom and so many opportunities to experiment,” she said. “The world is going to be my oyster.”

For those who may be looking to follow in Fedorin’s footsteps, her advice is to just go for it.

“You can just do it,” she said. “You can just do anything, and you don’t have to wait for anyone’s permission.

“You don’t have to overthink too much,” she added. “Just try it out.”