Blogs

Throughout this past year, I got to try out a variety of roles working in completely different industries. While all of my positions were marketing-related, each of them tackled a different aspect of digital marketing, challenging me to grow personally and professionally. In this article, I describe my entire Co-op journey and the things I learned along the way. 

This week’s SFU Surrey Co-op featured student is Brandyn Chew, a SIAT student who has been doing some super interesting 3D design work at his co-op job. Brandyn is currently working at OSI Maritime Systems Ltd which is “a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions designed for naval and maritime security operations.”   

Thea translates the knowledge she gained from her Co-op work term as a Student Obesity Medicine Assistant, and with the added contextual challenge of the pandemic, shows how she uses these tips and tricks to improve her personal health. Read on to learn more about her clever advice and see how you can easily incorporate them into your daily life.

While an often overlooked role, administrative work provides multiple opportunities for growth and skill development. Read on to learn from Nicole how the Co-op position she wasn't originally looking for (but found anyways!) taught her how to appreciate the Front Desk.

Shumail had finally landed her first Co-op position as a corporate actuarial intern but there was a catch: the job was in Toronto, she was working remotely from home in Edmonton, all while attending SFU in Vancouver. Read on to learn how she learned key lessons in time management and corporate culture while navigating the work from home life

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the perfect job sector for a Communication student? Social media? Probably. Marketing? Most definitely. Healthcare? Read about Erica's experience jumping into a job at Vancouver Coastal Health - during a pandemic no less!

You may be trying to balance your academic life with your hobbies and work. Feeling burned out is normal when trying to balance your life but you might not want to stop working hard because you built up momentum and still want to reach your goals. Christy knows first-hand how hard this can be. Find out how Christy worked through those struggles and prioritized her well-being while pursuing her dreams.

Interactive Arts & Technology student, Isabel, describes her exciting co-op job that included reimaging Fraser Health Career's social media visual presence.

If you’re like me and obsess over Instagram aesthetics, peruse like-minded communities on Twitter, or aspire to be TikTok famous, then you’ve probably considered a digital marketing career at some point and are ready to make your debut in the industry. Here are four Do-It-Yourself skills that will spice up your resume, helping you to leverage your digital marketing talents before your search for your Co-op opportunity!

Shahid, a recent Mechatronics alumnus, never thought he'd find himself working at an Oil and Gas company such as ExxonMobil. After all, how do mechatronics connect to the Oil and Gas industry? As it turns out, much more than Shahid anticipated! Although starting out nervous and unsure, Shahid quickly rose to the occasion and found joy in every aspect of his work. Read more to find out about Shahid's position, and what he learned while on an out-of-town co-op in Ontario!

Over Bill's five terms of Co-op experience, the past two (in Summer and Fall 2020) have provided a rather unique experience. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill was given the opportunity to work remotely from home and found himself needing to adapt to a very different work environment in terms of task planning and time management. In this blog, Bill hopes to share some of these experiences as well as some challenges that he faced while working remotely

Seeking semesters can be difficult; especially in a pandemic. Samuel, a Business co-op student, experienced this difficulty while searching for their position as a Product Strategy Intern with SAP. Although emotionally turbulent, Samuel was able to persist through their seeking semester and experienced a number of learning opportunities that has shaped their perception on job seeking. Read Samuel's 5 Tips for Seeking Your Next Co-op to learn how to make the best out of your seeking semester. 

Interactive Arts & Technology student, Patrick Pacunana, describes the exciting projects he has been working on as a UX/UI designer at the Vancouver-based startup, Ensightful. 

Unsure of what to expect for your upcoming co-op? Megan wasn't either! Megan, a Business Co-op Student, worked at SFUVentureLabs for 4 months as a Program Administrator Assistant. Previously working in a large government office, Megan was nervous coming into a small sized company for the first time. But, there was nothing to fear as Megan strengthened a lot of skills and learned more about their career path. Read Megan's story to learn more about why you should work for a smaller sized company!

Are you a time-management-struggler? Have you been eager to learn ways to manage your time? In this article, Srijani coins the term, "time-management-struggler" as she discusses helpful tips on how to mange your time effectively. 

Starting your first Co-op work semester can be intimidating. “Will I get along with my coworkers?” or “Will I be good at my job?” are some questions that everyone asks themselves. In February, Marcus Fujiwara, a Solutions & Services Co-op at Allocadia found himself asking “Will my position be terminated?” and “How do I work from home?” amid the global pandemic. Read on to learn about his attempt at finding a silver lining in the most uncertain of times.

Read on to learn about 5 fantastic volunteer opportunities that allow students to engage in the community and make a difference in the world.

Gaining work experience while still in university is a great way to prepare for life after graduation. Here are 5 organizations that offer internship programs for Indigenous students.

Meet Tim Michel! He is the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Indigenous Coordinator and here to help you out with your experiential learning journey at SFU. Read to learn more about Tim and how you can meet him for further information about Co-op.

Have you heard? The course, “Introduction to WIL/Co-op for Indigenous students,” is coming in early May 2021. Tim Michel explains what this course offers and how you can register for it.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” This Chinese proverb inspired Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, to share her tips on applying to grad school. Read Kandice's article to learn why you should start the process today!

Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, never expected to be a Teaching Assistant (TA). But with the encouragement from family and friends who were former TAs, Kandice took the plunge. Now as her first year comes to a close, Kandice shares some helpful tips on how to have an enjoyable semester as a TA!

In this article, Kandice explains the frustrating process of grad school applications, and the conflicting advice that inevitably surrounds it. However, there is a key take-away when applying to grad school: Read her article to find out what it is!

Being part of a start-up company can be scary enough, but doing it as a Co-op student who is brand new to the industry can be absolutely terrifying. This is what I learned about working for a start-up over the last 10 months as a Communication & Multimedia Associate!

With a love for marketing and advertising, Communication student Lilian Sue discovers how to break into the industry and finds great online resources to improve one's creativity skills during her search.

Stephanie Greaves, Co-op Coordinator for the SFU School of Interactive Arts & Technology, interviews Derian Chow about his Co-op position as an Esports Project Coordinator.

See how co-op student Marielle Juan learned how to break the cycle of over-apologizing from her first Co-op job experience. 

Unpacking the reality of the Black student experience in Canada. In this article reposted from The Peak, Linda shares why representation matters, how solidarity can be found within community, and the importance of ending Anti-Black racism in Canadian education institutions.

This week’s SFU Surrey Co-op featured student is Megan Holmes, an MSE student who has been doing some excellent work at one of her dream companies, MDA, a Canadian aerospace company. One of the exciting projects she is working on is upgrading the Canadian CP-140 Aurora aircraft’s radar surveillance system. Read on to learn more about Megan’s experience!

Last summer, my sister and I were excited to travel to Europe. As you can probably guess, that did not happen. But from the gloom of cancelling our dream trip, something positive emerged - an important conversation and a new direction that kickstarted my career.