All Paths Leading to Success
by Michael Kwan

"Always think, act and feel like you're the best person for the job, for you will never know who is listening." - Winnie Low  	

An Arts degree, with the diversity of knowledge and skill sets that can be acquired, gives the student the opportunity to choose from a variety of possible career paths. Having completed not one, but two co-op programs (in grade 10 and here at UBC), Winnie Low, a Linguistics major/Commerce minor and recent Co-op alumnus, has been thinking about her future from a very young age, with aspirations ranging from teaching to photography to business. Even now, she has left her options open beyond the B.A. In her own words, "Co-op has prepared me with an extensive skill set that will prove beneficial in any industry."

Many of us, myself included, can empathize with Winnie's experience of looking for her first work term. Despite receiving positive feedback on all of her eleven interviews, she was "good enough to be ranked second but there was something lacking . . . to be ranked first." With final exams in full swing, Winnie got short-listed by the Royal Bank of Canada, "the most challenging interviewer of all," for the Personal Financial Services Representative position. Far from being an easy process, Winnie endured through an informal telephone interview, an interview conducted by Human Resources personnel and an interview by two top managers before she was offered the job. "It was very competitive, but from this experience, I had many opportunities to reflect and develop on my interview skills."

But why Co-op? Winnie compares Co-op to a playground, allowing us the freedom "to explore our greatest strengths and weaknesses," and we are encouraged to do so. It is a time for short-term experimentation where we can test the waters, so to speak, getting a feel for "different industries, positions and companies without the consequence of having to quit after an unsatisfying experience."

"What the co-op programs have really provided me was the skill to be flexible and versatile. And these are the greatest skills to acquire upon entering the work force." This is reflected in Winnie's choice of work terms, developing a different skill set with each successive placement. The Royal Bank position (eight months) was very people-oriented, giving Winnie the opportunity to improve upon "business, negotiation, interview and sales skills." This job lead to a permanent part-time position with Royal Bank.

Next, Winnie was hired by the Debtor Assistance Division of the Ministry of the Attorney General as an Analyst / Research Assistant. This position had more of a focus on individual work, providing Winnie with "non-people skills such as research, statistical, writing and data processing skills." Becoming more selective with her final work term, Winnie finally decided on the Research Assistant position with the University of British Columbia Dean of Arts Office. Expanding on the skill set developed through her time with the Ministry, this position allowed Winnie to explore "technical skills such as website design [and] graphics design as well as marketing and promotional skills." All of these positions allowed Winnie to realize that she needs "to be in a dynamic work setting where [she] would have minimal supervision, manager's trust in [her] abilities . . . and opportunities to work independently as well as in a team setting." In hindsight, the work terms that Winnie has completed complement one another very well as "each position filled a skill-gap that the others could not."

When asked to share her wealth of Co-op knowledge with junior students still looking for that first work term or having difficulties with a work term, Winnie replied, "Don't be discouraged. Coop is about learning as much as you can, not necessarily about choosing the perfect positions that will guarantee satisfaction on the job every time. If you find a position that you don't like, then reflect on what you've learned about yourself (as in your likes and dislikes) and move on, for that is how life is."

Currently enjoying some rest and relaxation, Winnie plans on applying her job-searching skills, utilizing all the knowledge and experience she has gained from the Arts Co-op Program, in June. We wish you luck in all of your future endeavours, Winnie, wherever life's road may lead.