Blogs

Holly thought she knew what was in store for her as she started her second semester work term with the First Nations Health Authority. What she wasn't quite expecting was the abrupt shift to remote working halfway through. Check out Holly's secret tip she discovered about controlling unsteady circumstances. 

Yin Teng Ho shares what a typical day in the life looks like as a coop student working in the Information Technical Solutions department at home. She gives a brief overview of what her day looks like now since starting remote working, some of the challenges she personally faced, and how she is dealing with them.

In his first job, Graham worked as a dishwasher. Now, he just completed his fifth co-op work term as a Project Coordinator for Translation at SAP. Graham describes what his co-op journey has been and what he's learned along the way.

As Priscilla learned, working at a scale-up company comes with valuable lessons and takeaways but also unique challenges. Read on to learn more about what she learned from her time working as a Strategy Intern.

Embarking on 8 month work term with Fraser Health, Karman came across valuable life lessons from working as a HR Representative. Read on to learn more about what you should keep in mind when settling into your new workplace environment.

Rochelle describes what her journey has been as a startup founder for the non-profit organization, SPARK Foundation. Check out what she has to say about where the origins of the social enterprise came from and where they are headed in the future.

Despite the warnings and worries of her friends and family, Serena set off on an adventure, accepting a co-op position on the other side of the world, in India, and she has no regrets. Sometimes in order to grow we need to challenge ourselves, and Serena did just that.

Through creating an efficient routine, you can better accomplish things that need to be done within a shorter amount of time and allow yourself to do activities that you enjoy doing. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn their recipe on how to build a routine to better manage your stress and wellbeing!

With more distractions around at home, it can be easy to catch yourself procrastinating or avoiding tasks. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn strategies on how to build a routine to manage your time and stress better! 

Diana Smith pens a series of poignant and moving letters addressed to her chronic pain. A must-read to better understand from a personal perspective what it is like to live with chronic pain.

Still not sure if co-op is for you? Chetachi explains why co-op was such a valuable experience for her and what it was like to work in the corporate world during her Economics co-op work term.

Going into a co-op term, every co-op student aims to utilize this opportunity to learn and gain real work experience. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses’ working schedules have been affected. As a result, co-op students are challenged with the transition to working from home which affects both productivity and personal well-being and consequently the overall work experience. Linh Tran, a business co-op student, shares her experience on how to overcome this challenge.

Ever wondered what’s on the other side of a museum? Take a “behind the scenes” look at working in collections and archives through Rita's co-op reflection. She discusses how the field is being transformed through engaging directly with local histories, and what it means for an institution to be run by a community that seeks to tell its own story. 

Do you dread the thought of working from home or feel like sitting at your computer all day has left you with no energy for anything else? Read how Oderah learned how to survive when her home suddenly became her workplace.

Zahid shares what it takes to work for an government-adjacent organization and how his academic experience as a Masters of Public Policy student helped him out last summer.

JenJen was not quite expecting to be advising fellow SFU students as a Student Academic Advisor from the comfort of her home as her very first co-op experience. Read on to learn more on how she found her stride in getting used to a new work environment as a new co-op student in unusual circumstances.

Movies like “The Devil Wears Prada” make the fashion industry seem extremely cool and unreachable for the everyday student to work in, but positions are out there for students to grab up. In this article Haoyang will take us through her experience working in the fashion industry and give her biggest takeaways from working with a high fashion, conceptual brand, Leisure Centre.

A student desperately wanting to have class outside suggested we put the decision to a vote. An overwhelming amount of hands went up for having class in the sun and I paused to think about how I could adjust my lesson plan without a chalkboard. The students saw my hesitation and said, “but Claire, don’t you believe in our right to have a democracy?”. This was when I knew I would learn a lot more than just how to teach, from my international co-op term in Catalonia.

What does it mean to work at a Non-Profit versus For-Profit company? What setting would you enjoy most? In this article, Quentin will explain the differences between the two in culture, work environment, and expectations, based on his own experience working in varied co-op positions.

Considering a co-op outside of BC? Jenny shares 4 tips on moving to a new city based on her experience relocating to Ontario’s capital city, the 6ix.

Like most soon-to-be graduates, Keeley was looking forward kick-start her career. And what better way to do it than to start looking for industry-applicable experience? But when COVID-19 hit, plans had to change. Read on to find out how Keeley overcame a saturated job market in the middle of a pandemic. 

Two months into your international co-op placement, a global pandemic hits. What do you do? Read Victoria’s article for tips on keeping a cool head in tough circumstances, and how to make the best of a precarious situation.

Being in quarantine has amplified the differences in actions and effort between extroverts and introverts with regards to social connections. Read Connie Jigs’ article about her top tips on how extroverts can support their introverted friends.

Be it if you’re graduating or getting ready to start a new semester at SFU, there’s a lot of uncertainty around what will happen next. Earth Sciences student Klaus McCloud shares his top three tips of how he maintains a positive mindset while getting ready to graduate from SFU.

Senior Career Peer Michael Ford writes about the importance of indispensable and eternal human skills for a career that thrives in times of crisis or calm.

Like many other students, Joane has worked very hard and landed a co-op position that she had wanted. Unfortunately, the internship is not what it seems. Read more to find out how she navigates the arduous journey ahead. 

Many of us have heard of a project manager, but few of us know what this role actually entails. In this article, Bethany details what an average day might look like as a project manager, and the many steps it takes to pull a project together.

David Henigman graduates with a political science major, a law and philosophy minor, and a an ethics and global justice certificate. He reflects on his involvement in the Society of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS), the Political Science Student Union (PSSU), and the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS), all through which a whole world of possibilities became open to him.

Naiya Tsang came to SFU to pursue a BA in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies (GSWS) with a minor in Biological Sciences to hone a more balanced understanding of our social and natural worlds.

“I believe studying both science and the marginalities within society allows us to use a lens of compassion while also critically evaluating both quantitative and qualitative information, and can allow us to make strong, informed choices."

You deserve to have a successful work search. With these tips, it won’t take long for an employer to notice your amazing efforts. Read on to feel prepared!