Launch Your Career in Canada

About the event

Launch Your Career in Canada is UBC’s annual networking experience open only to UBC international students, dedicated to supporting their career development. Each year, Launch Your Career in Canada provides an opportunity to hear from and connect with alumni who also were once international students to learn from their experiences establishing their careers.

International students will also have the opportunity to connect and network with industry professionals in a panel and networking setting, discover how to navigate work and research opportunities at UBC, develop job search skills, and learn how alumni made a successful transition from UBC to the Canadian workplace.

How to register

Access the events on CareersOnline. In order to attend each event, you will need to register for each event.

Event schedule

How to find on-campus work and research opportunities (Virtual)

Date and time: Mon, Mar 6, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

This event will provide an overview of the various work and research opportunities available to international students at UBC and provide insights to how to look and apply for these on-campus jobs. Programs covered will include Work Learn, Work Study, and Undergraduate Research awards.

Ask a Hiring Manager: How to stand out when applying for a job (In-person panel and networking event)

Date and time: Tues, Mar 7, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

At this panel discussion and networking event, you’ll meet with recruiters from different industries who have experience hiring diverse talent. Ask about their hiring process, find out what top skills are required, learn about possible career paths, and get insight into companies, including their people, products or services, clients, and company culture. Bring your questions for a Q&A session with the panelists who come from tech, consulting, engineering, and government!

Recruiter panel

Pathways to Post Graduate Work Permit and staying in Canada after graduation at UBC (Virtual)

Date and time: Wed, Mar 8, 2023 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Get up-to-date information about work eligibility during your academic studies, the process and benefits of applying for the Post Graduate Work Permit, and gain insights into the PR process. There will be a presentation followed by a Q&A period with Regulated Canadian Immigration consultants (RCICs).

Career options and career planning for international graduate students (Virtual)

Date and time: Thurs, Mar 9, 2023 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

International students in Masters and PhD students have distinct goals for navigating their careers, and preparing for life after graduation. This interactive session will cover common questions and strategies for international students at the graduate level.

Alumni Office Hours with Elson Lim, Senior Data Engineer at Birch Hill Equity Partners: balancing work, school, and life while facing financial constraints (Virtual)

Date and time: Thurs, Mar 9, 2023 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Expand your network and participate in an open, round-table discussion with Elson Lim, Senior Data Engineer at Birch Hill Equity Partners, on the topic of finding work-school-life balance while facing financial constraints.

Elson's bio: "My drive came from the fact my parents were close to retirement yet still took on loans to financially support my education. Not wanting to be a burden to them, being financially independent as quickly as possible was a key focus during my time in school. What I hope to share during this Alumni Office Hours session is my journey through work, school, and life in hopes it may help you get closer to your goals and navigate the financial circumstances you may find yourself in.”

Telling your story: Translate your knowledge, skills, and experiences into a Canadian context (Virtual)

Date and time: Mon, Mar 13, 2023 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Learn from a career educator what employers look for in a Canadian resume and cover letter. We will cover how to tailor applications in a way that showcases your unique skills, strengths, and experiences as an international student.

Launch your Career in Canada: Meet Successful International Alumni at My Career Story: Getting Practical Experience That “Counts” in Canada (in-person)

Date and time: Wed, Mar 15, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

At this panel discussion and networking event, you’ll hear from speakers who set intentional work and life goals to help guide their career choices. Panelists will speak about how they’ve gone about building career capital (skills, knowledge, credentials, networks) in Canada and how useful these skills and connections are in many different sectors. Whether you’re in your first year at UBC and deciding what you want to major in, nearing the end of grad school, or a recent graduate trying to navigate job search and career development, you’ll learn a lot from what our panelists have to share!

Learn from the below and other international UBC alumni that work in banking, education services, information technology, and much more!

Alumni panel

  • Abdullah Khair (LinkedIn profile), BASc 2019 Chemical Engineering: Global Partnerships Manager at Student Energy
  • Mariah Mirza (LinkedIn profile), BCom 2019 Finance and Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources: Senior Associate, Cloud Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. (PwC)
  • Mercy Wanalo (LinkedIn profile), BSc 2018 Food Nutrition and Health, MSc 2022 Food Security and Nutrition: Alumni Engagement Coordinator at Alumni UBC
  • Tamara Lottering (LinkedIn profile), BSc 2017 Cognitive Systems, MSc 2021 Design Informatics: Senior Design Researcher at Level Access
  • Brian Mukeswe (LinkedIn profile), BASc 2017 Electrical Engineering, MSc 2021 Data Science: Lead Data Scientist at Mastercard Technologies

Using labour market information in career decision making (Virtual)

Date and time: Thurs, Mar 16, 2023 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Learn where to access labour market information to know what industries are growing, what skills are in demand, and to learn about different roles that leverage the knowledge and skills developed throughout your degree.

Recordings of past sessions

If you have questions