The Communication� Co-op communiqueNewsletter | Spring 2012

Where Are They Now A new graduate embraces the unexpected in Sierra Leone By Heather Forbes

f you asked me five months ago where I saw Agency. In my role as a Communications Officer, myself in six months, I certainly would not I am working on projects in-line with the body inside Ihave said I would be living in one of the least of work I developed in Canada—rewriting the developed nations on earth. website, writing newsletters and handling 1 Where Are They Now social media. But because I’m doing this 2 We Are All Canucks I was a new graduate, living the dream: I had work in an undeveloped country, I need to 4 Canucks: Website & bridged directly from my final co-op placement overcome unique challenges every day. How Writing into a job with Indian & Northern Affairs that do you conduct interviews through a language 5 Creating Your Own was interesting and enjoyable. But when federal barrier? How do you share files when internet Co-op budget cuts made my position precarious, a access is prohibitively expensive? How do you 6 Event Recap: colleague suggested I look into international schedule meetings when the storms of the Get the Edge internships. I applied and was offered a position rainy season halt all transportation for hours on 7 Statistics Corner in Sierra Leone, and from the moment my boss end? Meeting these challenges has taught me hugged me goodbye, I have not looked back. creative problem solving skills that I will carry Communiqué is a forward in my career. newsletter published I am working with Hands Empowering the Less every semester by SFU Communication Co-op. Privileged (HELP) in Sierra Leone in a position As someone who is interested in working in the sponsored by Streets Kids International funded non-profit sector, I have always sought to work Check us out online at www.sfu.ca/coop/ through the Canadian International Development newsletters continued on page 7 Faceoff at Canucks.com One opportunity, two different experiences

SFU Communication students offer a unique skill set that cannot be matched by other academic programs. One of our most sought after employer is the Canucks Sports and Entertainment. Here are two reflections by two different students on the same co-op opportunity: Canucks.com Reporter.

We Are All Canucks My time as a Canuck Insider By Elizabeth Moffat

eptember 7, 2010, 9:00am. The hours I devoted to reading every Canucks related news story soon paid off. I made it through my first SIt is the start date for not only my first co-op, article and was rewarded with my own by-line. but also my first real job that did not involve serving burgers and milkshakes. I had somehow managed to My entire first week demanded a steep learning curve. find myself offered my first choice job: web reporter The majority of the web team was set to leave for for the Canucks. prospect camp in less than two weeks.

Four months of traveling from Maple Ridge to the While my supervisors were gone, I experienced newly renamed Rogers Arena five days a week, six if another first – my first press conference. Roberto there was a weekend game to attend, and all for an Luongo announced that he would be stepping down honorarium that would barely cover co-op fees and as team captain. a U-Pass. Normally a major story would be handed to the main And for what? Well, in short, the opportunity of a web writer, but since he was in Penticton, I was asked lifetime. to write it. It was another huge responsibility that I could never have imagined myself doing only a few I experienced four months of learning how to update short months before. one of the NHL's top websites: editing photos, attending games, and writing daily news updates I could go on for days recounting favourite stories, with player quotes obtained personally from the personal triumphs, and moments in time that left locker room. me quite convinced I was in over my head; but in my particular case, almost all of my best learning I began my first day still unsure that I was really experiences came from those which were initially the person they chose, half convinced that after five the most intimidating sources. minutes they would realize their mistake and send me home. Instead, my first day was filled with enough I was cautioned about being star struck around big new information to fill one of the new notebooks my name players; I had a job to do that did not include boss handed me. asking for autographs. I was not worried, but it turns out I was not focused on the right people. I was quite It was the team's first day back at Rogers Arena. As obviously the youngest, least experienced reporter in my first media blitz put me face-to-face with several the room. While half-dressed hockey players could be Canucks, I shoved my recorder into the scrum—trying intimidating and distracting, I was more star struck my best not to look like the clueless intern in way by the other reporters. over her head. Communiqué I did not grow up dreaming of making headlines for

The rest of the day was spent learning the basics of scoring overtime winners, but I had dreamt of writing Spring 2012 updating their website. If that was not enough to send about it. The people around me had jobs I could my head spinning, I realized I'm supposed to write only vaguely aspire to, and I could only hope that I my first article. The media time is not just an excuse would not ask anything too dumb in front of them. to get close to my favourite hockey players after all. As I quietly snuck into media scrums I observed the 2

continued on page 7 Website & Writing Experience as a Communication Student My experience working as a Reporter for Canucks.com By Nicole Freeston

s Communication students, we learn about the history of media and major theorists, Aboth of which teach us how to be critical and to write effective arguments in our term papers. Though this is all helpful, upon graduation, most of the job openings we encounter may require us to have more technical skills, something not necessarily taught in Communication courses. This was my reality when I was accepted into the Website Department at Canucks Sports and Entertainment for the 2009-2010 season for my first work term. As a hockey fan, I knew that Canucks.com was the most visited website in the with the largest fan base. However, it was eye-opening to learn the extent of the necessary technical skills for this position.

Prior to my time with Canucks.com, I had minimal website skills, which were self-taught. The position also required me to take photos at the team’s morning practices. I had zero professional experience with photography and writing sports news. My only writing experience was from school and a couple of online magazines. Therefore, you can imagine my fear of making mistakes without any knowledge of hockey lingo or much photography or website experience. My daily routine consisted of photographing the team’s practice, followed by interviews in the Canucks dressing room with fellow members of the press. I Nicole Freeston with Sami Salo’s, ’s, and initially felt inexperienced recording interviews with Roberto Luongo’s medals from the 2010 Winter Olympics players and coaches, but eventually built up enough courage to ask my own interview questions in the Canucks Website Department. My experience as a media scrums in front of industry professionals. I web reporter for Canucks.com was probably one of would then write a daily online news column called the most valuable and fulfilling experiences of my the ‘Canucks Report’ that consisted of mainly injury life so far. I felt like a real reporter, and to write for updates, lineup changes and game previews. After one of the most viewed websites in Vancouver was that I would edit my photos from that day using a huge honour. Photoshop and upload the gallery along with my article onto the website. I would also attend all of the I left the with a passion for home games and update various parts of the website web reporting, and realized how important it is for after the game was over. Communication students to have those technical skills in such a competitive industry. With the I struggled mostly with writing, but after reading direction the industry is going, a lot of positions may as much sports news written by professionals as I require technical skills that are not taught in school. could, my articles needed less editing each time and If I didn’t do any writing outside of school or teach

I adapted the ‘sports’ aesthetic in my writing. Also, myself the basics of web design, I may not have been Communiqué because Canucks.com is essentially the voice of the offered the position in the first place. It’s so important team and the number one source for Canucks news, to do more than what is asked of you in school in order Spring 2012 I had to meet deadlines so other sources would to stand out and to show that you put in the effort not be reporting news before Canucks.com did. I to learn different things on your own time. Things learned all of the technical skills I needed on the job like volunteering for online magazines as a writer from my amazing supervisors and co-workers in the or starting up your own blog can go a long way!  3 reating Your Own Co-op A Self-Directed Co-op Experience By Alexandra Brzezinski Communiqué Spring 2012

C 4 Creating Your Own Co-op My experience working as a Reporter for Canucks.com By Alexandra Brzezinski

have lost count of the number of times I have heard Another option I explored for creating a the words “co-op will be a great experience.” co-op was giving a proposal to a company or IWhen I started the co-op process, I assumed organization that did not have a co-op position that such great experience would be an easy one to available. While I never did propose a job opportunity achieve. (Really, how hard can it be to apply for jobs to any employers, I did explore the idea. This approach and work all summer?) However, the further I got is ideal if you already have a job or volunteer into the process, the more I realized co-op was not position with an organization: propose a potential turning out to be the experience I had hoped for. I job opportunity, showcase your skills, and let them found myself applying for all the jobs I qualified for know you want to learn from them. Do not forget to purely so I could get a job for experience. I did not show them you have done your research. Essentially want to spend my summer working in a job I hated, you are creating the outline of your job description so I decided to change my approach. for them. Look at the software they use, how they communicate internally and externally, and use it to Self-directed co-op allows students to search for your advantage. Tell them what you want to learn, and their own jobs and turn it into a co-op position. When how your experience will benefit them. A bonus to this I started looking for employment I realized just how approach is you gain experience purely by applying. much freedom I had. There were jobs all over the place waiting for a student like me to fill them. I explored a variety of options through different avenues, ranging I did not want to spend from government to sports teams to family members. I settled on working for my dad’s architectural firm “my summer working in a as the Communications and Marketing Assistant. job I hated, so I decided The job offered me a great experience and I would be doing something I enjoyed all summer. to change my approach.

I found the most important part of creating my own After you have finished, you will have the skills to co-op experience was the job search. Symplicity create a professional presentation and proposal. ” offers a lot of interesting jobs, but if they are not what you were hoping for, go and explore! There are My co-op experience at my dad’s architectural firm advantages to searching on your own. You are able to was the perfect chance for me to play a part in ask yourself “what interests me?” and “what could job creation. I had input in my job description and I really excel at?”, and then find jobs that match throughout my co-op term, I was able to approach your answers. In resume writing workshops they people in the office and ask to learn a new program emphasize putting your personality into the resume. or skill. I experienced an office environment in a The same goes for when you are searching for jobs. comfortable, positive way. I learned how to use It is important to find and apply to jobs you will programs like InDesign and was able to strengthen love because then you will put all your efforts into my writing and researching skills. A great part about learning and expanding your skills. When I began my experience was that I worked for a company searching for jobs, I was self-conscious about my that was very different from the ones featured in abilities and experience. I would search companies Symplicity, which gave me a really unique experience. or organizations and think “no, they would want someone with more experience…” and as a result, When starting co-op, it is important to remember missed out on some good opportunities. When you are that it is your experience. Forging your own path will searching for a job, remember that you do not need give you a unique experience which will reflect on

all the skills required. If you are passionate about your future resumes and interviews. So take control Communiqué the work and have some of the skills required, then of that experience and make sure you get what you apply. What do you have to lose? want out of co-op. Spring 2012

5 Get the Edge Portfolio & Social Media Edition, Event Recap By Patricia Zhou

n October 6th, Communication Co-op students had the Event Twitter Feed opportunity to attend an intimate event focused on portfolio Odevelopment and social media branding. The event featured #CMNSedge three SFU Communication Co-op alumni who are now emerging @marciachimizu: All about reputation— leaders in their respective fields: Adam Brayford, Brandi Halls, and yours and your employer's—when you Audrey Wang. tweet on behalf of your employer.

The evening began with Adam Brayford, Marketing and @SFU_Coop: "Your online presence Communication Coordinator at SFU's Work Integrated Learning, should show your employer what your talking about the work and life balance in social media. His Prezi personal values are." –@BrandiHalls­ presentation showed examples of inappropriate tweets and Facebook statuses. Adam encouraged the students to research @patriciazhou: Have variety, showcase themselves online to ensure the ideal online image. After all, you it, and present it appropriate! –Audrey probably do not want your potential employer to find your Tumblr Wang on portfolios account filled with inappropriate internet memes.

Brandi Halls, Public Relations Manager at LUSH, flew into Vancouver Hot Tips! from New York just in time for the event. She continued Adam's presentation by detailing how social media is heavily integrated in • Engage with people that share similar her personal and professional branding. interests as you via social media to build your network.

The one key message that was brought up by Adam and Brandi was • Keep current and potential employers to keep your personal and work social media accounts separate. If in mind when creating public content. you tweet or manage a Facebook page on behalf of an organization, ensure that you are out of that account before you post any personal • Set your notification email to an messages. For example, "Co-op work search is driving me off the address other than your work address. wall! All the jobs look so boring. Ugh." may be acceptable if you You don't want your employer to see tweet with your protected Twitter account; but it would cause your that your friend just tagged you in a Co-op Coordinators a headache if it was tweeted with @SFU_Coop. "memorable quote" from Friday night!

During the break, students had the chance to approach the speakers • Before an interview, Google your and ask questions in a smaller, intimate setting. The speakers were employer! See what social media genuine in their responses and answered insiders' questions that networks they already use, and topics students otherwise would not know. they typically engage in.

Audrey Wang was featured at the latter half of the evening sharing some inspirational portfolio pieces. It was refreshing to see a medley of tactile pieces along with digital designs. She reinforced Find Us Online simplicity in the portfolio design itself since the focal should be your work—whether it is written or design. SFU.Coop

There was a general concensus among the students who attended @SFU_Coop the event that they found the presentations informative and really enjoyed the personal aspect of the event. All the speakers shared their personal experiences without putting on rose-coloured Communiqué glasses.

Spring 2012 Look out for next year's "Get the Edge" event presented by Communication Co-op. Have a suggestion or ideas? Tweet us at #CMNSedge.  6 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: HEATHER FORBES continued from page 1 Statistics with organizations that have a positive impact in the world; in this position, Corner I get to work with two! Street Kids is a Canadian based organization that SUM ‘10 SUM ‘11 provides training and resources for young people living in the streets to Who we are New admits 56 49 create their own livelihoods and provide a better life for themselves. They Total participating 127 115 have supported young people in over 60 countries, including Sierra Leone. Total placements 69 75 I benefit from support from my Canadian supervisor and the seven other interns currently working around the world for Street Kids. When I return Who’s doing what to Canada, it will be enlightening to see how the Canadian staff of Street Eight-month term 11 21 Kids oversees its global interventions. First co-op 27 31 Second co-op 25 14 In my day-to-day work with HELP, I get the unique experience of working Third co-op 13 19 with a local non-governmental organization in Sierra Leone. Most Fourth co-op 3 7 Canadian people working in development end up working overseas for Fifth co-op 1 4 Self-directed co-op 10 5 international organizations, such as UNICEF or World Vision. While these often have a large number of local staff, they are run very differently Where we’re working from local organizations, and their staff can be disconnected from local Greater Vancouver 60 63 culture. One of my favourite parts of my job is interviewing people who Out-of-town 8 9 have benefited from HELP’s programs, either through an interpreter or Overseas 1 3 by relying on my basic Krio language skills. I get to connect with women who have lived through a gruesome war and dire poverty, but now stand Who we’re working for as proud and powerful businesswomen. Their experiences have made Federal government 10 3 them stronger, just like this experience is making me stronger. I do not Provincial government 0 19 know exactly what the future holds for me, but I do know that if I continue Municipal government 0 1 to embrace the unexpected and unknown, it will definitely be interesting! Government agencies 10 0 Not-for-profit 30 20 Private 19 32 Street Kids International accepts applications for internships both locally and internationally. For more information, visit www.streetkids.org.  Where else we’re placed Arts 9 6 Business 6 4 SIAT 0 1 Kin 0 1 WE ARE ALL CANUCKS continued from page 4 kinds of questions they asked and how to form intelligent follow-ups. It turned out that working around the "real grown-up reporters" was the best learning experience my co-op could provide.

It has been almost a year since that first day in Rogers Arena, and I have since learned that the opportunities co-op can provide do not end when the semester does. I have kept in touch with some co-workers who were kind enough to let me interview them for SFU's Work Integrated Learning Online Learning Community. These pieces have led to further writing opportunities with a local Canucks blog and the Bleacher Report. I can say, unquestionably, that none of this would have been possible without my internship.

This co-op experience is impossible to re-create in a classroom. All the text books or news articles in the world could not teach the easy rapport some of the vets had built with the team, or how to fit a string of barely coherent sound bites into a planned storyline. It is that experience that made all the long days worth it. It is why working with the Canucks has provided me with an absolutely amazing and unforgettable life experience. 

EDITORS CONTACTS COMMUNIQUE Patricia Zhou Marcia Shimizu Liesl Jurock Sangita Mudaliar Published by Communication Co-op at Marcia Shimizu Co-op Coordinator Co-op Coordinator Program Assistant Simon Fraser University Stephanie Greaves K 9669 K 9660 K 9661 Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 DESIGN & LAYOUT 778.782.3862 778.782.5542 778.782.5367 If you would like to submit an article for Patricia Zhou [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Communiqué, contact [email protected]. On the web: sfu.ca/coop/newsletters