Co-op Blogs

Accumulating over 80 credits and completing three quarters of a degree usually rules out any potential opportunity for students to be selected for Co-op, unless you ask Mike Lazar how he beat the odds.

You can’t cross the stage in four years and expect to receive a degree in one hand and a career in the other; succeeding in in the real world is going to take a heck of a lot more than that. Here are 5 essential moves to make before you graduate. 

Do you enjoy working with computers? Do you find the idea of solving puzzles to be exhilarating? Do you want to help people get introduced to the world of computers? If so, perhaps a Service Desk Analyst will be a perfect fit for you. Follow SIAT student, Michael Sandrin, in his first occupational adventure: working as a Service Desk Analyst for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

Behind the glitz and glamour of fancy events, are event planners frantically following their minute-to-minute schedule. In this article, Miranda shares some insight and advice for those entering the sometimes chaotic event planning field.

Chelsea did her co-op at a relatively small lighting agency, Inter-Lite Sales, in greater Vancouver; but she learned about much more than lighting. Read why Chelsea believes every student should work for at least one small business to round out their co-op experience.

As an emerging dance artist, I was thrilled when I learned that I had secured the role as an intern with a local and large-scale dance company, Ballet BC. However, I was a bit disheartened that, being a production based internship, I would not be dancing with the company at all. So, I readied myself to get comfortable behind the scenes for the first time ever and prepared to look at operations in the arts from a new perspective.

Nancy applied as an English instructor in South Korea with the intention of just adding another bulletpoint to their resume. However, the experiences they have gained from teaching and living abroad has made their co-op so much more meaningful than what can be written on paper.  Read Nancy's story to learn more about Teach and Learn in Korea. 

Find out how Sohail's personal interests helped him land a Co-op opportunity at Texas Instruments Launchpads! 

Therese believed her interests in art and environmentalism were too daunting to pursue as careers. She locked those dreams away... until co-op unlocked career opportunities that fused her studies with her passions. Check out her comic!

Danielle Jeong, who receives a Governor General’s Silver Medal for her high scholastic achievement, says her SFU co-op experiences, which included a month in Haiti, were “life-changing”.

It is a very exciting time to get involved with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)! Taylor shares her experience working at INAC's Yukon regional office and how she gained valuable skills while learning about Yukon First Nations, government and life in the North. 

Ornela started university with the intention of going to medical school. However, co-op has helped them see that there are so many possibilities in the field of healthcare. In this article, Ornela discusses their co-op experience and the lessons they learned along the way.

In Part 2 of this series, Jenny shares about maximizing your university investment through different networking channels such as mentorship programs and professional associations. Jenny highlights her own fears of networking, how she overcame them and ultimately, what she learned from these experiences.

Steven Phan's professional journey started long before he got a prize job as an interaction designer at Google. The SFU student’s career success started after he enrolled as a SIAT student and took advantage of the school’s co-op program. 

Anna Dueck, a student in the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) working towards a Major in Dance, talks about the importance of getting involved. 

Four SFU students organized and performed a free outdoor children’s theatre in the Lower Mainland. The performance tells a story of broken shoes and finding joy beyond grief

Not everyone can say that they’ve had their movie moment. Luckily enough, it happened to Pauline, and it happened in the exact way she dreamt it would. But, what she didn't prepare for is the reality after saying yes. 

Whether you’re a first-year or a fourth-year, you likely have thought about what life will be like after you graduate, and you'll likely have heard some scary things. I'm here to tell you, with some hard work and patience, you don't have to be afraid of the future...

Have you ever wondered why you should go to university and what you have done to make your university life meaningful? Have you ever been in a situation where you have no clue of what to do with your life and how to start making every penny of your tuition fees worth it? Have you ever felt frightened when thinking about your future career? I was in the same position so I want to share some tips on how to not regret going to school and how to get ready to face your future!

Taking the internship course at SFU this semester has turned out to be an interesting and overall invaluable work experience for me as I near the end of my undergraduate career. Read on to discover what it was like to do an internship with the Contemporary Art Gallery.

Life is an unexpected journey. Read about Evelyn's co-op experience as an activity worker at Vancouver Coastal Health's SteadyFeet and how this changed her perspective on working with seniors. 

The organization that I was fortunate enough to work with this summer was Burrard Arts Foundation. BAF is a registered non-profit charity organization in Mount Pleasant that seeks to promote the development of, and excellence in, the visual arts in Vancouver by showcasing local and global artistic talent and providing opportunities that enable artists to produce their work and share it with the world.

If you’ve only been looking for co-op placements in the Greater Vancouver area, here’s why you should definitely reconsider.

Ever wonder what type of factors you should take into consideration when seeking out Co-op placements? Mark reflects on his rewarding Co-op journey to make some recommendations on how to best take advantage of the Co-op program!

The future of energy belongs to hydrogen but you can be part of the future as well. Weilin discusses their experience as a Co-op student with Hydrogen In Motion Inc. at Powertech Labs Inc, where they were a part of the next generation power source and learned engineering knowledge throughout the whole process. 

My first co-op semester was somewhat different from a majority of the co-op positions that students apply for on Symplicity. I chose to do a self-directed co-op which had me primarily working from home.

Theresa did her co-op as a residence worker.  She shares about her learning experiences and her future goals.

During her time with Union Gospel Mission, Bernice Puzon spent her 9-5, like most Communication Co-op students, behind a desk. But, it was also her time spent beyond her office desk that provided rich opportunities to grow and to lease a new perspective on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.  

General Studies student Zahra did her co-op in Ottawa in a business role.  She shares about her duties as a Program Coordinator. This article was originally published in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Summer 2012 newsletter.

Are you interested in joining Co-op and wondering what the process is like? Are you wondering when exactly you should be starting Co-op? This article provides insight on what the Co-op job search is really like through my own personal journey.

Meet Samaah Jaffer, an Arts Co-op student who has worked at the US Consulate and SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Read about Samaah's experiences during these co-ops, and their invaluable advice for other students!

Although important, your resume and cover letter don't do your skills complete justice. So, instead of simply telling a potential employer what you can do, Karen Leung discusses how to show them through selecting specific items to build your portfolio. 

I’m a young and trendy fashionista. A self-identified accessory-lover. A student. And I’m obsessed with how to make a great impression at my new co-operative education job without compromising my style. This article highlights my opinions on how to dress professionally, while still maintaining your sense of style. 

Inspired by his childhood hero, Iron Man, Sheldan eagerly accepts a co-op placement at Tesla. Read on to find out what his experience was like. 

I’ve always had a passion for helping people. For the longest time, I wasn’t sure how to apply this passion.

Yongyi Wu applies his newly acquired skills as one of the first cohorts of the Professional Master's Program in Big Data at his co-op work term with Ericsson's Research and Development Centre.

Erik Bainbridge, a Political Science student, shares his international experience doing four work terms in three different positions in China and Hong Kong. He worked as an English teacher in Shandong, an Event Manager at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CamChamHK) in Hong Kong, and a Trade Intern for the Consulate General of Canada in China.

Halloween is just around the corner. Natalie shares her office-costume tips, successes, and lessons learned. 

Working at an IT company was a refreshing experience for someone like Vanessa, who has never been exposed to this industry before. Here she shares a few tips on how she made it through and got the most out of her 12 months at BCNET.

Ever consider working for a communications agency? Terence Chu certainly has. Currently in a co-op position for global communications consulting agency FleishmanHillard, Terence presents three reasons why working in an agency is a wise career move.

Read about Joanne's four-month co-op journey at Providence Health Care Research institute. 

Work and live in Mexico, a popular tourist country, and experience the pleasant weather and great food. Visit museums, pyramids, beach resorts, and see the unique architecture.

A 6th-year SFU veteran drops WISDOM to his younger self. Read this if you would like some perspective on your university journey from someone who has been here before you even started high school.

Have you ever felt unsure of your major? As if maybe it is not what you really want to do for the rest of your life? These are questions Jose pondered over before his co-op with Lungpacer Medical Inc. and Kardium.

Do you ever think there are limitations to what you could do with your degree? I did. SFU co-op has allowed me to experience my major in action in a non-conventional way and it has forever changed the way that I look at my kinesiology degree. 

This summer, Ashley Gregerson landed her dream co-op position as the Communications Assistant for the City of White Rock. Here, she worked as part of a small communications team consisting of only two staff. Ashley shares what she learned and what you can expect joining a tiny Communications Department.

Working in development and for Non-governmental organizations (NGO) is a tricky and delicate field. In Naiomi's article, they discuss the new approach that the Sustainability though Agriculture and Microenterprise (SAM) Project has taken on for their work in Zimba, Zambia.

Hesitant about doing an Out-of-Town or International Co-op? So was Mandy! But, opportunities come from all sorts of places. For Mandy, it was Kelowna, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Read Mandy's tips on moving away, and getting accustomed to a new city.  

Natasha shares why she found waiting for the ‘right’ co-op was worth it for her. After a lot of determination and persistence, she was able to land a job that was worth all the hard work and spent an amazing summer at Options. Read Natasha's story for more insight!

Read about Brandon's role with Rebalance^MD as he takes us on an educational journey about total musculoskeletal care. 

James shares what he learned about User Experience (UX) after his co-op placement at Hootsuite. Read on to to find out how he overcomes challenges and learns how to "embrace ambiguity" as a designer.

Read on to find out why Karen took a step out of her comfort zone to embrace the unknown that is co-op.