The Latest

What’s your dream job? Like many students, Christina Guan has some big dreams.  But her dreams actually became a reality this summer.  Find out how this SFU student was able to utilize her skillset and land an internship of a lifetime.

Moving through your work term, it is valuable to consider what you will take from your co-op experience that will benefit your future career. Kimberly Blair recommends keeping three things in mind: portfolio, contacts, and resume.

Applying for jobs can seem tedious and through my experiences, I have compiled six tips that can help you improve your results and get noticed!

I am a Lefty, a techy, and as my coffee mug says, a “hawt geek”. This is what I can proudly say after finding myself through my first co-op placement. On day one, I thought I signed up for work, but what I really signed up for was a second family at Left of the Dot Media Inc. 

Meet Lindsay Wainwright, 32, who has already completed her second year of medical school at UBC even though she is just graduating with her SFU B.Sc. this June.

Justina Di Stasio is an English student at SFU who also is a member of Canada’s national senior women’s wrestling team competing at the 2015 Pan Am games in Toronto.

Moving away from home is a life changing experience. It is a combination of exciting and scary, happy and sad, and everything in between. Throw in a new city and a new job and everything just intensifies. One of the first questions that come to mind are what do you do and where do you start?

Ever feel like interviews do not go your way, or they feel out of your control? Find the one thing you can control: your confidence! Natalie reflects on some of her old co-op interview experiences, and shares some strategies she has learned to bring confidence to your next interview.

Before finding his first co-op placement, Shem Navalta found himself frustrated that his “ideal” job wasn’t available to him. In this post, Shem talks about his experience with searching for his first co-op job and provides advice on how to be open to opportunities that will help you grow. 

How do you land a co-op when you’ve only flipped burgers or only possess experience in an entry level position. Madison lists 5 helpful tips that she learned from the process of applying to co-op positions with little to no true professional experience.  While it’s definitely harder, what’s life without a little challenge?

Kelly shares how her experience with SFU YWIB helped her in her career.  Find out what 5 lessons she learned, and what lessons you should know!

"My proudest moment was being the first of a class of 12 from NEC to graduate at SFU. There are so many obstacles one must crawl over to get a degree especially being an older student" Read Karen's story of overcoming obstacles and rising to success. 

"My big picture goal is to work in policy to strengthen the health and well being of Aboriginal Peoples by working to combine Aboriginal children, families, communities and health into a single concept that is so interconnected that they can not be teased apart to be treated as independent entities." Read Sheryl's story of determination, and continuing her education as an adult and mother.

I spent a year working in a special needs kindergarten classroom and learned endless career and life skills to help me work towards my goal of becoming an Occupational Therapist.

Thinking about doing a co-op? Read about Carlie's co-op journey and how this experience has taught them the value of connections. 

What is the role of a technical writer? And what do you do working as one? Communication Co-op student Brent Restivo answers these questions, outlines the workflow of a typical technical writing project and takes you step-by-step through an actual on-the-job scenario.

Two Beedie undergraduate students, Luming Zhao and Xiwen Zheng, successfully secured full-time roles at the prestigious PwC Shanghai office after completing their co-op work terms there. Read to learn more about their experience, how they did it, and how you can too! This article was previously published in SFU News on June 8, 2015.

You might have noticed some amazing co-op stories written by your fellow peers on the OLC, but have you ever considered sharing your story?  Here are five reasons why you should write for the OLC.

Follow Soloman on an adventure to Los Angeles as his company "throws" him out to sea on a large vessel to test out filming at sea. Here's the story.

In a country filled with monks, crazy drivers, and frequent power outages, things were different living in Burma. After four months, it started to feel a bit like home. Here’s a glimpse into my unique experience as a political intern for the Embassy of Canada to Burma (Myanmar). 

June is Aboriginal History month. It is an opportunity to share, not only the troubling reality behind the Aboriginal/Canadian relationship, but to understand the impactful and important contributions to Canadian society by the Indigenous cultures of this country.

You can sell yourself in person, but your resume has to get you there.

You meet a lot of intelligent people working in research, but intelligence isn’t going to get you far as a researcher. The ability to communicate with your peers and to external viewers is critical to being successful. Read on as Charlies shares his experience working amongst research lab groups and why it’s a valuable skill to be able to communicate to those both in and outside your field.

Whether you’re pursuing a career in writing or not, excellent writing and communication skills are often at the top of the list for job qualifications. Here are five simple steps to drastically improve your writing and set yourself apart from other applicants in a highly competative job market. 

Puppy Therapy, Laughter Yoga, and Knitting Club... Read about Megan's co-op experience at SFU's Health and Counselling and the valuable lessons learnt in this 8-month journey. 

Simon Fraser University co-op student Laramie Ferguson is B.C.’s 2014 Co-op Student of the Year in the university category.

Have you ever wanted to live and work abroad but could “never” find something career related? Well, in my opinion, what you “could not find” might actually be right in front of your eyes. There are countless opportunities for students to live abroad while teaching English. You just might be surprised at what occupational skills you might be able to extract from such a position. Have a read of my article to find out.

Why working in the industry is really valuable to grad students - my six months at Oracle Labs, Vancouver.

Kenneth Moy is a Kinesiology student who spent his co-op placement at Thompson Community Centre. Read on to find out what he learned after four months as a fitness professional.

Asking for a reference is one of the most important parts to develop in your career. In addition, being a reference for a person can be interesting, especially if it is a cold call reference. My experiences getting references and being a reference have been at the extremes. This is an article referenced on NBC News.

Getting accustomed to a new workplace with new people can be daunting. MBB student Janelle shares her experience working for the fast-paced industrial lab, Maxxam.

Getting accustomed to a new workplace with new people can be daunting. MBB student Janelle shares her experience working for the fast-paced industrial lab, Maxxam.

If you are a business student looking for an opportunity to get some work experience, Co-op is a great start.

Read about Kikuko's role as a chiropractic assistant at Mckenzie Chiropractic. During this co-op experience, they were able to assist with laser therapy, spinal decompressions and so much more!  

Yes, shy people can (and do!) succeed, too—and not just as murder-mystery novelists and computer programmers.

Being a Communication major, people tend to automatically assume you have this gargantuan, larger than life personality, and that you’re just a natural people-person. But what about those of us who are, what some might call, introverts?

Who are the Engagement Peers and what makes this SFU volunteer experience unique? Jack interviews Albert Fung, Volunteer Services Coordinator about his experiences with this peer group.

"You need at least 2 years of work experience to get this (entry-level) position.” Learn how one student used volunteer blogging to gain that ever-so-important 2  years of experience and get a leg up in the professional world!

Have you ever experienced chance moments? It’s not about when you get chance moments, but more about how you respond to them. This is an article about learning about chance moments through the Career Peer Educator Program, as well as a thank you to Career Services for the last two years.

Wondering what a DSU is and what they do? Erika shares her story about her involvement in a DSU and how it has enriched her time at SFU.

Seasoned co-op student Courtney McKinnon spent eight months as a Fundraising Coordinator and did a co-op with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Read Courtney's story to find out how you can make the most of your co-op!

Do you have people knocking at your door, asking for your expertise? Did you want to say yes to all of them, but didn’t know if you could handle all of it? Say “no” now, so that you can say yes to the things you truly want later.

Meet Betsy Turtle Bruyere, an entrepreneur and educator who understands the value of hard-work and determination. Read their story, as they share their journey growing up, overcoming adversity, and exploring different careers in education in order to uplift other indigenous peoples and communities. 

The successful applicants for the 2014 Graduate Aboriginal Entrance Scholarships were Jordan Abel and Christina Coolidge. They are exploring different aspects of Aboriginal storytelling.

University, many people once told me, is the best time of your life. Yes, there is something to be said about being broke and stressed out with deadlines and exams.

I’ve worked in the sports industry for ten years, and to this day I still love it. This article is all about growth in one of my athletic sports positions, discussing my personal and professional experience, as well as a thank you letter to a good mentor of mine.

What sense does it make to add volunteering to your already busy schedule? Can any good come out of that? You might be surprised with what I've found!

“I always return to the words of Indigenous scholar, Eber Hampton, that we need to design an education system ‘worthy of our ancestors and our children,’” Read Deboarah's story of continuing education, determination and a drive to give back to the community.

Work hard nothing in life is easy, be honest to yourself and others and maintain your principles and values. Read Michelle's story of determination, hard-work and success. 

Yellowhorn, an SFU professor of archaeology, has some of the answers how his ancestors adapted to farming and homesteading in the late 1800s.

Researchers found that Aboriginal peoples cultivated clams in handmade, rock-walled beach terraces known as clam gardens.

Clair Lam shares her tips on how to answer the dreaded interview question, "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" by finding out one's unique talent.

Nervous heart palpitations, a piercing adrenaline rush, and a case of the stutters; like many Co-op students on their first day at work, I had just been asked to present an introductory speech in front of my colleagues.

Learn how those years of recreational sports can help you land the job of your dreams! 

First impressions are important, especially in the workplace. Your employer will be judging you based on how you present yourself – at all times! It may seem scary, but I’ll show you how to ace that first meeting!

Pamela Plantinga, BPK Behavioural Neuroscience student, took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to a paid trip abroad and augmented it into a self-directed short-term dual internship experience in Nashville, Tennessee before going further abroad to Europe.