Co-op Blogs

Want to make the most of your work term and thrive in the position? Public Relations Intern Kelly shares 5 tips on maximizing your Co-op experience.

Working in a huge building can be intimidating and make you feel very small, especially as a temporary Co-op student. Check out what Josh did to make sure everyone in the BC Cancer Research Center knew who he was!

A lack of confidence can make you feel like you are getting raked over the coals in an interview. Learn what you can do to flip the situation on your interviewers in order to look like a pro and learn what they are really looking for in an employee.

Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology students often find themselves lost in the hazy fog of physiotherapy, med school, chiropractic’s and post-graduate studies.  New graduates can find salvation in a challenging, but rewarding field that calls upon the creative and the technical sides of an individual. Read on to learn about working in the field of Ergonomics.

Evgeny not only met his goals professionally at Broadcom, but he was able to improve in more ways than he could imagine - including meeting his personal goals and growing as an individual. In this four part blog series, Evgeny shares with us his co-op experience at Broadcom. 

Evgeny not only met his goals professionally at Broadcom, but he was able to improve in more ways than he could imagine - including meeting his personal goals and growing as an individual. In this four part blog series, Evgeny shares with us his co-op experience at Broadcom. 

Leo Ng is a fifth-year BBA candidate in the SFU Beedie co-op program.  He worked at Canada Revenue Agency for 8 months. He shares what it was like to train for his role as a Taxpayer Services Agent.

Leo Ng is a fifth-year BBA candidate in the SFU Beedie co-op program who worked for Canada Revenue Agency for 8 months. In this article of his three-part series, he shares his experience learning on the job.

Leo Ng is a fifth-year BBA candidate in the SFU Beedie co-op program who worked at for Canada Revenue Agency for 8 months. He shares what training is like, learning on the job, and in this article, he shares his overall reflections on what it was like to work as a Taxpayer Services Agent.

After working for a year with Arts and Communications Co-op here at SFU, I’ve seen students land amazing Co-op opportunities, and I’ve also seen students struggle when it comes to following through, and landing the job. Here are a couple of truth bombs from yours truly that I hope will help you buck up and land a Co-op job.

Sometimes in a co-op position, you might not get tasks that you absolutely love.  Make the most of it as Evgeny did, Evgeny went from feeling this way to having his co-workers ask for his advice! Read about his experience in this four part blog series! 

Patrick started his career as an elementary school teacher and now he is completing SFU’s Computing Science Second degree program. Patrick shares his experience of transitioning from teacher to computing science, his first co-op at Malaspina, and here he shares his second co-op experience.

Did you know the School of Computing Science has a co-op program for graduate students?  Evgeny was thrilled when he found out and because of the program, he was able to land a job with everything he was looking for at Broadcom. Read about his experience in this four part blog series! 

Patrick started his career as an elementary school teacher and now he is completing SFU’s Computing Science Second degree program.  He shares how he got there and how co-op has been a great help!

Patrick started his career as an elementary school teacher and now he is completing SFU’s Computing Science Second degree program. He shares how he got to the program and how co-op has been a great help!

As a co-op student you often get a lot of advice about the value of research based or industry based co-op. According to Kay, sometimes we just need to sort out which one suits each individual best. Read on to learn about her experience with both research based and industry based co-op positions.

Haqikat is a fourth year Business student who worked at Canada Revenue Agency for co-op.  Haqikat shares what training and a typical day looks like as a Taxpayer Services Agent. 

Kelly is a Communications Co-op student who landed her dream job. She shares how she did this with 5 tips!

Ever wondered what it would be like to be interviewed by Facebook?  Bradley Sutherland, a recent graduate from SFU’s Interactive Arts and Technology and a specialist in interactive design, was selected to be interviewed by the social media giant.  Bradley shared this 3 part interview experience with the OLC.

For Kiran Basra, senior Communication Co-op student, working at Electronic Arts was a unique experience from the get-go. Between re-constructing her job description and fine-tuning her marketing analytics skills on-the-job, Kiran has re-defined what Communication Co-op students can accomplish. 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be interviewed by Facebook?  Bradley Sutherland, a recent graduate from SFU’s Interactive Arts and Technology and a specialist in interactive design, was selected to be interviewed by the social media giant.  Bradley shared this 3 part interview experience with the OLC.

Meet “Student Border Services Officer (SBSO) Umar”, who shares what her co-op was like at the Canada Border Services Agency.

Jaclyn Marshall shares why students considering a career in law enforcement should consider working for the RCMP as a co-op position.

Ronald spent his co-op working at the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and describes the importance and benefits of working in the public sector. 

Elinor worked in the External Relations Department of Parks Canada and explains how this was the right choice for her as an International Studies student.

Meet Alison Tan, a fourth year student who has completed three co-op terms. She shares her experiences with the co-op program.

For her first co-op, SFU Biology and English student Kristina Charania headed to the heart of Vancouver to work as a Science Facilitator at Science World for four months. Read all about her co-op adventures and challenges under the dome!

Whether in the workplace or at school, we’ve all come across difficult personality types. Read on to find out how you can turn those interactions into positive experiences.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be interviewed by Facebook?  Bradley Sutherland, a recent graduate from SFU’s Interactive Arts and Technology and a specialist in interactive design, was selected to be interviewed by the social media giant.  Bradley shared this 3 part interview experience with the OLC.

As Emily Taylor, a senior Communication Co-op student says, "Reality check: a degree doesn’t guarantee a job. Vancouver communications, marketing and writing jobs aren’t waiting for you in the stands at Convocation. You’ve got to hunt for them, and Co-op is your open door. " Read on for compelling evidence of how Co-op can benefit you - regardless of what you've been led to believe!

Co-op students are required to do either a project or presentation to complete their co-op requirements at the end of their work term.  As a communications student, Natalie did not know what to expect the first time she presented her PowerPoint presentation for her project.  Read on so you can have an idea of what to expect for yours!   

Tauseef Alwaris recently changed his major from “Electronics Engineering” to “high voltage Electrical Engineering” because of his various co-ops, speaking to different people, and his educational experiences.  He reflects and shares both how and why he decided to make this change and how Hydro One helped his decision.

In this article, Mehul shares his Co-op journey with us and let's us in on the secrets of getting a Co-op! 

"What do you want to do with your degree?” It’s not a simple question, but the place you find your answer can surprise you. Read as Kiki goes through her co-op experience to find out more.

After the exciting and terrifying process of applying to jobs, landing interviews, and finally accepting a job offer, I started to settle in to my new job in the Communication department of the Canadian Mental Health Association. With a solid goal in mind, each day became a new challenge for me to rise and make myself known. Here are the tips I followed that made my placement meaningful to both my employer and I.

Having trouble deciding to whether stay local or move abroad for your co-op placement? Read through SFU Communication Co-op student Samantha's tips on how to make an educated decision when it comes to going abroad for co-op!

In the winter of 2013, SFU Geography student Christiane Pulluau trekked to La Paz, Bolivia to work with a CED (Community Economic Development) group. In her final instalment she shares some of her favourite places.

In the winter of 2013, SFU Geography student Christiane Pulluau trekked to La Paz, Bolivia to work with a CED (Community Economic Development) group. She shared her diary entries with us, and we present the third insallment: Arts and Culture in March.

In the winder of 2013, SFU Geography student Christiane Pulluau trekked to La Paz, Bolivia to work with a CED (Community Economic Development) group. She shared her diary entries with us, this is part two of her adventure.

In the winter of 2013, SFU Geography student Christiane Pulluau trekked to La Paz, Bolivia to work with a CED (Community Economic Development) group. She shared her diary entries with us, and part one is featured here.

Biology Co-op student Yuka Obayashi returned from her self-directed International Co-op at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in the Kunigami District of Okinawa, Japan with a new-found appreciation for marine wildlife.

So it’s mid-March and you haven’t got a Co-op job for the summer yet, exams are approaching, and you're getting worried you'll never land a job. Co-op coordinators Heather Keeping and Marcia Shimizu offer up tips on how to excel during lightning round, and why it's actually awesome.

Natalie continues her Road to Graduation series with tips on how to prepare when a professional finally grants you an informational interview. Follow her tips and make the most of the opportunity.

Curious about what wonders a mechatronics engineer can do? Read about Austin's Co-op journey and find out for yourself! 

Jeff took Bolivia by storm, working with the Centro Integral de Desarrollo Economico Comunitario (CIDECO), as part of the Bolivian CED Project. Find out more about how his International experience impacted his career journey.

Within the first week of my second work term, it became apparent just how much I would be working with Adobe Illustrator. I felt I should be an expert when I was, in fact, still a beginner. How would I rise to the challenge, and become more familiar with the Adobe Suite while on the job?

“How in the world will I be able to add value to this team?” This was my initial (and pessimistic) reaction upon hearing that I would be working with 9 other individuals in the Donor Relations & Events team at the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

You think you’re doing everything you should be, but is there something you’re missing? We collected seven simple reasons why you haven’t landed a job yet.

Resumes are tough, they’re one of the first things an employer sees from you, and they need to represent your skills and abilities. That’s why we’ve put together eight tips to help you create a resume that presents the best of you and helps you land that coveted job.

Whether you’re looking for your first post-grad job or are in the middle of a Co-op seeking semester, it’s easy to get discouraged when applications go out and responses don’t come in. You think you’re doing everything right, but is there something you’re missing? We have 7 simple reasons why you haven’t landed a job yet.

Thinking about doing a Co-op semester? Anudeep explains why this is an important experience for all students and tells us what his experience at the SFU Power Lab was like.  

Read about Christopher's triumphs and challenges as he shares with us his co-op journey at Geovia.

Carmen, a Psychology student, spent two semesters at Ignite Technical Resources as a Recruiting Coordinator. Read about her co-op experience here! 

Alec Burns was an Executive Marketing Assistant & Creative Writer at TFG Global Insurance and he shares the joys of being a generalist. Read all about it here!