Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Summer Jobs and Co-op Placements in Northern Canada
Publié le 1 February 2012
When Kevin Robbie signed up for a three-month summer co-op placement in Yellowknife, he was expecting chilly weather and a city not so different from his hometown of Georgetown, Ontario. Instead, he found himself swimming in the freezing cold Great Slave Lake, walking home at 11 p.m. with the sun still shining, and gazing up at the Northern Lights.
Robbie, a third-year Aviation Technology degree student at Seneca College, took the opportunity to do his mandatory placement with aviation company Arctic Sunwest Charters. He thought of it as a way to travel and experience something new.
With one Tim Hortons, one movie theatre and no other town for miles, Yellowknife is a far cry from Georgetown, but according to Robbie, it’s the perfect destination for the adventurous. “I’d recommend it for someone wanting to experience new things and get out of their comfort zone—not worrying about eating at a five-star restaurant or being able to get someplace in an hour,” he says.
Aside from gaining work experience, Robbie says he was able to see a range of wildlife, meet new friends and join a baseball team during his northern placement. There is always something to do, as long as you are willing to keep an open mind, explore and find those out-of-the-way sights.
“I think it’s a great experience for anybody, even people who are scared,” says Robbie. “Overall, I had a great time. I would do it again any day.”
With the possibility of working there as a pilot, the experience could be a stepping stone for Robbie to return to the North after graduation. Either way, he says, he’s in a better position to decide where he wants to head in the future.
Dane Pearce-Meijerink, a fellow student of Robbie’s at Seneca College, used his co-op placement as a chance to work for Northwestern Air Lease Limited in Fort Smith, N.W.T. He’s equally enthusiastic about the experience: “I’d definitely recommend it if you want to work up north in the future.”
Pearce-Meijerink says that the short three-and-a-half month commitment was a great way to build contacts, learn about bush-piloting and travel. With plenty of work to do, the 20-year-old student found there was never a boring moment—he even lost 20 pounds as result of the active lifestyle and work schedule.
Yet Pearce-Meijerink says the experience was a welcome change of pace from his school life. “Only apply if you’re willing to work hard,” he says.
For Malcolm Gomes, who also chose to do his aviation co-op in the Northwest Territories, getting exposure to life outside of flight school is what the opportunity was all about.
Gomes got his first glimpse of bush-piloting in the Arctic from the popular TV show “Ice Pilots,” which he started watching in his first year at Seneca College. Seeing more intensive piloting skills in action, such as landing a plane on an ice lake, encouraged the young student to look at companies up north in search of an experience outside the norm.
Despite the initial culture shock, the third-year student said he was not only able to get used to life in Yellowknife, but even began thinking of returning to work up north after graduation. “So far, I’m thinking about going back up,” he says. “Maybe to the Yukon.”
Whether or not he would be ready to face the harsh winter, Gomes isn’t certain, but he says the experience is one he will always remember.
“Forty or fifty years down the road, it will be something to tell the grandchildren,” he says.
Lynne McMullen, Chair of Seneca’s School of Aviation and Technology, says the opportunity to work for northern companies gives students the chance to explore the world outside their home base, gain perspective and lay groundwork for their future.
McMullen says summer placement experience is a great asset for any student, as work experience up north will look good to potential employers. “If it was me, I would feel more comfortable bringing someone on board if they’ve gained experience and they’re not coming in without any insight into the demands of the job,” she says.
She advises students in the program to try anything they are interested in. The key is to keep an open mind, be yourself and learn every skill you can. “Every piece of experience you have builds who you are,” she says.
According to McMullen, work placements not only give students the chance to grow and get some practical application of their skills, but also offer a light at the end of the tunnel for their years in school. As for students who decide to venture up north, she says, “we have only ever heard really positive things.”
Of course, not all programs offer co-ops or internships to students, but that doesn’t close the door on opportunities to work in the North. Emily Pope, a third-year psychology student at the University of Ottawa, spent her summer working full-time as a lifeguard in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Travelling on her own and living away from home for the first time, she applied for the job online through the Young Canada Works program in order to experience something different.
Spotting the small airport as her plane was about to land, Pope says her first thought was: “What have I gotten myself into?” But her doubt didn’t last long as she immersed herself in the local culture, watching throat singing and drum dancing performances, and taking time to check out various local artists’ work. The 20-year-old says she was able to connect with old and new friends through Facebook, with one lively update of whales in the bay causing celebration.
Pope, who admits she is not particularly daring by nature, says going up north is a great adventure: “As long as you want to try something new, it’s a good place to go.” She not only enjoyed her job as a lifeguard so much that she plans to return next summer, but she also found time to work at a group home and to learn how to knit. She even got to taste some unique northern delicacies—not only blubber (not her favourite) but also muskox burgers and caribou meat.
Culture shock aside, Pope says her main advice would be to pack food to bring with you to save yourself the expense later—and always remember to pack your peanut butter in your luggage, not your carry-on. That’s one lesson she learned the hard way.
By Erin Jackson
ERIN JACKSON is a Carleton journalism student on exchange in the Netherlands.
