Personal & Professional Development

Co-op student Arthur Yee explores his career path in Communications by getting involved in professional events presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Volunteering overseas can be a great way to see the world and gain experience. But you should be conscious of the ethical implications of your international volunteer experience. Read more here.

On a special assignment for the university, SFU Volunteer & Service Learning Coordinator Trina Isakson visited community leaders in and near Barhampur village, in Punjab province of India. Her mission: to establish an ongoing opportunity for SFU students to work and volunteer in the culturally vibrant region.

Alex Briede, a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry student, convocated this June. Along with his BSc, he received a Co-op designation on his degree for his five Co-op work terms! Read all about his experiences and why he recommends joining the Co-op program.

When Adam accepted the position of Fire Information Officer for the BC Forest Service, he knew that the job might entail long hours, a steep learning curve and a major lifestyle adjustment. What he did not know was that the whole experience would set off with a week at firefighter boot camp. Read Adams story about surviving bootcamp. 

Special Olympics Canada is an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through positive sports. Al-Rahim Habib, an SFU student is finishing his B.Sc. in Health Sciences this semester, is currently volunteering for Special Olympics BC, a chapter of Special Olympics Canada.  His goal is to one day become a medical doctor.

David Skerik's time as an undergraduate political science student could be described as the ultimate balancing act. The end result of achieving this balance was exceptional grades, a busy family life and valuable co-op work term experiences that allowed him to participate in important work for Canada's First Nations communities.

Have you ever been told that you have to “sell yourself” in order to succeed in finding a job?  Are you a reserved, overly modest introvert who shudders at the idea of “talking yourself up” to others?  If yes, then you’re in the same camp as me, and a whole lot of other generally nice, well-meaning people.

I wrote a little bit about my experiences working in restaurant kitchens part-time during my undergraduate degree. While I do enjoy reminiscing, I’m also aware that not all readers will benefit from such a personal discussion.Who wants to read about some guy washing dishes 8 or 9 years ago, anyway?

It is a Co-op student's dream to land a job right after graduation because of their work experience. Better yet, to land that job because you worked for them as a Co-op student. That was the case for Tina Morabi; her co-op job with VANOC landed her a full time position upon graduation.

For four months Jessica Kehler traveled across the world to Botswana, working with Holy Cross Hospice, a non-profit organization that uses a holistic approach to treating terminal HIV/AIDS patients. Upon her return, the OLC sat down to learn about a country known for its diamond mining, tourism, and sadly, HIV/AIDS. Read to find out more about her journey!

Nicole Skuce, Arts and Social Sciences Co-op alumnus, was able to use her networking skills to turn one of her Co-op work terms into a career. Read on to discover how she effectively used her time at SFU as a stepping stone to her current position.

Not a lot of people have the luxury of being able to go through post-secondary education without holding down a job. I was one of those poor souls, slaving away at seemingly menial, shamelessly servile jobs to pay the proverbial bills, sacrificing my weekends, evenings, and summers for The Man.

There was a time when I didn’t know what informational interviews were. Little did I know that I could contact people who had positions that sounded interesting and ask about what they did! Can you imagine how shocked I was when I found out, I wondered why would anyone want to help me?

“You’re going to teach English overseas eh? Sounds cool. So what kind of ‘real’ job are you going to do when you get back?” I hadn’t planned that part yet, but my friend’s comment stung a bit and made me second guess my decision. Maybe he was right. My overseas experience would be a useless footnote in my work history.

With a love for marketing and advertising, Communication student Lilian Sue discovers how to break into the industry and finds great online resources to improve one's creativity skills during her search.

In mid-June, WIL International Coordinator Amy Lee went to Scotland to help facilitate the opening phase of the Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE) Program, and offers some advice for students thinking about applying in the future.

Something is very wrong.Maybe it’s just the “what does it all mean?” question that I find myself asking from time to time, without being able to come up with a satisfactory answer. Maybe it’s the existentialist in me coming out since I started reading R.D. Laing’s The Politics of Experience and the Bird of Paradise.

While many entered the WIL photo contest, only one emerged victorious in the category of Community Engagement. We chatted with Emmanuel Krebs about his photo “Recess”, taken while volunteering abroad in Rwanda.

A successful Co-op work term can involve many factors, one of which is developing and working towards meeting your learning objectives. Developing a learning objective helps you to think about what you want to accomplish during your upcoming work term and begin developing a plan for how you’ll achieve success.

A student’s e-portfolio is a chance to wow employers by showcasing their creative and detailed work. To do this, there are specific elements that can make the difference between getting the right kind of attention and getting overlooked.

Karan Durairajan may be new to SFU, but that didn’t stop him from entering the 2008 WIL Photo Contest under the brand new entry category, Community Engagement. Read the story behind the photo.

We are now the post modernists. We are slowly moving away from the target population of advertisements into the strange and illustrious world of being grown-ups, having jobs, and being self sufficient.  We are also unfortunate enough to be the “in-between” generation in terms of technology.  Our parents, while inferior in email technology, excel at verbal communication.

International Studies (IS) is a fairly new faculty at SFU. How can students in IS market their unique perspectives and skill set to potential employers? Read on for advice from Jan Bérubé, Manager of Academic & Administrative Services for the School for International Studies, and for some upcoming events with international-focused employers.

Informational interviews are a great way for you to get an inside look into the day to day functions of a career path you want to pursue and help you to focus your self-directed work search.

The second article in the “Self-Directed” series explores ways to be resourceful about your job search and begin building your professional network.

In the changing labour market there are increased opportunities for seeking your own Co-op placement through a Self-Directed Work Search. In this 3 steps blog series by our career advisor Heather Williams, learn about how to successfully conduct self-directed work search from self-discovering to landing an informational interview.

Calling all job seekers. If salary and benefits are important to you, learn the art of negotiation while discovering what compensation packages include and what to ask when the time comes to negotiate for them.

You have successfully defined yourself with a killer branding scheme for your personal marketing pieces and even created a business card to complete the package. With the right situation and a little know-how, your card has the potential to be the ultimate networking tool.

SFU Biology and Biochemistry Co-op student Katelyn Mueller was awarded the 2008 National Co-op Student of the Year award from the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education during National Co-op Week, March 23rd - 27th, 2009.