Planning your International Career with UAlberta: Advice from a recent UAlberta graduate

Nathalie Batres

Working while you study and during the summer break in Canada will give you great opportunities to gain valuable international work experience, improve your English language skills, and meet new friends. Here are some tips from a recent University of Alberta grad (me!) on what to consider when building your career with Canadian experiences.

1) Location, Location, Location
One of the benefits of finishing my degree at UAlberta is that I graduated right in the middle of one of Canada’s strongest economic cities: Edmonton, Alberta. Alberta has great job opportunities in many different industries and is a strong economic player in the global market place, so UAlberta students often graduate with great work experience on top of their great degrees.

2) Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Here at UAlberta, students have access to many different career services, and international students benefit from various specialized workshops and programs that cater to their specific needs, like the International Student Work Study Program (ISWSP) which helps undergraduate international students find summer job opportunities on-campus.

3) Work Opportunities
Now that you’ve picked a great university location and you went to some workshops, you are probably wondering where to find work. International Students at UAlberta can find work in a variety of places, both on and off-campus. There are many types of jobs available including working in coffee shops and restaurants, internships at major companies, as office or library assistants, in clothing stores, as tutors, and more. Several academic programs at UAlberta can offer international students the chance to get work experience in their chosen career through a co-op placement, internship, or research position. During the summer, students can even find jobs working in towns in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, like Jasper and Banff!

After you graduate with a degree from UAlberta, you may be eligible to work in Canada for three years, if you have a post-graduation work permit. From everyone here at University of Alberta International, we wish you the best in your education and career path and we hope to see you here soon!

- Written By: Nathalie Batres