Welcome to your first Co-op job! You showed your stuff at your interview and wowed your future employers with your knowledge and experience. You come into your first day and that’s when you realize: you don’t know anyone at all, and everyone looks more knowledgeable and more mature than you. Keep reading to see a few tips that Claire has for you to battle your imposter syndrome and win!
Workplace Success
Workplace Success, as shown in the following stories, is defined by your productivity, the quality of your work and creating lasting impressions with supervisors and mentors. Scroll through and learn how you can manifest success in the workplace; the following authors have shared their tips and strategies on making the most out of your co-ops, how to effectively communicate what you need, and various tools you can use to assist your workflow.
SFU Communication student Clayton Wong reflects on his co-op journey and how his co-ops at Tesla, Snapchat, and YVR Airport shaped his career path.
Close to graduating or just want to know what the transition from being a student to working full-time is like? Check out Simran’s post about some of the challenges she faced due to her student habits and how she overcame them!
As I was finishing my third and final lap biking around the Stanley Park Seawall, my legs felt like Jell-O. I never biked this much before (a whopping 53 km that day, by the way), which made me wonder why I agreed to go on a “short” bike ride with my new co-workers at Vancouver Coastal Health. Looking back, however, I am glad that I agreed to join the bike ride. Continue reading to learn how this activity got me to know my co-workers outside of work – something that I didn’t know I needed.
Even as a child, economics student Justine Mok loved helping others and she aspired to pursue a career that would allow her to make a meaningful difference. Read on to see how she used her time at SFU Economics to fuel her future.
Communication? What do you do in Communication? It wasn't until my Co-op term with Fraser Health that I started to gain a solid understanding of what a career in Communication could really encompass. Keep reading to learn about how working in the healthcare sector during a pandemic rekindled my passion for Communication work.
When a company invests in its people, the work experience can go from good to great. Roop Gill’s anecdotal piece on how she prospered in her co-op despite massive setbacks proves that there is nothing more valuable than workplace connection.
Do you want to make a difference in your community? Are you interested in working in health care for your co-op work term but don’t know if you have what it takes? Read about the skills Alan found helped him have a successful work term in health care.
Wondering what's it like to do a Co-op term with Co-op? If so, check out Sarah's experience working as the Digital Design and Communications Assistant for the SFU Surrey Co-op Programs, where she had had the opportunity to work with four different Co-op programs!
During my semester of scouring through SFU’s myExperience portal for jobs, I had to learn a lot of things the hard way, which probably led to me getting a job pretty last minute. But I don’t think I’m the only one who has fallen into the trap of destructive habits that creep through the cracks on the road to success. Below is a list of things I wish I had known when I started seeking for Co-op jobs that I hope will help other Communication Co-op job seekers.
A big meeting is coming up at work and you have no idea how you will contribute in a way that is meaningful. Jacky went from anxious to ambitious during his co-op work term as a Student Researcher, learning the ins and outs of leadership and proactive participation in team meetings. Here are his 7 tips for preparing for your upcoming work gathering.
Riding hovercrafts while at work, meeting renowned scientists, being the resident expert for introducing new software. These are all experiences Sam encountered while at his government job with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Read on to learn how his co-op job with the government was neither boring nor overly bureaucratic.