travel

How my encounter with the charming Jessie Staniland at the Dundas Valley School of Art helped me to understand my obsession with becoming an international exotic outcast and, at the same time, reinvigorated my pride in Canada and its education institutions.

Co-op acted as an intermediary between the real world and student life for Brian Chung, a recent sociology graduate from the University of Toronto Scarborough, who used his co-op experiences to land a prestigious internship at the United Nations in Switzerland.

It’s a tricky balance, but for those students who manage to use their ‘international student status’ to its full potential, it can lead to substantial career benefits later on. And it’s a learning process that can begin right from the start of your university experience – or, for some, even before.

In general, if you are: 1) a full-time international student, 2) registered at an officially authorized university or college, and 3) are in possession of a valid study permit, then you can qualify to legally work in Canada.

As an international student or recent grad hoping to break into the Canadian job scene for the first time, keep in mind that being different is okay, but you should still be prepared to be flexible and understand the unique traits that make Canadian work culture what it is.

Many students are taking a semester or more to study abroad in a different country. Students usually receive credits at their home university for their time abroad. Studying abroad usually costs more money, is more timely and involves jetting off to foreign places. So why are students so interested in studying abroad? And does it impress future employers?

Jennifer Mansell, a fourth-year honours co-op environment and business student at the University of Waterloo, recently completed a work term in Costa Rica at the Centre for Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Learning, where she learned to slow down and live the “pure life.”

An increasing number of Canadian educational institutions are opening up campuses abroad. York University’s Schulich School of Business, for example, has a campus in Mumbai, India, and has plans to open a new campus in Hyderabad.

On an internship facilitated by AIESEC and sponsored by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, Curtis Riep (right) volunteered in Gujarat at the Research Foundation for Governance in India, a non-government organization conducting research on civil rights, proper governance, and other socio-political issues.

Did you know that in Japan, job applications are standard forms purchased from the local stationary store which are completed by hand? Needless to say, job applications can differ greatly between Canada and countries abroad.

As in most countries, a resumé includes your contact information, education, work experience, other skills (particularly, in Europe, language fluency), relevant volunteer activities or hobbies, and references. The following are some of the differences between Canadian and European applications.

Whatever preconceived notions you have about the mysterious “Carney” (such as that they are lazy, have small hands and smell like cabbage), working at a traveling midway for the summer is not as grimy or as glamorous as you think it is.