March 13, 2025 By Kim
YouAlberta is written by students for students.
Kim Gomez (she/her) is a career peer educator and health promotion student intern. She is currently in her third year as an art and design major in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Kim likes to drink coffee, run, draw, read and spend time with her cat, Echo! She can tell you the best way to brew coffee and why cats make the best pets.
We’re currently hiring Career Peer Educators (CPE) at the Career Centre! It’s an on-campus opportunity for you to work, gain important skills and give back to your fellow students — all while you continue to be a student.
As I head towards the end of my second year as a CPE, I encourage you to apply for this flexible, on-campus position that cultivates different skills! It’s a chance to build your resume and impress employers for your job search after you graduate. Here are four reasons why you should apply as a CPE:
The most pertinent skills I gained are public speaking, facilitation, administrative and advising. I’ve facilitated and presented seminars on career management, resume and cover letter basics and hosted different employer information sessions. I improved my public speaking skills by doing these presentations and practicing as I do more and more. I’ve even hosted an in-person employer information session in a full lecture hall! You get to practice your advising skills through one-on-one appointments with your fellow students who are curious about what they can do with their degree, how to gain an internship or even how to improve their resume and cover letter. So far, I’ve done over 100 appointments! Lastly, you’re able to work on administrative skills such as answering phones and emails and guiding students at the front desk to the proper support or resources to aid them in their inquiries.
Working as a CPE will open up more doors for you as you venture down your career path. You can highlight transferable skills in your resume, such as presentation, communication and time management. For example, if your dream is to become a psychologist, being a CPE will allow you to use your empathetic and active listening skills while working directly with clients. You can also seek administrative work in post-secondary institutions, as being a CPE allows you to work directly on campus with university students. It provides you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with these kinds of environments and institutions.
As a CPE, you’ll gain industry insight for your own career management, practice the skills you teach to students and use your training to practice useful career management strategies. I definitely use what I've learned in training for my own career progression, such as how to optimize my LinkedIn account to connect with various employers and professionals! My resume looks more polished, and the advice I give to students pertains to my own professional life as well.
Being a CPE is flexible, on campus, part-time and you get experience as you study. Allow yourself the time to gain this experience with a job that works with your class schedule, is located in SUB, doesn’t interfere with your studying and will amplify your skills. Plus, any preparation time for your advising appointments is done at your own time and pace. You get to work a Saturday practicing Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) for prospective medical, veterinary and physical therapy students, but most of your shifts are from Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Not only is working during your degree doable, but it can be a rewarding experience as you pursue your career journey. Being a CPE was truly an educational and fulfilling experience. If this sounds like a good fit for you, apply now on campusBRIDGE or visit our website to learn more about this exciting opportunity!
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