Career & Financial Advice

The school year is over, warmer weather is on the horizon, and you may be starting the search for a summer job. Whether that job is in your field of study or not, it’s important to understand what employers are looking for.

“Regardless of how strong your ‘hard’ or technical skills are, ‘soft’ skills are key,” says VIU Career Services Officer Paula Deering.

It’s the first week of summer session! This issue of the Pulse is your guide to success this semester, including how to access student services, the library’s getting started guide, on-campus work opportunities and pub hours. Also don’t forget to check out our tips on getting ready financially for the next year.

Applying for scholarships, awards and bursaries requires a lot of planning and preparation. The key is to start early – before Grade 12! – and get strategic. Here are five tips to help you prepare.

In celebration of National Work-Integrated Learning Month, the Centre for Experiential Learning (CEL) wants to bring awareness to the various career and work-integrated learning services VIU has to offer.

Looking for work while going to university can be a stressful and time-consuming task. Seeking a job that is relevant to your program of study can make the search even more complicated. The good news is that VIU has its own online job board that offers thousands of opportunities specifically geared towards students and their programs of study.

VIU just added two new career services staff members who will focus on getting more employers to hire students, and helping students become more successful in work-integrated learning opportunities (like co-ops and internships) and transitioning to the workplace.

The best way to find out if you are truly passionate about something is to try it out for a while.

That’s just what fourth-year Computer Science student Nina Gill did with her recent co-operative education experience. After taking a course on cyber security, the 25-year-old wanted to explore whether a career in this area was for her.

Over the past year and a half, federal and provincial governments have introduced COVID-19 relief measures aimed at supporting students – one of the groups hardest hit financially by the pandemic. What does this mean for you? It means there are more funding options available than ever before to help you return to school.

With all of these supports in place, you may be wondering what you need to do to get started. Check out the following funding options and start realizing your goals:

We are all aware that it isn’t business as usual these days and as BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says, “This isn’t forever, it’s just for now.” So, although we don’t know how long we will be adapting through the pandemic, there are jobs that need to be done during this time and although it may be a bit more challenging to find good jobs, be resilient, adaptable and open. As non-essential businesses and services continue to re-open, more and more opportunities will emerge. Here are a few actions to take to help you work toward your employment goals.

Looking for a convenient way to earn a few dollars while building your experience in a flexible environment made for busy students? VIU student employment may be your answer. Every year VIU offers a range of interesting work opportunities for students, allowing you to gain resumé-building career experiences while helping to pay the bills.

Not sure if a VIU student job is for you? Check out these 7 advantages to student employment then learn more about how to find a job that may be right for you.

Our federal and provincial governments have introduced many relief measures for Canadians and British Columbians suffering financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What this has meant for students is that there is more support to help those in need pay for university than ever before for the 2020-21 academic year.

Are you wondering where to get started? From bumps to existing programs, to new measures designed to stimulate the economy and get students back to work and school, here’s a roundup of some funding options: