Career Conversations - Volunteer Grandparents with Valentine Yuma Gil

Navigating the professional working world to find your first full time job can be a taxing journey. Trying to find a job within the major you’ve spent the better part of four (or more) years pursuing and that fuels the dreams you have for a career are just two of the endless factors that contribute to the challenges of the job market. Finding your path in the professional communications world is anything but straight forward. But you shouldn’t have to face those challenges alone- so let’s chat about it.

Career Conversations, a blog series newly launched by CMNSU, aims to account the stories and experiences of co-op students in communications and alumni in diverse sectors. Through conversation-based interviews, this series aims to capture insights and tips that will help guide you in your undergraduate career and professional communication journey.

“As scary as those moments can be, I see rejection as a blessing because it tells you what you need to improve on. Even if you face these challenges- learn from those mistakes and the feedback you get” - Valentine Yuma Gill is a third-year Communication studies major at SFU, with a minor in Publishing. Born in Vancouver and raised in Calgary by immigrant parents. Named after Saint Valentine, my parents lovingly call me their “fruit of love,” a name that drives me to spread kindness and positivity wherever I go. After relocating to BC, my first co-op experience with Volunteer Grandparents has been transformative, allowing me to build intergenerational connections and deepen my sense of community.

1.Can you tell us about your co-op experience? 

I worked for a well-established non-profit, based in metro Vancouver - Volunteer Grandparents. The organization is a partnership with Volunteer Burnaby that aims to connect the elderly with children to aid in healthy childhood development. They hope to create and strengthen intergenerational relationships to enrich both the lives of children and the elderly alike. 

My role was as a marketing coordinator, which, when working for a non-profit, involves mostly looking for grants and finding funds for events and activities. My role also involved reaching out to organizations for sponsorships or promotions, sending a lot of emails, and managing the organization's social media presence. 

I worked in a very small team, which meant that I got to know every person who makes Volunteer Grandparents such a special part of the community. Although my co-op was only 2 months, due to limited funding by Canada Summer Term, I learned a lot of valuable skills.

2. Could you highlight some of the major accomplishments you’d like to share from your co-op experience? 

Because the organization is fairly small, the people who work there are often people who have been with the company for many years. Getting to know and work with these people was so rewarding- it showed just how valuable community organizations are in connecting people. 

I was quite proud of the work I put into enhancing their social media presence. With organizations like Volunteer Grandparents- whose prominent mission is community work, in this case, connecting kids who didn't grow up with grandparents present in their lives to elderly community members, the social media work naturally gets pushed aside. It was very rewarding to amplify their social platforms for the organization. I also loved working on their digital newsletter, asking people and companies to donate tickets so that grandparents can take low-income families to shows and such- which was very rewarding to help grow this aspect of their work. 

I worked on a couple of events too and my favorite had to be our booth at the Hats Off Day- a grassroots festival that celebrates the community of Burnaby. The theme of this year's festival was fairytales and it was fun to work on a project with such a fun theme. There was one volunteer who I got to meet who had been with the organization for a long while and meeting them proved to me how valuable the work our organization does and the impact we can have on the community.
Another program I was proud to contribute to was the Letters to Seniors program. Even though my position was only for the summer, I helped run a Christmas in July program that ran in daycares and summer camps. We would encourage kids to write letters to lonely elders for the upcoming holiday season. Oftentimes, there were more youth than senior citizens to give the letters to which gave me and my organization lots of hope for the future generation in bridging that gap between the youth and the elderly. 

3. What was the most unexpected aspect of your experience in co-op? 

I had never worked for a non-profit organization before and was truly surprised at how much work goes into writing grants and asking for funding. It was this constant cycle of applying for grants, a process that I think is often overlooked. I was also surprised to learn how many large-scale corporations invest their profits into volunteer organizations like Volunteer Grandparents. We had brands like Walmart and Tim Hortons fund programs for us- which was incredibly heartwarming to know that these big companies were still giving back to smaller, community-based organizations. 

4. Any insight/key takeaways you learned through these working experiences? 

My work term was mostly remote, which at times was challenging. I found that keeping myself accountable, and constantly checking in with my supervisors to help me stay on the right track was a great strategy. Your first co-op can be incredibly overwhelming, do not be afraid to ask for guidance and support from your supervisors. Often their belief is all you need to motivate yourself so don’t be scared to ask for your supervisor's help. I found that connecting with my supervisors, in one-on-one meetings was the best way for me to get advice about the projects I was working on- and it was great advice that I’m definitely going to take with me to my next position.

5. What was a challenge you faced during your Co-op experience that you overcame and what did it teach you (about yourself or working professionally in the communications industry)?

Remote working was definitely my biggest challenge but learning how to navigate that really taught me some valuable time management and accountability skills. My confidence also grew through this experience. Being new to a team that was already so established was overwhelming at first and I found myself not contributing to the weekly meetings out of fear of not saying the right thing or that as a co-op student, I didn’t have the status to be a part of the team. I started noticing that often the things I was thinking about were the same things my supervisor was saying in the meetings! I eventually learned to overcome my fears and used my confidence to contribute to the team in a meaningful way.

6. How did your co-op experience contribute to your skill development and current career path? 

The marketing coordinator position was pretty similar to the kinds of jobs I was doing in my role as marketing coordinator for the CMSNU so I’m very thankful for that position and all it taught me. 

I want to try a lot of different things in my career, but before working this job I didn't have much knowledge of the nonprofit sector before applying. Overall, it was a fantastic first co-op experience that made me feel connected to the community I was working for. I’m from out of province so it was nice to get to know the locals and feel connected to this new community I am a part of. 

Starting small for your first co-op is also something that worked for me. Working for a non-profit organization alleviated some of the pressure of co-op and is a great way to get used to the professional communication world. It’s a great way to get in-depth feedback on your work while building your resume.

7. Job/Co-op Search: 

What was your job hunting experience like for co-op? 

I was seeking for the summer term, which was very competitive and the biggest takeaway I can say is try not to be picky in your job search process. Especially if it's your first co-op experience, putting yourself out there for any position is a great way to secure a job.  For the marketing coordinator role with Volunteer Grandparents, I didn’t think I was going to get the position as I was late for my interview and the stress of that caused me to believe I had blown it. Although it’s not good advice to be late to your interview, I will say to never give up until it's over. 

8. What strategies did you find most helpful during your job search? 

I found that checking My Experience daily was a great way to keep myself accountable and never miss the opportunities that were available to me. Not everyone has the time to check it daily but whatever time frame works for you, have a system for it to keep yourself accountable. 

I would also say that modifying cover letters and even resumes was very helpful in the job search process. Putting in that extra effort shows that you care. 

9. Any advice for a string application package or interview? 

If you're a creative person I would recommend making a portfolio. Including your previous design work or even social media work can really help your application stand out! I get nervous for interviews and even with all the awesome tips co-op workshops give, I still have trouble remembering the right things to say. My best advice is to focus on the experiences you’ve had that are related to the position you're applying for. Experience gives you confidence so lean on that to show the interviewer what you have to bring to the table! 

Tips: 

What involvement/ activities outside of academics do you feel were helpful in securing co-op positions? 

I’ve worked a couple of retail positions that have given me awesome experience and skills in interpersonal communication and workplace routines. Any experience is good experience- even if that means drawing on things you did in high school. Use everything to your advantage! 

Did you deal with any rejection across your co-op journey? If so, what advice would you give to help others overcome it?

For multiple people, the starting part of the interview process can be discouraging. As scary as those moments can be, I see rejection as a blessing because it tells you what you need to improve on. Even if you face these challenges, maybe you can get to those same spots next time. Learn from those mistakes and the feedback you get. 
What advice would you give to an undergraduate student, primarily to those who are starting their university years?

Joining a club is a great way to be more connected to your university community and I found it helped me be more engaged at school. It also gives you more than just some new points for your resume, the clubs I’ve joined have given me some amazing friends. You can also hold each other accountable by reminding each other to study or give each other advice for co-op searches. Learning from the senior people in the clubs you join is also a great way to build skills for your resume. 

At the end of the day, it's about being involved- whether that is in other volunteer or part-time experience. You won’t regret connecting to the communities you are a part of.