Vicky Leung is a Business Co-op student who found herself having to choose between the allure of a permanent position at a start-up company, which did not match the job description, and a Co-op position that was everything she imagined. Read Vicky’s 3 pieces of advice when making difficult decisions in the co-op program. 

As Karen points out, students of the Interactive Arts and Technology program have been through years of design school! Designers know how to use Adobe Suite like a pro, and know to bring their A-game to the table every day, proposing fascinating new directions and brand-new visionary ideas. While designers are hired to learn and bring some ‘fresh perspectives’ to their co-op workplace, read on to learn how they can overlook some key parts of the everyday designer.

Working from home is a common reality for many Co-op students in the past year. Working from home while working for a Health Authority in the thick of the pandemic is a tremendous experience Kaylla went through last year. Take a look at how she learned to stay productive in these uncertain times.

In today's world of social media and aesthetics, the ability to create eye-catching and attractive content can be essential to a communication student's success in their co-op position. The problem is, programs like Photoshop and Indesign can be daunting to learn, and expensive to own. In his blog, Fareed explores whether Canva can be used as a more accessible platform for graphic design.  

Shahvir Sarkary is a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Co-op Student who had the opportunity to work as an Events Assistant for FASS, the largest faculty on campus. Shahvir recruited & managed over 48 students for a mentorship role that supported and helped the transition of new incoming students in Fall 2020 term.

Nisha’s second work term as a curriculum and programming assistant on a hiring committee for Career and Volunteer Services made her realize that with so many qualified candidates, decisions are sometimes based on the tiniest details. Here are Nisha’s 10 tips for how to stand out from other candidates and the reasons why employer’s value them.

From trials and tribulations from countless interviews during her Co-op seeking journey, Ka Yiu Cheng shares some tips on how to crush your next virtual interview. 

Bakhtiar Yaqub has decided to formally appoint themselves as the designated Ned Bigby of Simon Fraser University. Read for tips on surviving your work term from Bakhtiar's Declassified Co-op Survival Guide!

The climate is changing, global health is threatened, injustices are prevalent, and you want to do something about it. Well, how much impact can you actually have as a co-op student? Here’s what Brennan found out during his work term at the BC Council for International Cooperation.

Working a new 9-to-5 can come with a pretty steep learning curve, especially if you hold on to your university-student habits. In his article, Gryfin tells us his tips for adjusting to his co-op placement (and adulthood). 

Your first Co-op work term comes with a lot of valuable lessons and take-aways that stick with you throughout your professional career. For Emily, these lessons include just doing it, finding your strengths and striking a work-life balance. Read on to learn more.

Does working 40 hours a week seem tiring? Try adding 15 to 18 hours of strenuous running, weightlifting, stretching and physiotherapy. Carlos takes you through his journey as a varsity track athlete while completing an eight-month co-op with Streamline Athletes.

Communication skills are more than spelling and grammar structure. As per Alyanna's supervisor, "Communication is a strategy action to receive what you expect to accomplish.” Read on to learn more about how she develops a different perspective of what communication is about from her co-op experience.

Robert's boss shared a key lesson with him about an essential trait that can get one hired. What is that trait and how can you develop it? Read on to learn more from Robert.

It was confusing figuring out how to work from home on a short notice back in March 2020. Since then, Terry has been learning and reflecting on what really makes a home office productive and what is needed to keep it a friendly and productive environment. Read on to learn more about his insights.

Finding a co-op placement can be quite stressful, but if you stick with it you might just find your dream position. Read John’s article on persevering through a difficult job search and making the most of a co-op placement.

How you carry yourself in your working environment will determine your growth, achievements, and what kind of work environment you engage in. Read more about how Tiffany realized what she has made out of her experience is what ultimately defined her workplace.

Remote working is no longer only the future of working but a current-day reality. Matthew provides three of his tips and tricks that have worked for him when working remotely with Student Recruitment and Admissions at SFU.

Like any other person, we have all thought about death at least once in our lives. Join Paneet in this honest conversation about end-of-life issues and what to do when such a tragic but inevitable discussion arises amongst loved ones. In this article, Paneet provides helpful advice and carefully selected resources to ease in to the conversation and to help prepare for the unpredictability of life.

Things move fast in a Co-op. One day you could be working with your favorite application, completely comfortable, and the next, you'll be tasked with learning an entirely new application. This is what happened to Vanessa in her Co-op, and here's how her first placement went, as well as her favorite things about both Wordpress and Weebly - two applications you may also find yourself using in a Communication Co-op.

Follow Gabriel on a journey of self-reflection as he shares with us some of the lessons he's learnt while on a Co-op term at Tranction on Demand.

In this article, James details a few things he wishes he knew when he was starting out in his Marketing Communication Co-op placement. Read more to find out what James' top tips for rocking a co-op as a first-timer are. 

Having trouble figuring out how to stay engaged at work from the comfort of your own home? Tiffany shares some ways she’s become more proactive with her learning despite working from home, and how she’s gotten more involved at IBM during her remote internship experience.

Thinking about working remotely for your next co-op term? Political Science student, Maja Lampa describes her experience adapting to remote work during her first season with the Federal Government and how she found meaningful work in uncertain times.

Working for a large, well-known organization can be both exciting and intimidating. It can raise questions about how you can stand out and forge a unique path, while fitting into the work culture. Jenny shares her top three insights during her work term at RBC as a Business Analyst on their Strategic Initiatives and Change Management.

Being able to keep an optimistic outlook was the key skill Sandy discovered that would help her weather the changes the pandemic brought earlier this year. As a research assistant promoting physical activity and social connectedness among seniors in BC, she had to figure out how to switch tracks quickly and easily without loosing sight of her team's objectives. Read on to learn how she found the silver linings to her new remote working situation.

After applying to 50 jobs and going out to 12 interviews, Oscar Wong wasn’t sure he was going to land his first Co-op. Finally, on the last day of the semester, Oscar was hired for a digital marketing role and he has never looked back. Now, as a Communication alumnus working as an Internal Communications and Design Specialist at Electronic Arts, Oscar is happy to share more on how he navigated from Co-op to career. 

Heading into your first co-op without a clue of what to expect? Read about some the the lessons Katheryna learned through her own co-op experience. 

It's no easy feat being able to stand out from the crowd when job-seeking after graduating. For Taylor, her unique SFU background comes from her combined SFU Athlete and Co-op work experience. Read on to learn more about why she recommends fellow athletes to join the Co-op program.

Naomi Chao never thought it would be possible to intern at tech giants Microsoft, Adobe and SAP before she even graduated. Read on and find out how her co-op experience at Spexi Geospatial helped pave the way to her dream job.

"Okay, so you land a Co-op position after sending out what feels like millions of resumes and sweating through multiple carefully curated interview outfits. The hard part is over! Or is it?" Read Emily's piece on how accurate clichés can be, and how to use them to your advantage when entering the workforce.

A year ago, Yuchen was a full-time student without any work experience. After a long time, she landed my first Co-op position. Here are Yuchen's 5 tips for transitioning from being a student to working in the field as an accountant.

A lot of Oliver's friends and classmates would talk about wanting to travel away and work in new and novel places. Oliver didn't feel the same way. In this blog post, he shares his reasoning for staying at SFU and why he always wanted to work where he studied.

Whiteboard interviews can be nerve wracking if you aren't well-prepared to communicate and present yourself in a confident way. Check out this edition of Interview Types to learn more about how you can set yourself up for success in a whiteboard interview.

Deciding which Co-op opportunity to select can be challenging when there’s so many possibilities with different industries. Christina shares what it's like to work in an unexpecting industry and how she learned to pick up new experiences while learning on the job and integrating herself within the workplace.  

Sarah, the only design and marketing coordinator at her workplace, found herself in a tough spot when she had to shift to working from home. Here's what she learned on her journey to becoming resilient and adaptable while transitioning. 

Saraan interviews Co-op students, So Hyun Park, Roop Gill, and Haoyang Zhang about what it was like applying and seeking for their first co-op work term. They share the challenges they faced during their seeking semesters and their advice for other fellow students who are pursuing their first co-ops. 

The field of communications is very broad, and as a result, you may be asked to manage multiple roles in your Co-op position. In this article Abhinav will take you through the lessons he has learned and his greatest tips for managing a multifaceted position.

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.