Skip to main content
Head Shot of Seerit

Seerit Hara

SFU Staff
Health Sciences
Co-operative Education › Local Co-op
SFU OLC
OLC Lead Editor and Project Coordinator

Taylor Playing Softball
Credit
Taylor
I highly recommend Co-op because it gave me a chance to try new things for a shorter amount of time, and provided me with multiple new experiences while finishing my degree.

Taylor Gillis graduated in the Spring of 2020 with a unique set of experiences.

Not only was she an SFU Athlete, playing for the SFU softball team for 4 years, but she also finished three Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK) Co-op work terms. She did her first and second work terms at Kintec and finished her last work term at ProMedicals. After graduating, she now works full-time for Kintec.

I sat down with her (virtually) to learn more about her experiences navigating Co-op as an athlete. Here is what she has to say about her journey and why she recommends fellow athletes to join the Co-op program.

How has SFU Athletics and Co-op facilitated your journey through university?

Athletics allowed me to pursue a sport I loved while completing my degree. I was lucky to have experienced teammates to help ease the transition from high school to university for us nervous incoming freshmen. Being part of a team gave me a sense of belonging in this new and overwhelming environment. Once I finished my senior year of softball, I started my first Co-op work term immediately. Co-op enabled me to gain valuable work experience that would strengthen my resume once I completed my degree. I was able to come out of athletics and university with the right tools and the confidence to succeed in interviews, writing cover letters and building my resume around different job descriptions.

How did you originally become interested in participating in Co-op?

Nearing the end of my junior year of softball, I felt lost, realized that I had no idea what I was going to do once I finished softball the next year and was desperate for some guidance. I sought out SFU Career Services. After speaking with one of my athletic academic advisors, they then recommended that I look into joining the Co-op program.

Why would recommend SFU athletes to participate in Co-op?

As an athlete, my life revolved around my sport. It left me with little time to think about my future or what my next steps might be. I had no idea what I was interested in and I had little experience to work with. My identity was my sport and without it, I had no idea who I was or what I was supposed to do when this chapter in my life ended. I highly recommend Co-op because it gave me a chance to try new things for a shorter amount of time, and provided me with multiple new experiences while finishing my degree.

As a varsity student yourself, what skills do you think are most important for SFU athletes interested in participating and succeeding in Co-op?

As an athlete, to improve we need to step out of our comfort zone. We hone our skills with hours of practice, dedication, and hard work. Winning games and championships cannot be obtained with a complacent mindset. I believe I was able to succeed in my Co-ops because of these things. My work ethic and my competitive mindset to always challenge myself to improve and learn new things while outside my comfort zone made me stand out and get the most out of my Co-op positions.

What were the greatest challenges you faced as a Co-op student in your work terms?

The greatest challenge I faced as a Co-op student was communication and confidence. As an athlete, I was able to hide behind my talent and work ethic; softball came naturally to me. I didn’t need to use my personality to get me places, my performance and consistency spoke for me. I could communicate effortlessly on the field with my teammates that I’ve spent years training and growing up with, but once I started my first work term, I had quite the awakening. I needed to communicate with this same confidence to new customers and open up to co-workers each day in a setting that I was completely uncomfortable in. I am grateful for the ability to experience this drastic change from thriving as an athlete to surviving in the workforce before graduating as I now have the confidence to succeed in any new opportunity I want to follow.

What do you enjoy most about the work you did for Kintec and Promedicals?

I most enjoyed the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skillset while in my Co-ops. With Kintec I feel as though I was able to get as much out of it as possible in those 8 months, looking for new challenges each day, asking questions, and seeking out more experienced colleagues to learn from. By becoming proficient in multiple responsibilities at work, I was able to be more comfortable and professional by advancing to a more senior role. By getting the most out of these work terms, it aided my growth as a person who no longer can hide behind the athlete's identity. It sounds cheesy but it has helped me discover who I want to be and to bring out my personality. I was able to enhance my communication skills and make many lifelong friends in the process!

What did you learn in your Co-op roles working for Kintec and Promedicals that help you today in your professional life after graduating?

By having the opportunity to grow and try new things within the company, I was able to find more aspects of the work environment that I liked and disliked, which helps me narrow down what I want or don’t want in a career. I was also able to network within these companies which can set me up with shadowing, volunteering, or even new work positions that get me closer to finding a passion for a career.


From talking to Taylor, it is clear that joining the Co-op program has its benefits and enriches the undergraduate experience. Taylor highlighted how being an Athlete complimented her work experience. For example, it’s a necessity to be able to step out of your comfort zone as an athlete, which is also a strength that employers look for in Co-op students. As an athlete, your strengths you develop can be transferable, but as Taylor pointed out, it’s helpful to expand your horizons with Co-op to become a well-rounded SFU student. By doing so, your multi-faceted background will aid in the post-graduate job seeking experience.

Author

Head Shot of Seerit

Seerit Hara

SFU Staff
Health Sciences
Co-operative Education › Local Co-op
SFU OLC
OLC Lead Editor and Project Coordinator

Seerit is a SFU Health Sciences graduate with a particular curiosity for geriatric health issues. For the last few years, she's explored diverse healthcare environments that ranged from directly engaging with patients, to designing and managing projects that support their well-being. Connect with her on LinkedIn and check out her personal website here.

visibility  144
Oct 12, 2020

Posts by Author

Lead Image
Blog
Wrapping Up 2020: Our Top 12 Inspirational Blog Articles

2020 has been an unprecedented and extraordinary year. What we at the OLC have been pleasantly surprised by is how inspiring our contributing authors have been. Many of our posts touched on the reality of the pandemic, but they were written from a place of positivity and resilience. To wrap up 2020 at the SFU OLC, we've curated our top 12 inspiring posts and summarized how they can continue to inspire you in the New Year.

Elderly and young hand reaching for a rose
Blog
Preparing for End of Life Care: An Interview with Shannon Ediger

How do you want to live at the end of your life? Seerit Hara shares her interview with her co-op supervisor at Langley Memorial Hospital about the importance of advance care planning. 

You Might Like These... Co-operative Education

Courtney smiles next to a caption that reads, "Courtney Novotny during her work term with Health Canada".
A Second Term in Government: More of the Same?

How do Communications Co-op jobs differ between federal departments? Read all about Courtney's experiences as she compares her first co-op with Health Canada to her second co-op with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Korea
International Spotlight: Korea

Bordered by China, Russia, and separated from Japan by the Korea Strait, Korea makes for a strong international hub of Asia.

Iris at her workstation in the lab
Student Spotlight: Iris Eom

The OLC talks to Iris Eom, 3rd year MBB, Computing Science joint major. Keep reading to learn about her experience at the UBC James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre at St. Paul's Hospital.

You Might Like These... Co-op Reflections

Parliament Buildings National Historic Site of Canada
Alcatel-Lucent University

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.

David
Working For the Feds: An Interview with CIDA’s Executive Vice President, David Moloney

Read about David Moloney, the Executive Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and someone who "“…can’t decide what he wants to do when he grows up,” as he shares with us his experience working in government.  

Person holding a camera
Videography 101: A How-to on Making Videos from Start to Finish

Creating a video might seem like a daunting task, especially when we look at the editing aspect, but Trisha has provided a guide that has simplified the process for her while she gained work experience during her co-op term.