Personal & Professional Development

No matter how well you've prepared for it, rejection hurts on a gut-wrenching , tear-jerking scale. Why does it hurt so much? Perhaps more importantly, how can we deal with it? Dave proposes two conceptualizations of rejection, and some tips for dealing with it to go with each.

While applying for graduate school I had absolutely no clue what to do. I assumed that everyone knew what they are doing except me so I found myself feeling inadequate. I started to doubt my abilities and second-guessing my decision to pursue a degree. However, after a little research I realized that it isn’t so difficult after all.

It's understandable to look forward to a relaxing break during the winter holidays, one that will be devoid of any intellectual effort. However, I encourage you to reconsider: treat this as an excellent time to jump ahead in your job search! Here's the story of how I made the most of my holiday job search.

What makes a great LinkedIn profile photo? We use examples from student photos taken during the BIG Fair to illustrate tips on how to look your best in your LinkedIn profile.

Have you ever thought of how the holidays can help your career? The hustle and bustle, holiday gatherings, and gift-giving are all aspects that can be applied to expanding your network or even get you a job for the new year.

There are many myths that are prevalent about working in government, whether it is at the federal, provincial or municipal level. But do these myths actually hold any truth? Read on to find out more, and to also discover a fantastic event opportunity to network with government representatives from all levels!

Marissa McIntyre grew up in Cloverdale, BC. She is currently a second year student here at SFU with a double major in First Nations Studies and Psychology.

Haida/Kwakwakw’wakw artist, Nalaga O'Brien's inspiring journey as she starts her own company and finds her life's purpose.

Ritik had a pretty amazing time in Japan while on his International Co-op term with BOSCH. The projects he worked on may have been classifed, but the fun he had sure wasn't, and he's here to share it with you.

What is Microvolunteering? How can you participate? Kelly shares the answers to these questions and sheds some light on this fairly new activity.

Interested in learning more about a particular career path? Hoping to expand your network? Looking to practice for job interviews? An informational interview might just be the thing you need!

Should our most important values be fulfilled by the job we do? Anything less tends to be viewed as "just a job." The result is predictable: a bunch of unsatisfied people who think they should be in more fulfilling jobs. Dave argues it's better to love yourself than your job.

Finals season is coming up, and so is the daily intake of caffeine by students – you know who we’re talking about. Exam stress is a natural part of life that everyone will face at one point or another, but there are ways to ease the amount of stress - read on to find out more!

Looking to expand his horizons, Vincent takes on a co-op opportunity that isn't directly related to his field of study. Read on to find out how he overcomes these challenges! 

On the 28th of September 2013, myself, Laura Forsythe and Loryn Blower all attended the Metis Nation of British Columbia Annual General Meeting in Richmond BC. It was a beautiful venue, small and intimate for the important proceedings and cultural connections that were taking place within.

There are cultural differences between us that can often be misunderstood and affect our success in our chosen profession. An article in the Globe and Mail, entitled, 5 Tips for Women in the Workplace, gave a few excellent pieces of advice for those of us moving onto a career.

"I think that in many ways, there is still so much confusion surrounding Aboriginal people and culture. I know many people are often afraid of doing or saying something offensive, so instead of asking questions and being open, they shut down and stay away." Christina shares how employers can be more inclusive for Aboriginal recruits.

I have discovered that learning from others, is the greatest way to avoid making mistakes; and listening to others with the intention to truly understand, is the greatest way to gain a real education; after all… “An education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he/she learned in school”.

AIESEC student, Lucia Vasani came to SFU to assist in planning the 2013 BIG Fair. She shares her reasons for joining AIESEC and why she thinks the annual fair is a great opportunity students should be taking advantage of.

Navigating the job market today is not an easy task. Application processes are becoming longer, qualifications that you may need are becoming greater, and there’s sometimes not as many jobs available at some times of the year. But there are ways to overcome all this, and it's not even that difficult.

Interviews are challenging yet predictable. You know that you will be asked a series of questions so that the employer can get to know you better and determine if you are a good fit for their position. We put together 10 tips to answer these questions effectively.

Many people struggle with providing helpful feedback. You don’t want to be too positive, ignoring possible errors, but you don’t want to crush the other person’s work either. To help, we’ve put together a quick list to help you give and receive helpful feedback.

 

You've likely received endless advice on how to prepare for an interview, and on just the right answers to give, so we're switching it up with 10 tips on how NOT to answer interview questions.

Lauren turned to international Co-op as a way to continue gaining work experience while exploring the world. Read about her experience working for a high end international hotel chain in China.

For most engineering students, three semesters of Co-op work is a requirement for graduation. Follow Scott on his Co-op journey as he gradually discovers his passions by taking on multiple Co-op opportunities. 

Natalie faces a new experience in her role as SFU Food Bank Coordinator: Conducting interviews. After only a few short months, she's on the other side of the table, find out how it went.

Natalie's been writing OLC blogs for awhile now, so she was excited to be able to bring her blogging skills to her new Co-op job. Now she's launched the SFU Food Bank Blog.

The CEO & President of the Aboriginal Human Resource Council, Kelly J Lendsay will be speaking to Indigenous students about how the Aboriginal Inclusion network can help you find the right job, the right employer and build a career path that feeds your passion and emphasizes your talent.

Hard work pays off. Read about how Pevisha's dedication to applying to multiple co-op positions finally paid off when Teradici reached out to her! 

Finding a job these days isn’t an easy task. You’ve got lots of cover letters to write, you have to tailor your resume for each position, you have interviews to prepare for, and that’s only covering the ‘mandatory’ steps. But what can you do to set yourself apart from other candidates?