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Community showcases riveting stories of adversity, culture and creating change. These stories are from SFU community members which include volunteers, Graduate students, Alumni, Indigenous students, and many more to show you the power of giving back to our community.

Scott Beaupré smiling portait
The Unconventional Job Hunt: Creating Your Own Co-op Opportunities

In five years at SFU, engineering physics undergrad Scott Beaupré landed three co-op job positions and four research projects without ever dropping off a résumé. Find out how! 

Toronto Landscape
My Transition to Toronto: A Guide for Students Going Away for Co-op

Planning upfront saves you from last minute hustles. This article will prepare you for co-op in a city outside Vancouver where new opportunities and variable threats are waiting.

Close up image of the Cancer Research Centre
An Essential Guide to Healthy Aging | Part One

Read Olivia and Monique's experience in conducting a Healthy Aging Study with Genome Sciences Centre (GSC).

 

 

Close up image of the Cancer Research Centre
An Essential Guide to Healthy Aging | Part One

Read Olivia and Monique's experience in conducting a Healthy Aging Study with Genome Sciences Centre (GSC).

 

 

Image of Author. He is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a white shirt and black coat
Working in the Public Service: 3 Key Realizations

Curious about what it's like working in public service? Joseph breaks down his role as the Web Communications Assistant for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Read on to learn about his experience.

Indigenous Event Photo
SFU Indigenous Day: Celebrating Knowledge and Culture

On September 28th, the First Nations Student Association (FNSA) hosted the third annual SFU Indigenous Day. An event that brings together students, faculty, artists and community members to celebrate Indigenous culture. 

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My Journey of Indigeneity (From a Non-Indigenous Perspective)

In this blog, I take you through my personal life story from immigrating to Canada, working and living in a rural First Nations community, to finding a sense of belonging and a second identity, which has forever changed the way I will view the world.

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Invest in the Unexpected: Why You Should Join Co-op and Share Your Story with the OLC

Taylor joined SFU’s Aboriginal Co-op Coordinator, Trina Setah, as a Work-Study student to help promote co-op to SFU’s Indigenous community. Read about Taylor’s personal experience with co-op, and why she thinks you should join too.

Men jumping off a cliff
How I Left My Comfort Zone and Realized Self Growth

Being shy and not much of a risk-taker, I was shocked at having been asked to interview people. Read on to find out how my co-op with Beedie School of Business helped me step outside my comfort zone and gain a newfound confidence. 

Tong and their co-workers posing for camera
Graduate Co-op at SAP Vancouver
SAP

Tong completed a year-long co-op work term at SAP's Vancouver office. Click to find out what it's like working for a world leading enterprise software development company. 

International Co-op In France
Finding a Balance Between Work and Life During an International Co-op

International Co-op positions provide the opportunity to discover the world while developing professional skills and contacts. But there’s a conundrum: all work and no play or no work and all play? Read Mallory's blog on how to find balance between work and life during your international co-op!

A photo of the author
My Co-op Experience at SAP
SAP

My co-op terms have given me the ability to explore potential career choices and build invaluable work experience as well as helped me to craft my own career path. Read on to discover my co-op journey and why I highly recommend pursuing co-op with SAP. 

A photo of the author
For a Chance at a Job, Take a Chance and Apply!

I completed my undergraduate degree without doing co-op. This meant that after graduation, I was competing for jobs with others who had work experience, while I had none. Find out how doing co-op as a PhD student allowed me to not only gain work experience, but also gave me confidence in my abilities.  

Man working on laptop
My Experience as a Web and Data Services Developer at Beedie School of Business

I have had previous experience working with web-based technologies, but mostly in the academic context. Working as a co-op student at the SFU Beedie School of Business, I had the opportunity to work in development, but to also work with business analysts and clients directly, to understand their requirements and implement them. In this post, I explain how this co-op exceeded my expectations.  

Build Direct Company
How Co-op at BuildDirect Influenced My Career

This blog is about my wonderful co-op experience at BuildDirect and how it influenced my career in Canada. I discuss the work culture at BuildDirect, the type of work I have done and the technologies used. If you are planning to do a co-op with BuildDirect, this is definitely going to help you.

Custom Indigenous Banner
Indigenous Student Cultural House

The Indigenous Student Centre has collaborated with Residence and Housing to pilot the Indigenous Student Cultural House (ISCH), a new living and learning community available SFU Residence (Burnaby Campus).

A man sitting by large windows at the airport with a sunset background
Finding Resilience in my Search for Meaningful Work: One International Student’s Story

Job hunting is never easy. This is especially true when you are an international student with no Canadian experience. Follow Alireza's tips and tricks on how to navigate around this barrier in your search for meaningful work. 

Deborah
Indigenous Career Journey Stories: Deborah L. Smith

"The road has been a long one and filled with many stops and starts. I would say never be afraid of having to do things over and over again because failure is not weakness or "bad". It's a way to know how to move forward." Read more to follow Deboarah's story. 

Picture of the book cover, Tsawalk
Indigenous Literature Series: E. Richard Atleo

Read about "Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview" by E. Richard Atleo

michael sitting next to the computer
The Marathon of the Service Desk: A First Nations Health Authority Co-op Experience

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).

Nancy and the children in their class smiling
Beyond Comfort: My Co-op in Korea with TaLK

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. 

FNSA Banner
Come Witness the Annual Indigenous Success Stories Event

SFU First Nations Student Association (FNSA) invites you to come and witness this annual event. Indigenous storytellers will share their journeys of success, expressing the adversity and perseverance faced along the way. Don't miss this chance to engage in the SFU Indigenous community as well as those closely connected to SFU!