Co-operative Education

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.

With co-op, are we better off sticking to our field of study, or should we take a chance at something entirely different? In this article, Rachel reflects on her work term with the RCMP, what she learned about the industry as well as herself in a field that she would have never considered if it wasn’t for co-op.

Imagine you get paid to create multiple *twooshes* a day, curate funny gifs, browse Instagram, post awesome pictures and share on Facebook. Yes, being a Social Media Coordinator is very fun, but one must not neglect these four important points to be one.

Being a successful developer doesn’t come easy. In this blog post, I offer five tips that I have learned through my co-op experience as a Web and Mobile Developer to help you get there with fewer bumps in the road.

Are you a student who, like Kory, has struggled deciding what career path best suits you? Have you ever wondered what it was like to work in Toronto? Are you considering a career in public service? If you answered yes to any of these, read this post! 

"There was a point in my degree when I started to question whether I had chosen the right path. Is this the career I want to spend the rest of my life in? Are these the people I want to surround myself with day-in and day-out?" Read on to find out how co-op answered these questions for Ashly!  

As a fourth year Biomedical Physiology student, Amy wished to pursue a career in family practice medicine. In this article, She shares how her co-op at CHANGEpain Clinic confirmed her career path, but also went well beyond that. 

Practical experience isn't always gained in the classroom. Sure there are labs and projects, but nothing tops a real workplace environment. If you’re second guessing participating in co-op because of delaying your graduation, this post is for you! 

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. 

Hootsuite is a great tool for managing social media platforms and can be incredibly helpful on the job! Cheryl shares a few tips on using the program for Hootsuite beginners.

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 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!

Have you found yourself thinking about joining the co-op program but aren’t yet sure if it’s worth your time or the best bang for your buck? Let Jaclyn help you get off that fence and convince you why the co-op program is worth your while. 

On the first day of school, your hearts racing, sweat is forming across the forehead and you're nervous beyond belief. Now imagine attending school as a co-op student on your first work term at Mediated Learning Academy - That's exactly how Andrew felt. Read about his experience with MLA!

If you’re considering a job in sports for your co-op term and, like Justine, you skipped gym in high school to go read in the library, this article is for you.

Emily, a Health Sciences Co-op student, worked for Western Society for Children (WSFC) as a Child Life Specialist. This allowed Emily to see the ability within disability, and realize that anyone has the power to make a difference. Read Emily's article to find out more about WSFC, and how good intentions lead to meaningful impacts!

Business Co-op Coordinator Caroline Wakelin shares 5 tips and can-do's for career progression and tells her own story about how reluctantly saying "yes" to a first job that wasn't her "dream job" actually ended up getting her to where she wanted. 

Knowing how to deal with multiple tasks each having different priorities and deadlines is necessary for success. Time management, an essential skill in most work places, is therefore an even more important skill to develop as a co-op student. In this article, I share some time management methods for handling small side tasks in order to free up more time for the bigger things at hand.

There are very few people who get to see the inside of a hospital morgue. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for Sophia it was a golden opportunity. Read to find out how Sophia's curiosity led them to unimaginable places and taught them the importance of embracing the unexpected.

Saba did her very first co-op work term at the Mediated Learning Academy. In this post, she shares her experiences working with children between the ages of 6 to 9 with special needs and the things she learned with them along the way.

Meet Nathan: a Business Co-op student who completed a 12-month work term with Blackberry in Toronto. In this blog, Nathan discusses how valuable co-op is for their personal and professional development and why you should consider completing an out-of-town co-op!

Accepting a job with SFU International Co-op, Christy only expected to complete a four-month work term. This all changed when she was offered a work term extension. If you’re considering whether or not you should accept a work term extension, Christy has three big reasons why you should. 

Want to work in different sectors during your co-op work terms and gain diverse experiences? Learn how you can diversify your co-op experience and leverage your skills by reading these five tips! 

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. 

Communication and interaction are fundamental parts of everyday life and a person’s ability to communicate and interact has a major impact on their well-being, happiness, and success. In this post, Akanksha shares her own experiences at the intersection of culture and communication.

Like a modern day Goldilocks, Laurie Dawkins, a Communication Co-op alumna, spent many years trying out various roles to find the one that was just right. Now, as an award-winning, senior communications professional, Laurie shared how her experience with SFU Co-op shaped how she approached her career.

Going to Spain for co-op, I felt I would be immersed in a single culture. Read on to discover how this opportunity allowed me to develop a more intricate understanding of culture, communities, and families and to build lifelong friendships and family-like relationships across linguistic and cultural barriers.

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.  

What happens when you are responsible for training your successor at your co-op job? What about when you are responsible for training your successor knowing that you’ll be returning to the same job the following summer and that their job performance will directly impact you? In this blog post, Garrett shares his experience training a replacement and how this taught him the importance of perspective. 

In this Vlog, SFU Communication Co-op student Jao Dantes explains his typical work day working for Simon Fraser University. 

It has been six long years since I started at SFU, switching majors three times along the way. With such a convoluted path, it’s no surprise that life after school began to fall out of context. Thankfully, a well-timed co-op opportunity allowed me to refocus my life and reverse my dwindling academic attitude. 

In a clinic, like many businesses, personal-relational experience can turn a good therapist into a great one. Practicing excellent technique and skill is often not enough. It is by establishing rapport through strong communication and genuine concern about a patient’s well-being where one becomes a great therapist. Read about Brendan's co-op journey and find out how he was able to go from being a good therapist to being a great one! 

Applying for the position of Pedorthic Assistant at Kintec, Daniel was a bit hesitant since their previous work experience involved asking people if they want fries with that. Daniel soon found that working at Kintec was one of the most relevant jobs to their degree as it's a lot more than just selling shoes.

When a person enters a physiotherapy clinic for the first time, they can experience a wide range of emotions such as fear, despair and doubt. It is the job of healthcare practitioners to transition clientele from fearing movement to love of movement. In this post, Brandon discusses how being honest and empathetic will help you achieve amazing things with your clientele.

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.  

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.

Since applying to the Kinesiology program at SFU, Lois knew one day they wanted to work as an Occupational Therapist. They spent time volunteering in recreation-based work, but when it came time to apply for a co-op, Lois decided to expand into the realm of teaching life skills.

What do you do with a BA in Health Sciences focusing on global health? For Lauren Shandley, this has meant combining her technical expertise and love of travel to better the lives of others around the globe.   

In the digital age, you never know who’s looking and what opportunities can arise. When you’re putting together your online presence, you want to go beyond cutting and pasting your resume, and get your LinkedIn profile in tip-top shape! Kass shares 5 tips to make your profile POP!

Feeling low on motivation and enthusiasm during an extended work term? Read Charmaine's blog on getting your motivation level up and running during your work term.

Remember the flood of emails you ignored as a student? Well, turning a blind eye doesn't fly in the office place. Miranda shares useful tips on how to avoid being overwhelmed by reading and deleting!

Ever wondered what makes the difference between a consumer-level product and an industrial one? Read on and find out some of the key differences that make industrial level products stand out in reliability.

Kim began her co-op work term at BlackBerry despite having never applied for the position. This opportunity sparked her interest in tech, which resulted in an extension and job rotation. In this article, Kim presents 3 reasons why you too should accept a co-op extension and job rotation.

Emily Taylor, senior Communication Co-op student, debunks 4 more misconceptions about joining Co-op in part 2 of our series. 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. "

Professional development in contemporary arts, in a post-secondary setting, is problematic. What is the responsibility of the university? What does professional development for artists look like? Kevin answers these questions and more.

Once you land a job, the skills you’ve learned in your classes make surprising appearances in the workforce. Discover how Rebecca’s ability to navigate university helped her attain co-op success!

Six students from the School for the Contemporary Arts worked with the Capture Photography Festival on a public art project titled "Lying Stills: Constructing Truth with Photography". Read about their contributions to this exciting project!  

A recap of the third Action Talk event held at SFU Woodward’s.

In this article, Charlene provides us with some hard-hitting truths about co-op and what it means to think positively when applying for a position. 

Matthew enters his fourth year with a newfound perspective on graduation. His time working for SFU Career and Volunteer Services has taught him that when it comes to education, there should be no rush. Here, he shares his top 3 reasons why!

Jobs in the federal government are well-paid, interesting, and a great springboard for your career. They are also very hard to get. Diana shares these six tips that could help you land your dream job in the Federal Government.

Congratulations on extending your work term! It's time for more Learning Objectives! Don't worry though, if you're having a hard time thinking up of some new ones, read these 5 tips to help you.

For Pauline, an invitation to a networking event automatically elicits feelings of anxiety, triggers the sweat glands and generates one glaring thought, “no freakin’ way.” Read as she navigates her way through her networking anxieties.

Many students enter communications with the hopes of landing a glamorous, high-paying job. In this article, Celine makes a case for why you may want to consider a less glamorous, but highly rewarding career in the non-profit sector.