Personal & Professional Development

Narayan’s work “focuses on the intersections between the LGBTQ+ community, mental health awareness and intergenerational arts activism using theatre and drama”. She is a research coordinator for a year long study on youth ages 16-24 and their mental health experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the perfect job sector for a Communication student? Social media? Probably. Marketing? Most definitely. Healthcare? Read about Erica's experience jumping into a job at Vancouver Coastal Health - during a pandemic no less!

If you’re like me and obsess over Instagram aesthetics, peruse like-minded communities on Twitter, or aspire to be TikTok famous, then you’ve probably considered a digital marketing career at some point and are ready to make your debut in the industry. Here are four Do-It-Yourself skills that will spice up your resume, helping you to leverage your digital marketing talents before your search for your Co-op opportunity!

Shahid, a recent Mechatronics alumnus, never thought he'd find himself working at an Oil and Gas company such as ExxonMobil. After all, how do mechatronics connect to the Oil and Gas industry? As it turns out, much more than Shahid anticipated! Although starting out nervous and unsure, Shahid quickly rose to the occasion and found joy in every aspect of his work. Read more to find out about Shahid's position, and what he learned while on an out-of-town co-op in Ontario!

Over Bill's five terms of Co-op experience, the past two (in Summer and Fall 2020) have provided a rather unique experience. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill was given the opportunity to work remotely from home and found himself needing to adapt to a very different work environment in terms of task planning and time management. In this blog, Bill hopes to share some of these experiences as well as some challenges that he faced while working remotely

Unsure of what to expect for your upcoming co-op? Megan wasn't either! Megan, a Business Co-op Student, worked at SFUVentureLabs for 4 months as a Program Administrator Assistant. Previously working in a large government office, Megan was nervous coming into a small sized company for the first time. But, there was nothing to fear as Megan strengthened a lot of skills and learned more about their career path. Read Megan's story to learn more about why you should work for a smaller sized company!

Are you a time-management-struggler? Have you been eager to learn ways to manage your time? In this article, Srijani coins the term, "time-management-struggler" as she discusses helpful tips on how to mange your time effectively. 

Starting your first Co-op work semester can be intimidating. “Will I get along with my coworkers?” or “Will I be good at my job?” are some questions that everyone asks themselves. In February, Marcus Fujiwara, a Solutions & Services Co-op at Allocadia found himself asking “Will my position be terminated?” and “How do I work from home?” amid the global pandemic. Read on to learn about his attempt at finding a silver lining in the most uncertain of times.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” This Chinese proverb inspired Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, to share her tips on applying to grad school. Read Kandice's article to learn why you should start the process today!

Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, never expected to be a Teaching Assistant (TA). But with the encouragement from family and friends who were former TAs, Kandice took the plunge. Now as her first year comes to a close, Kandice shares some helpful tips on how to have an enjoyable semester as a TA!

In this article, Kandice explains the frustrating process of grad school applications, and the conflicting advice that inevitably surrounds it. However, there is a key take-away when applying to grad school: Read her article to find out what it is!

Being part of a start-up company can be scary enough, but doing it as a Co-op student who is brand new to the industry can be absolutely terrifying. This is what I learned about working for a start-up over the last 10 months as a Communication & Multimedia Associate!

Winnie shares how she adjusted to working and studying on zoom.

Stephanie Greaves, Co-op Coordinator for the SFU School of Interactive Arts & Technology, interviews Derian Chow about his Co-op position as an Esports Project Coordinator.

See how co-op student Marielle Juan learned how to break the cycle of over-apologizing from her first Co-op job experience. 

Ka Yiu Cheng shares her tips on how to cope with the stress that comes with graduating university and entering the "real world."

This week’s SFU Surrey Co-op featured student is Megan Holmes, an MSE student who has been doing some excellent work at one of her dream companies, MDA, a Canadian aerospace company. One of the exciting projects she is working on is upgrading the Canadian CP-140 Aurora aircraft’s radar surveillance system. Read on to learn more about Megan’s experience!

Last summer, my sister and I were excited to travel to Europe. As you can probably guess, that did not happen. But from the gloom of cancelling our dream trip, something positive emerged - an important conversation and a new direction that kickstarted my career.

Does the word mentor scare you? Maybe you don't know what the word Mentorship even means! These are thoughts Bessie had before signing up for a mentorship program at their Co-op workplace. Read Bessie's article on the benefits of working with a mentor!

Deriving inspiration from her first post, "4 Reasons You Won't Regret Working in Customer Service", Sydney is back and ready to share more knowledge with you from her time in retail. In this article, you'll find Sydney's strategy for negotiating wage raises, work-term extensions and permanent positions. 

"Reema Faris has a deep passion for learning. As a naturally curious and inquisitive person, she says returning to post secondary studies in recent years has been a joy. Faris spent many years of her early career as a communications and marketing professional within a range of public and private sector organizations. Faris brings new perspectives, kindness, and enthusiasm for teaching and learning to the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, where she is pursuing doctoral studies."

We often forget that breathing is one of the most important things that we do in our daily lives. It is our constant reminder that we are alive. So take some time out of your day and discover what it means to breathe. 

Finding our way through adversities and challenges can definitely be a stressful mission. But it is important to remember that "humans are resilient." Here are some strategies to help practice resilience in your day-to-day journey of personal growth and ways on how we can thrive in life's storms. 

Every job has its slow days every once in a while. Sometimes, all that free time can make you feel bored and unproductive. Ray shares 4 things he's done in the past during his Co-op work term to most of a slow day at work.

Congratulations! You’ve landed your first Co-op work term. But wait! There’s a catch (or two): you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and you’re expected to lead a team in this new and not-so-improved virtual setting. Read Bita’s tips to feel more confident while conquering your very first Co-op in a position of leadership, all the while working remotely.