By Karen Aney (Contributer) – Email
UFV’s Career Centre, in conjunction with the English department and the Alumni Association, is hosting an Arts conference on March 1. The event will feature four UFV Arts Alumni who have found employment with their Bachelor of Arts. In essence, the aforementioned departments have found four people with much-sought after knowledge and experience in a similar position as many of UFV’s soon-to-be graduates. To top it all off, a free lunch will be served.
So Jeon of the Career Centre had a few words of advice for students. It really all boils down to that old girl scout adage, “be prepared.” The first thing to consider is always appearance. As Joen explains: “This is meant to be a casual lunch-and-learn session, so no formal business attire is necessary, but make yourself look presentable as this is still a professional meeting.” Further, she explains that it’s a good idea to do some thinking about your own academic interests are, and from that think of some questions you would like to ask the attending alumni. A great tip that Joen offers is “check out the website of their employers. Us Arts students are known for our research skills, so put those to a good use!”
The first alumni presenter is Adam Simpson: he has a BA in English and works for AMBiT Consulting. Although his job is varied, he is currently involved in building projects at various hospitals across BC. Next is Dana Boogerd, who has a BA in English and History. She works out of her home in Chilliwack for a company in Bellingham as a copywriter and also does freelance editing for other companies. Len Goerke has a BA in English and a Masters in Conflict Analysis and Management. He is currently Deputy Chief Constable for the Abbotsford Police Department, and also sits on UFV’s Board of Directors. Last but not least is Shauna Svekla, who has a BA in Psychology. She is employed by Abbotsford Community Services and works with immigrants hoping to pursue employment in their professional fields.
The event runs from 12:00-1:30 p.m. For those of you who have class during that time period (I know there’s quite a few), it’s ok to get there late or leave early. Remember – these are alumni, they’ve been there too! If you’re planning to attend, RSVP to the event on the career centre website. For more information, go to http://www.ufv.ca/Jobs/Events.
