Personal & Professional Development

Adam Keizer, an Environmental Science major, was one of the nominees for the 2006 SFU Co-op Student of the year.  In the following article, Adam provides a personal account of his experience on a Co-op term in the rocky tundra of the far north, housed in a camp with only thirty other people.

While life in Kootenays may bear the reputation of being laid back, Co-op student Adam Brayford finds that within the realm of emergency communications, the province's warmer region is abuzz with activity.

Ever thought about creating your own volunteer position? Francisco has some tips and strategies on how to do just that in this installment of “Diary of a Volunteer”.

Not only does China have a fantastic reputation for employing many Simon Fraser University co-op students each year, this global giant has a culture steeped in superstition and lore.

The OLC happily presents the following as Craig Vandermeer’s first interview with the OLC after his return from Uganda Fall Semester 2010. Having finished his undergrad at Carleton University with a degree in Political Science, he is continuing his education here at SFU in the International Studies Master’s program.

You open your Facebook account and there it is – your boss wants to add you as a friend! You can’t really ignore her request (she’ll ask you about it the next day), so you go ahead and add her. What’s next? Do you now stop being yourself and stop making jokes about Justin Beiber? Do you stop professing your love for random things?

Students are consistently hesitanant to make their resume “stand out” visually.  It’s seen as a risk – that if one too many steps away from ‘normal’ is taken, the seriousness of the document will be somehow irrevocably compromised.

In her final edition to the series, Kerri Jang finds herself reminiscing about her top memorable moments in Moldova. From an all-night fishing trip to at times being the only person of Asian descent on the scene, Kerri heads home with more than just memories.

Journey through Moldova with BPK student Kerri Jang in this five part series. In this article, Kerri moves from the city into a village in Moldova, she finds herself surrounded by animals and fruit trees as she lives with a host family, while organizing wheelchair basketball and tennis through The Motivatie Association.

Journey through Moldova with BPK student Kerri Jang in this five part series. In this article, Kerri was able to observe her first real-life surgery. Read on to find out what this experience was like! 

Part two of the series finds Kerri Jang, volunteer with Projects Abroad, spending time in a city of parallels; Chisinau, in Moldova. Having never experienced a surgery before, Kerri ventures into unknown territory during her adventures in some of the city's hospitals.

Journey through Moldova, a small country situated between Romania and Ukraine with Kerri Jang as she volunteers with a medical project in Moldova's capital and a care project in the nearby village of Vadul lui Voda this five part series. In this article, Kerri begins her journey in Moldova! 

How do you make important decisions? I’ve been reminded in my visits with students of the difficulty that can be a part of making big decisions. I’ve also been reminded that when working with people struggling with a choice, it can be challenging to reign in the impulse to push for one direction or the other.

Is your career portfolio feeling a little outdated? Tune in to a local makeover phenomenon that's taking the job market by storm: SFU Co-op. Communication Major Jessica Doherty knows first hand what co-op can do for building confidence, contacts, and a killer resume. Read on to follow her on her journey from drab to high profile.

Co-op Japan: 9 months in Japan can seem like a long time away from the comforts of SFU. But as we all know, if you’re having fun, time flies. For Duncan Chan, all he saw was time fly as he experienced life in Japan like no other. He worked his Co-op work terms, developed friendships, and gained new skills he can utilize in the future – everything he did in Japan was that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he took it until the very end.

Read about David Moloney, the Executive Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and someone who "“…can’t decide what he wants to do when he grows up,” as he shares with us his experience working in government.  

Students in counselling psychology become very familiar with the term “empathy."The message that empathy is the cornerstone to successful therapy is pounded into your brain until you stop asking how or why it’s important, and start accepting it as a fact.

For three SFU Science Alumni, the road to success was a windy one. While each of them experienced roadblock and detours, none foresaw the opportunities and open doors that awaited them post graduation.

The cold, hard fact is that Facebook may be putting your job at risk, and not just because you’re writing on your friends’ Walls when you should be working. This said, co-op students: please take heed of the following guidelines and maintain your all-important professional poise.

Tired of the same ol Vancouver scene?  Want to travel, but think you cant because your student bank account is plummeting somewhere in the negatives?  If you said yes to both these questions, sounds like youre suffering from a classic case of travel bug blues.  But dont worry, theres a simple solution to your ailment.  Start searching for co-op jobs out of town!

Meet Jeannie Chan, a Computing Science and Statistics student who convocated this June. Shes completed a total of five Co-op work terms, and has been able to develop an impressive set of skills, helping her to land a full-time job! Read on to learn all about her experiences.

Keep hearing that networking is the key to professional success, but unsure of how to go about doing it? The Vancouver Board of Trade's first-ever Speed Networking event brought together students, mentors and representatives of the business community for 2 hours of intense contact building. Widely attended and well-received, this event proved that networking can be an enjoyable affair. 

When someone on campusasks you “how are you doing?” what do you usually say? More often than not it seems the answer is “busy” because, let’s face it, SFU students ARE busy.

Welcome to Office Life 101. A wealth of friendly advice for the first time or inexperienced co-op student, and some advice as to what is required of you to not only survive, but to flourish in an office environment.

Trying to decide whether devoting your time to a club or professional association is right for you? Public Relations Executive, IABC member and former Communication Co-op student Stephanie Vicic gives insight into the value of pursuing the extracurricular. Read on!

Being an arts and social sciences student means having a vast variety of career options open to us. One of them being a treaty negotiator at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)! Read Ryan's blog to find out more about what this position entails. 

Upon graduation in June 2008, Kaili Rand had achieved the highest cumulative GPA in her faculty, maintained a balance between her schoolwork and volunteering, and has been accepted into medical school. Did I also mention she’s a Co-op student?