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Scroll through and catch up on the latest from the SFU OLC. You're bound to find a fresh new perspective, the most current advice, and recently published stories that are sure to inspire you. Content is created by the SFU community.
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Changing Times: Stories to Inspire Hope and Resilience
Working from home is a common reality for many Co-op students in the past year. Working from home while working for a Health Authority in the thick of the pandemic is a tremendous experience Kaylla went through last year. Take a look at how she learned to stay productive in these uncertain times.
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Networking in person can be tough but virtual networking online can be even more confusing. Have no fear, Des'ree is here to help! Here she shares her advice and tips for how you can better virtually network at the next webinar social event.
Come along with Julia as she prepares for the SFU West Coast Virtual Fair. She is generating questions, confronting her fears, and (hopefully!) finding new possibilities for careers she feels passionate about. The first of a two-part series.
In this article, James details a few things he wishes he knew when he was starting out in his Marketing Communication Co-op placement. Read more to find out what James' top tips for rocking a co-op as a first-timer are.
Having trouble figuring out how to stay engaged at work from the comfort of your own home? Tiffany shares some ways she’s become more proactive with her learning despite working from home, and how she’s gotten more involved at IBM during her remote internship experience.
Thinking about working remotely for your next co-op term? Political Science student, Maja Lampa describes her experience adapting to remote work during her first season with the Federal Government and how she found meaningful work in uncertain times.
Working for a large, well-known organization can be both exciting and intimidating. It can raise questions about how you can stand out and forge a unique path, while fitting into the work culture. Jenny shares her top three insights during her work term at RBC as a Business Analyst on their Strategic Initiatives and Change Management.
Being able to keep an optimistic outlook was the key skill Sandy discovered that would help her weather the changes the pandemic brought earlier this year. As a research assistant promoting physical activity and social connectedness among seniors in BC, she had to figure out how to switch tracks quickly and easily without loosing sight of her team's objectives. Read on to learn how she found the silver linings to her new remote working situation.
How do you prepare for an interview at the Government of Canada? Haebin summarizes for you the key points from a webinar hosted by Angela Foraaunet, a Human Resources Advisor in the Public Service Commission of Canada. Read on to learn more about Ms. Forraunet’s golden advice on acing the interviews and aiming for success.
With more people working and studying from home, it is important to make sure our working environment is efficient and safe. Check out the Health Peer Educators’ blog article for some tips about creating a more physically ergonomic-friendly workspace at.
The pandemic has made online dating a more popular way of meeting new people. While online dating is a great way to e-meet new people, you might also find yourself in potentially uncomfortable situations with strangers. Read on to learn more about which red flags the Health Peers recommend keeping a keen eye out.
After applying to 50 jobs and going out to 12 interviews, Oscar Wong wasn’t sure he was going to land his first Co-op. Finally, on the last day of the semester, Oscar was hired for a digital marketing role and he has never looked back. Now, as a Communication alumnus working as an Internal Communications and Design Specialist at Electronic Arts, Oscar is happy to share more on how he navigated from Co-op to career.
TW has been hearing this line over and over for a large part of her life. For the most part, she didn't know how to manage her ADHD symptoms, mostly because she didn't know she had ADHD. Read on to learn more about TW's journey and why going to SFU Health & Counselling was life-changing.
Who are SFU’s Career Peers? What was it like to be onboarded and trained remotely? What are they up to on the (virtual) campus this semester? Sharon Gill, a Career Peer at Career & Volunteer Services at SFU, tells us all.
FASS graduand, Alicia Fahrner, reflects on how her experiences at GSWS inspired clarity in both her academic and personal life as a woman of colour. She encourages students to take some time during their studies to learn more about themselves and their interests, communicating the importance of gratitude and knowing yourself in order to persevere during tough times.
Heading into your first co-op without a clue of what to expect? Read about some the the lessons Katheryna learned through her own co-op experience.
It's no easy feat being able to stand out from the crowd when job-seeking after graduating. For Taylor, her unique SFU background comes from her combined SFU Athlete and Co-op work experience. Read on to learn more about why she recommends fellow athletes to join the Co-op program.
"Okay, so you land a Co-op position after sending out what feels like millions of resumes and sweating through multiple carefully curated interview outfits. The hard part is over! Or is it?" Read Emily's piece on how accurate clichés can be, and how to use them to your advantage when entering the workforce.
The Health Peer Educators, in conjunction with SFU Health and Counselling Services, did an informal Instagram poll a few weeks ago to learn more about students’ experiences with remote learning. Check out the resulting recommendations suggested by students for how instructors can improve students’ experience in remote classes.
Political science major and education minor Rochelle Prasad made international news this summer when she received the Diana Award for her social activism and volunteerism. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is considered the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.
A year ago, Yuchen was a full-time student without any work experience. After a long time, she landed my first Co-op position. Here are Yuchen's 5 tips for transitioning from being a student to working in the field as an accountant.
A lot of Oliver's friends and classmates would talk about wanting to travel away and work in new and novel places. Oliver didn't feel the same way. In this blog post, he shares his reasoning for staying at SFU and why he always wanted to work where he studied.
Whiteboard interviews can be nerve wracking if you aren't well-prepared to communicate and present yourself in a confident way. Check out this edition of Interview Types to learn more about how you can set yourself up for success in a whiteboard interview.
A coffee interview might seem like the most informal type of interview out there, but don't get too laid back yet. Check out this edition of the Interview Series to learn more about how you should handle preparing and carrying out a coffee interview masterfully.
Deciding which Co-op opportunity to select can be challenging when there’s so many possibilities with different industries. Christina shares what it's like to work in an unexpecting industry and how she learned to pick up new experiences while learning on the job and integrating herself within the workplace.
Sarah, the only design and marketing coordinator at her workplace, found herself in a tough spot when she had to shift to working from home. Here's what she learned on her journey to becoming resilient and adaptable while transitioning.
Digital technology has become a staple in all aspects of our daily lives. As a result, it is necessary to embed practices and boundaries that promote mindful usages of technology. Check out Health & Counselling Services’ tips on how to support your well-being in this digital world.
Saraan interviews Co-op students, So Hyun Park, Roop Gill, and Haoyang Zhang about what it was like applying and seeking for their first co-op work term. They share the challenges they faced during their seeking semesters and their advice for other fellow students who are pursuing their first co-ops.
The field of communications is very broad, and as a result, you may be asked to manage multiple roles in your Co-op position. In this article Abhinav will take you through the lessons he has learned and his greatest tips for managing a multifaceted position.
Holly thought she knew what was in store for her as she started her second semester work term with the First Nations Health Authority. What she wasn't quite expecting was the abrupt shift to remote working halfway through. Check out Holly's secret tip she discovered about controlling unsteady circumstances.
Yin Teng Ho shares what a typical day in the life looks like as a coop student working in the Information Technical Solutions department at home. She gives a brief overview of what her day looks like now since starting remote working, some of the challenges she personally faced, and how she is dealing with them.
In his first job, Graham worked as a dishwasher. Now, he just completed his fifth co-op work term as a Project Coordinator for Translation at SAP. Graham describes what his co-op journey has been and what he's learned along the way.
As Priscilla learned, working at a scale-up company comes with valuable lessons and takeaways but also unique challenges. Read on to learn more about what she learned from her time working as a Strategy Intern.
Embarking on 8 month work term with Fraser Health, Karman came across valuable life lessons from working as a HR Representative. Read on to learn more about what you should keep in mind when settling into your new workplace environment.
Rochelle describes what her journey has been as a startup founder for the non-profit organization, SPARK Foundation. Check out what she has to say about where the origins of the social enterprise came from and where they are headed in the future.
Despite the warnings and worries of her friends and family, Serena set off on an adventure, accepting a co-op position on the other side of the world, in India, and she has no regrets. Sometimes in order to grow we need to challenge ourselves, and Serena did just that.
Through creating an efficient routine, you can better accomplish things that need to be done within a shorter amount of time and allow yourself to do activities that you enjoy doing. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn their recipe on how to build a routine to better manage your stress and wellbeing!
With more distractions around at home, it can be easy to catch yourself procrastinating or avoiding tasks. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn strategies on how to build a routine to manage your time and stress better!
Diana Smith pens a series of poignant and moving letters addressed to her chronic pain. A must-read to better understand from a personal perspective what it is like to live with chronic pain.
Still not sure if co-op is for you? Chetachi explains why co-op was such a valuable experience for her and what it was like to work in the corporate world during her Economics co-op work term.
Going into a co-op term, every co-op student aims to utilize this opportunity to learn and gain real work experience. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses’ working schedules have been affected. As a result, co-op students are challenged with the transition to working from home which affects both productivity and personal well-being and consequently the overall work experience. Linh Tran, a business co-op student, shares her experience on how to overcome this challenge.
Ever wondered what’s on the other side of a museum? Take a “behind the scenes” look at working in collections and archives through Rita's co-op reflection. She discusses how the field is being transformed through engaging directly with local histories, and what it means for an institution to be run by a community that seeks to tell its own story.
Do you dread the thought of working from home or feel like sitting at your computer all day has left you with no energy for anything else? Read how Oderah learned how to survive when her home suddenly became her workplace.
Zahid shares what it takes to work for an government-adjacent organization and how his academic experience as a Masters of Public Policy student helped him out last summer.
JenJen was not quite expecting to be advising fellow SFU students as a Student Academic Advisor from the comfort of her home as her very first co-op experience. Read on to learn more on how she found her stride in getting used to a new work environment as a new co-op student in unusual circumstances.
Movies like “The Devil Wears Prada” make the fashion industry seem extremely cool and unreachable for the everyday student to work in, but positions are out there for students to grab up. In this article Haoyang will take us through her experience working in the fashion industry and give her biggest takeaways from working with a high fashion, conceptual brand, Leisure Centre.
A student desperately wanting to have class outside suggested we put the decision to a vote. An overwhelming amount of hands went up for having class in the sun and I paused to think about how I could adjust my lesson plan without a chalkboard. The students saw my hesitation and said, “but Claire, don’t you believe in our right to have a democracy?”. This was when I knew I would learn a lot more than just how to teach, from my international co-op term in Catalonia.
What does it mean to work at a Non-Profit versus For-Profit company? What setting would you enjoy most? In this article, Quentin will explain the differences between the two in culture, work environment, and expectations, based on his own experience working in varied co-op positions.