I am currently in the GTA because I felt that it would be easier to get a job here than in Vancouver. Am I having second thoughts? Absolutely! UBC has proposed a tuition increase, and some people have ranted about it, but I expected it, and I expect one the year after and the year after, almost every school does it unfortunately.
Many students pay off fees with job money+savings+parents+loans. I’m the oldest of six, and my younger sister starts school next year too, so I have to find another way to replace the parents part. I’ve been told how dangerous loans are, and paying them back. I have had the mentality thus far, if I pursue medical school, I’ll be taking out enormous loans anyway so might as well. Now after watching shows like ‘Till Debt Do Us Part’ I’m having second thoughts. I’ve been on the prowl for a job since April 24, my birthday and the day I landed in the GTA. And so far no luck, I was excited at getting my first call back to be an assistant soccer coach, but got stood up! Now I’m scrambling, and desperately looking everywhere and anywhere.
Earning money is at the top of my list, but I can’t help but drool over the Hospital for Sick Children Volunteer Positions. The problem is location, it’d take me a train to get there, and I’d be losing a lot of money, when I have to earn money. My dream job is to work there, so volunteering would be a great step to seeing the inner workings of the Hospital, and to hopefully meet alot of the kids! Optimally if I get a job, then I can apply for volunteer positions and use part of my earnings for transportation, but that seems like a dream right now, because finding a job seems impossible. By now, I must have applied to 70+ places in my area. To those who have work experience, please comment with tips!!
Hi there 🙂
I definitely feel your pain. I was looking for a co-op job for this summer, and I started the search in January. You know when I got an offer?
early May.
The search itself is tough, but I think it boils down to presentation. Speaking from experience and having been on both sides of the interviewing table, the best resumes are the ones that ooze confidence and clarity, and the same goes for the actual interview. I found a correlation – no empirical evidence here, unfortunately 😉 – that the better they presented themselves in their application, the better they would do for their interview, and of course, that’s always better when it comes down to the job offer.
Anyways, I’ve typed enough – there’s some great resources on campus you should check out. Try UBC Career Services – I know they’re still doing resume advising, and I think they might be okay if it’s virtual/via email. Also, think of applying for your faculty’s co-op program (http://www.coop.ubc.ca/) – it’s of great help in that you get real-world work experiences, a leg up on your classmates in the post-grad job search, and you make some sweet coin too 😀
Good luck with the search!
-Timmy
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely try and clean up my resume a bit, hope that helps. 🙂