Personal & Professional Development

Whether it’s an intimate meeting or a large crowd, speaking publicly in front of others can be difficult and intimidating. Follow along to hear some of the best tips for making sure you are prepared and present your most confident self!    

Close to graduating or just want to know what the transition from being a student to working full-time is like? Check out Simran’s post about some of the challenges she faced due to her student habits and how she overcame them!

Moving out during COVID was a daunting prospect, but taking that leap of faith has led me to having the best semester since before the pandemic. The skills I learned from this experience have helped me find balance even when life throws challenges my way.  

Stepping out of your personal development comfort zone is a scary thought, but many good things can await on the other side if you take the first step.

Need a practical look at how communication studies are found in real life? These video essays may give you an idea to how media and culture are intertwined with communication through practical examples.

Ever wonder what it’s like to work at NVIDIA as a Software Intern? That’s exactly what I did during 2021. I’ll be breaking down my entire experience at NVIDIA from start to finish; alongside the various open-source projects I had a chance to work on while at NVIDIA.

Starting my first co-op work term from home was not ideal. How was I supposed to make meaningful connections with those around me… when they weren’t physically around me?  

Taking and implementing criticism is a difficult but important part of professional life. Read on to see how to make it easier on yourself when you get a bad review.

David Oyetola’s Semester in Dialogue experience and how you can learn to make an immediate impact on the world while studying your career.

I imagined that working in social media would be a walk in the park. After all, I’ve spent about half my life rotating through different apps every day like a very boring episode of Black Mirror. What I forgot to take into consideration was that despite its name, I’m not actually the most “social” person at all. Keep reading to learn all about my experience working in social media marketing as an introvert. 

Working at any new job is a nerve-wracking task, but being online makes us feel like we start a few more steps behind. Read's Kit's perspective on her first few days working at the Government of Canada, and how to make those really important connections over the webcam. 

I started my first co-op with high expectations (and nerves) – I was finally going back in-person at SFU, but this time for my first co-op. I was more nervous than I expected, there were so many questions and I had no idea what to expect. 

I didn’t go into Co-op thinking that I would learn how to take care of myself. I was expecting to gain the traditional benefits–building up your resume, strengthening your professional skills, obtaining good references–but it ended up becoming much more than that.

As I was finishing my third and final lap biking around the Stanley Park Seawall, my legs felt like Jell-O. I never biked this much before (a whopping 53 km that day, by the way), which made me wonder why I agreed to go on a “short” bike ride with my new co-workers at Vancouver Coastal Health. Looking back, however, I am glad that I agreed to join the bike ride. Continue reading to learn how this activity got me to know my co-workers outside of work – something that I didn’t know I needed.

It's the start of another year, and that means it's resolutions time! Hermine from the Student Learning Commons has some great tips for acing your goals in the new year.

Lost for words? No problem. The first of this two-part series from the SFU Library goes over how to edit your essay, exam, or final paper. 

I’m a student at SFU and on top of that, though, I’m a freelance creative. I do a bit of everything. As my first Co-op work term approached, I got nervous. I was terrified, frankly, that I would have to stop creating if I wanted to pursue full-time work. Keep reading to learn about how I learned to balance working full-time and being a freelance creative. 

While smartphones and other tech devices are helpful for our personal and professional lives, it’s beneficial to take a day off occasionally. Here are some tips on how to take a break from endless scrolling.