Career Services Informer

Last year, I attended the annual Backpack to Briefcase conference at the Burnaby campus. It was a little tough going to school on a Saturday – but by the end of the day I realized it was worth it.

Backpack to Briefcase (or B2B for those in the know) gives recent grads and students about to graduate a chance to spend a day preparing for that dive into the great unknown – moving from school to work.

There’s a lot to think about when you put away the term papers and the textbooks – and B2B is a great way to get a handle on what’s out there. When you start to think about networking and negotiating job offers, internships and interviews, resumes and recruiters – your head can start to spin! (more…)

Save On Foods at Cambie Street and 7th Avenue in Vancouver is hiring for all positions.  Join the Save On Team and find so much more:

• A great team
• A fun, positive work place
• Training opportunities
• Career advancement
  Apply online at: www.saveonfoods.com

Once again the Summer Hiring Fair 2008 exhibition hosted at the SFU Burnaby campus seemed a sure hit among the students and employers in search for their ideal summer work opportunities. Employers from diverse fields were on the prowl for students from all faculties to examine the unique positions available. The fair offered everything from flexible employment in the customer service and catering industry, to more specific career and goal oriented positions, finally to simply expanding your career contacts and networking skills. Employers including B.C. Ferries, University Painters, Canadian Direct Insurance, among many others, offered some key tips and advice for students on the upcoming summer job hunt.

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Amidst the chaos of midterms and papers, it probably doesn’t feel like summer will ever get here, right?  Think again!  Summer is actually just around the corner and the time to be looking for a summer job is now. 

What were you doing on Wednesday, February 20th? If you weren’t at the 2008 Summer Hiring Fair, you missed out on a great chance to network with representatives from a range of industries who are eager to hire students.  Students at the fair had the opportunity to ask employers questions, find out more about the job positions available, and receive information booklets and packages.

If you weren’t able to make it to the hiring fair, but you still want to know what kinds of summer employment opportunities are out there, be sure to check out the websites of the organizations that attended.  Also, be sure to apply early!  Many of these organizations are currently accepting applications.

Here’s a SNAPSHOT of some of the organizations that attended, and some key points to keep in mind when applying: (more…)

Catching the Spirit 2008 is an outdoor environmental stewardship program designed for
youth that will take place this summer in various Metro Vancouver Regional Parks. The
program involves camping, environmental education and restoration projects; each providing a number of opportunities for career preparation credit as well as basic training in a variety of outdoor skills for grades 7-12.
We are currently accepting applications for Program Supervisors who will run programs at various Metro Vancouver Regional Park locations in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey.

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What is consulting?  Well, spoken like a true consultant…the answer is:  “it depends”.  While some see glitz and glamour in client dinners and airplanes around the world, others see 80 hour work weeks with Microsoft Office.  Regardless of your initial perspective (while there may be elements of truth to all of the above) the primal, most basic definition of what “we” (management consulting firms) do is help clients solve business challenges.  Last Friday I walked around the office and asked, “what does consulting mean to you?”  Here are the answers I received (and as you guessed, they’re all over the map)

• Consultants make their own career, it’s all about what you put into it
• Consultants have to be flexible, you never know where the next job will be or for how long
• Consultants are detailed-oriented and are perfectionists
• Consultants are highly paid…high paid is a relative term
• Consultants are specialized in a skill set or industry
• Consultants can offer a third person perspective on an issue
• Consultants offers advice, understand needs, and listen carefully to provide the best possible solution
• Consultants work long hours, get little sleep eat lots of pizza

Again, elements of truth to all the comments above, but to sum it up, I think we know how to work hard…and we certainly know how to play hard.

…Deloitte, a great place to do great work
As a consultant at Deloitte, I have worked the past two and a half years in seven different cities across Canada and the US; with clients from the public and private sectors; in industries as diverse as oil & gas to healthcare and projects spanning business strategy to large-scale IT implementations. At Deloitte, we have four functional areas of consulting; two of which focus on technology challenges (e.g. IT advisory services, large system implementations like SAP) and two that stem from strategic, operational and human capital (people) challenges (e.g. business planning, change management, compensation).  At the end of the day there are such a broad range of business issues that truly defining consulting is a difficult task, but where we can, we provide expertise and collaboratively work toward solutions for our clients. (more…)

On Friday, February 1, 2008 I joined over 70 SFU Communication students and recent alumni at the Vancouver Convention Center for Careers in Communication, an annual network/information event held by SFU Communication Co-op. The three hour event provided participants with a chance to speak with their choice of three guest speakers in separate round table discussions. The guest speakers were a group of individuals who are professionally involved in various areas of the communication field, SFU’s Gary McCarron, Graduate Chair and Associate Professor in theSchool of Communication was one of them. After picking up my name tag and some fabulous swag (an SFU Library tote, SFU logo highlighter and mini Sharpie pen, and a SFU Co-op calendar) I went to munch on some breakfast while chatting with fellow participants to wait for the event to begin.  It was difficult to choose which speaker I wanted to sit with since each had their own unique background and experience in a particular field.In the end however, I find that the advice they gave followed a similar thread:*Volunteering is a great way for students to gain experience and develop important skills;*Professional memberships can provide a wealth of hidden job opportunities through their networks; and,*A good resume and cover letter are critical to establishing successful employment. Although these tips are quite common it was powerful to hear it from the many communication professionals who are currently in the position to hire students. It was then that I begin to realize what my voluntary role as a Career Peer Educator has done for me. Through my involvement with the Career Peer Education Program, I have: 

 

Health Canada is a familiar organization that many of us have heard of.  However, has Health Canada ever been a company on your work search radar? 

Currently here are the positions Health Canada is hiring for:

Scientific Regulator
Chemist
Biologist

Health Canada will be coming to Simon Fraser University for the first time to hire undergrad and graduate Science students!  This won’t be your typical information session where there is only presentation and networking.  Health Canada is putting together a spectacular event that consists of an improv show by Second City along with a reception for students and Health Canada executives accompanied by delicious food!  The Associate Deputy Minister will also be on site to meet with interested students and answer any of your questions.  Make sure you mark the following details on your calendar.

Tuesday, March 11 2008
2:30 – 4:30 pm
WMX Atrium (3rd floor)

If you can’t make it on Tuesday to the information session, make sure you catch them at their info table in the Academic Quadangle on Thursday and Friday.  Representatives will be there to answer your questions so make sure you drop by between your classes!

Make sure you send in you applications as soon as possible because interviews will start next Monday and Tuesday.  Successful candidates will be given on-the-spot job offers!  Prepare yourself by making an appointment with Christine Gilbert, our Career Account Manager for faculties of Science, Health Science, Applied Science and Education.  Don’t delay now and prepare yourself for the great job opportunities!