The Intern's Journal

My real experience! (Part3)

noreply@blogger.com (Intern Author) — Sat, 06 May 2006 09:00:16 PDT

Hello every one,

The countdown of my Business Internship Program (BINT) day’s balance has been started!

From today I have only 2 more days to go. After finishing this course, I will be back to my regular classes for one more month. And I might register for a computer course here at VEC! They have good ones that may help me in my career life.

You know what?! I haven’t told you before that actually I do have a job in my country (Kingdome of Saudi Arabia) in an oil company called Arabian Drilling Company. I have been working there since August 2002 as an executive secretary.

As you know and every one does how important the English language in the business life is? From this aspect you can understand why my company sent me here to Vancouver English Center (VEC)? And for what reason I selected the VEC only to study at?

My Answer is I haven’t read or seen better than VEC in Vancouver BC, or maybe in the entire Canada! Trust me this is my real opinion and as I believe every student here has the same one. Maybe VEC is not the cheapest center you may find, but defiantly is the best-qualified one! I don’t think any one will mind to pay a little more and only little to get the best quality, especially when we talk about Education!

Stop hesitating, knowledge is worth to pay few more dollars! Nothing to lose and there is more to gain!

Any way as I mentioned earlier, I have been working now for almost 4 years, and maybe you could ask me (so why you have registered for the Business Internship Program for 8 weeks?)

It is simple my friends, do you think every country have the same work system and atmosphere?

Of course not. And to be honest with you guys, I have been doing some works here and learning new things that might be not possible to have or get from my real work at my company.

This is the main point for the BINT program (to be trained as for your first step of your career life or to get more experience in the same filed you work at, but in a North American work atmosphere, what an excitement! This may add positive points to your resume and work experience as well).

This is my tiny gratitude and thankfulness I can give and pay back to VEC. (Thank you VEC)

The Intern's Journal - Journals by Interns at Vancouver English Centre, in Vancouver, Canada.

noreply@blogger.com (Intern Author) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 12:11:51 PST

The Intern's Journal - Journals by Interns at Vancouver English Centre, in Vancouver, Canada.: "My real experience!"

My real experience! (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Intern Author) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 11:07:54 PST

Hi guys,

Its me again (Hakeem), sorry I couldn’t write to you during last week that is because I had been through bad time L . My wife was sick during the last five days and I couldn’t even come to work in my second home (my lovely school "VEC"). Any way I have something to chare with you guys. You know, since I am studying abroad from home and don’t have any member of my family with me (except my wife and daughter "2 years old"). It was little difficult to me managing how to come to school for my business internship with the responsibility of taking care of my sick wife and to look after my daughter. But you know, instead of having one of my family members I got plenty and plenty of them! Yes you are right! I mean my colleague at VEC. You can’t imagine how they cared about me during this time!

I just called to my supervisor and explained my situation to him and he totally understood my status. Not only this he asked me to keep in touch and inform him if there is any progress in my wife sickness case or even if I need any help from VEC.

You see how much care I got from VEC, maybe me, you or some body will not have the same level of cares from our on family! Don’t you agree with me?

So what I and you must have learned from this?

Since I am on a business internship program, I have to act as the same as an official employee! (As a role you have to report and notify any case or cause that will make you absent or late from work to your direct supervisor).
Don’t be warred in such an emergency situation as I had, don’t say I don’t have somebody to help me! (You get your on second family which is VEC staff).
Maybe during this week I haven’t done any work that has to be done according to my business internship program, but I learned something that might be happened to me or any one of you in our real job and how to deal with such things!
This situation cleared up my mind and confirmed that I have selected the proper place to study or to do my business internship at. (Imagine the feeling of working in a friendly family environment!).

Will write you more soon.

Bye now!

Hekmat R. Al-Muzel (Hakeem)
Saudi Arabia

My real experience!

noreply@blogger.com (Intern Author) — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:36:26 PST

The Intern's Journal - Journals by Interns at Vancouver English Centre, in Vancouver, Canada.

Hi guys,
This is Hekmat (Hakeem) a student at VEC since 13 June 2005. I was registered for 40 weeks ending on 14 April 2006.
I would like to share my experience with you guys who are interested in learning and studying the English language in Canada, British Colombia. As a student studying a second language (English) for the first time abroad, I would say that Vancouver English Center is the right choice I have selected.
All VEC staff starting from the top of VEC organization chart: (the president), moving down through the boughs of the chart tree (the school management and teachers), they are really working hard to treat all the students from all the countries around the world in a great way that makes the students forget that they are away from their home even there family.

If you were afraid to study abroad or scaring from the feeling homesick, from my ongoing experience with VEC School, I would encourage you and all of my relatives and friends to take the opportunity to experience the best material and the best environment to study the English language in such an excellent way that you ever never dreamed about.

In my case I am trying to take the advantages of what I have mentioned above to learn and study the
English language as much as I can, and the above conditions make it easier than in somewhere ells. Even I have been taking the opportunity to practice the English language in a real North American working environment. Any one can do the same too!

VEC School has an excellent business program called Business Internship Program (BINT). This program is carefully well design for those who interested in improve their English language and work experience side by side in the field that you are concerned about.

Like in my situation, I am concerned about the administration field. And VEC arranged my Business Internship Program upon my interests. I did and have done with one moth of my practicum program with one of the leading company in Canada called Scotia McLeod and I really enjoyed it.

Now I got the opportunity to do my second moth of my BINT with VEC management. What a beautiful thing to study and work in the same place! can you imagine this?

I will writ you some of my practicum experience in the near future.

For further information you can reach me at hakeeemss@yahoo.ca.

Bye now!

Hekmat R. Al-Muzel (Hakeem)
Saudi Arabia

First week at VEC

noreply@blogger.com (Heeya) — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:51:45 PST

My name is Heeya Kim who will be graduated as a Wellness Counsellor soon.
I used to be a student at VEC a long time ago and I really liked people at VEC including Mr.Gardner, staffs and teachers. They are so caring and down to earth.
When I thought about where I would like to have my practicum, immediately the name, VEC came to my mind.

I have always wanted to work with International Students since I have been one of them and understood how hard it could be in another country.

I just had an information session on Life Skills Workshops yesterday.
I was surprised to see that many students are interested in learning Life Skills.
I have met some students already expressing their homesickness and I felt needed to be there for them.

Personally, I believe that everyone walks into my life with lessons and they are great teachers to me. I feel that I will have great lessons from people at VEC and I will have fun with them too. =)

Have a great weekend, everyone~!

Introducing Heeya

noreply@blogger.com (VEC) — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:50:48 PST

Heeya is interning at Vancouver English Centre for two weeks. She has graciously agreed to add her experiences to this blog.

Welcome Heeya!

Learning New Things

noreply@blogger.com (Bita) — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:51:53 PST

Today I started third week of my internship at VEC. I have learnt a lot in these 2 past weeks. I worked with ColdFusion, the computer programming language which I never had worked with before.

I always enjoy learning new things, specially in my job and this internship and also John gave me this opportunity.

Bita.

Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Bita) — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 08:56:22 PDT

Hello everyone

I am Bita the new intern in VEC. I have started my internship since Monday. It is nice to work here because i was familiar with the invironment and some people as i studied Bint for 4 weeks here with teachers Joy and Wallace.I work with 2 nice people , John and Wing, as a computer programmer for VEC. I hope to be useful for my team and VEC.

Welcome our newest VEC Intern: Bita

noreply@blogger.com (VEC) — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 12:06:15 PDT

Bita will be interning with Vancouver English Centre for the next four weeks. She has graciously agreed to add her experiences to this blog.

Bita is an experienced programmer, and we're looking forward to making use of her software programming and technical experience to help improve our internal partner management database systems.

Welcome Bita!

Hello from Japan!

noreply@blogger.com (Intern Author) — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 02:49:27 PDT

Hello everyone!
It's Eri from Japan, I was a volunteer at VEC last year from January to June. It has been a year since I came back to Japan, and I just cannot beleive how quickly the time goes.
After I came back to Japan, I got a job at a French champagne company as an assistant to Marketing and Communication. My duties at the office are working at reception, answering the phone and dealing with customers, proofreading translated documents, and other asministrative tasks. Although I am not using my English so often, the skills attained at VEC helps me be both effective and efficient as an assistant to the team. I will probably stay in Japan for a while, then I will try something new. So, stay in touch everyone.

Eri
p.s. Does VEC offer any online program? I am very interested in taking online program, especially IELTS, to keep my English.

I am starting my new job on Monday

noreply@blogger.com (VEC Interns Blogger) — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 22:29:35 PDT

Hello everyone!

I can't believe that I am starting my new job on Monday at a Law Office. My first job in Seattle and I am going to be their legal secretary. Although, I don't have a law background they still gave me a chance to learn the background that I need. I have all the other basic skillz they were looking for. Now, look at that. My first job here in Seattle in a law office.
I was so frustrated the past couple of months, because I couldn't find anything. I am proud of myself that I landed this position and I will definitely take this chance to learn something new that will possibly help me in the future.
I hope all you guys are doing great.
Have I mentioned that I got married in January? =)
I wish you all a great weekend.
Sibel

Time Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Kim) — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:57:14 PDT

Hi~ This is jay (jae-il)who works for VEC as a intern.

Guess what? It's already passed a week. Do you believe it? Time fries. ^^

I've learnt lots of interesitng stuff from John. Have you guys visited the VEC's website this week?

Visit right now, you might see a little bit difference. ^^

Believe or not, because I've upgraded some information on the website(only for Korean. he he).

I'd like to know how you guys have been. Please write down something happened to you.

Have a nice weekend~~~~~~~~~

New exprience in VEC's marketing Department

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Kim) — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:14:07 PDT

Hello~ everyone. My name is Jay. I'm going to work here next for 4 weeks.

I'm very glad to write my exprience here.

Today is my first day. So I'm little bit nervous but I will feel comfortable from tomorrow.

Because I'm good at adapting myself to new environment. ^^

okay....Have a nice day everyone.

See you later.

Introducing Jay...

noreply@blogger.com (VEC) — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 13:31:37 PDT

Jay will be interning in VEC's marketing Department for the next four weeks.

He has agreed to add his experiences to this blog.

Welcome Jay!

Hello from a former student

noreply@blogger.com (VEC Interns Blogger) — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 13:29:57 PDT

Hello Everyone that remembers me.

How are you guys doing? I was in Vancouver in December but it was a weekend and I knew if I had stopped by I wouldn't have seen any of you since most of you don't work at the weekends. I might be back up there in May to visit my best friend from Germany who is in Montreal studying. Vancouver is his favorite city and he wants to spend his last 2 days there. This would be the last chance to see him before he has to go back to Germany and who knows when I will have the chance to see him again.

I think I mentioned in my last entry that I finally moved to Seattle. Everything is slowly settling in. I have gotten my employment authorization and my Social Security, so all I need is a job. However, looking for a position that I would like to work in has been very frustrating. The fact that some companies don't even bother responding makes me angry. Well, I will keep looking. I signed up with a Temp Service two days ago but they haven't gotten back to me yet.
Anyways....I hope I will see some of you soon.
I wish you all a good day.

Sibel
"Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead."

Hello Guys at VEC

noreply@blogger.com (VEC) — Mon, 25 Apr 2005 22:09:34 PDT

Last year, I have been for 4 months at VEC and I'm back to Brazil and got a good job. My internship at Molsen was essential to me to get a good job.

I am working at CARREFOUR (French company). Carrefour is the second largest supermarket in the world behind only WAL MART.

Thank you very much everybody at VEC, including staff team and my teachers.

I hope to be back in Canada as soon as possible and see you again.

EDIMAR E. DA ROCHA
Controller
CARREFOUR

Lauren says "Thanks" and "So long..."

noreply@blogger.com (VEC) — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 11:34:26 PST

VEC's Internship Coordinator, Lauren Klauzer is leaving the school after November 12, 2004.

From Lauren:

"Hi to all former Bint students from the past three and a bit years. I am leaving the Program this Friday to join the world of job seekers. I want to wish you the best and to say how much I enjoyed working with you all. If you want to keep in touch with me or get a message to me just let John know and he will pass on your name and contact to me. Thanks for being a great bunch of people and such fun to work with.

Lauren Klauzer, Director of Business Internships (former)"

Greetings from Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (VEC Interns Blogger) — Sun, 07 Nov 2004 19:32:24 PST

Hi John & Co.

Look who is back? hehe. I just wanted to say hello from Seattle. I arrived here almost 2 months ago and I will finally stay here forever. I'm still in the moving process. Wish me luck. Anyways..
I'm going to be in Vancouver in December for a weekend and I will definitely try to peek in. I hope I'll see some of you guys.
Until then...
Have a great week.

Sibel

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Last Day of Work

noreply@blogger.com (Akshay Singh) — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 10:13:35 PDT

Whoa! It's been a while since my last blog. My time at VEC has just been crazy! I've been kept busy doing so many jobs, and after I wrote down everything I have done here at the VEC for Shirley, I realized how much I accomplished and learned here.
It's been an exciting and very interesting time here for me, and is guaranteed to be an experience I will not forget. From catching a stray mouse to helping students change their homestays and deal with other problems with homestay, my work has been very interesting, and certainly very engaging.
I could not have asked for more out of my job here, and will utilize the skills I have acquired during my stay here the best I can. I will always be greatful to the VEC for letting me work here for the summer. I got a chance to earn some money, and to learn essential employability skills, such as how to work independently or in a group, all at the same time!
So finally, on my last day of work, all I have left to say is -

Thank You Vancouver English Centre!

noreply@blogger.com (Tam) — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 16:40:17 PDT

I've just finished reading the draft of Brennan's blog, and I must say that I'm appalled at him. He is quoted to say that I "...break all things computer related". This is completely untrue. Technical things just happen to go wrong when I'm in close proximity to them. I have absolutely no control over them. I haven't been doing many new things, and the daysve gone by slowly. Usually the highlight of my day is my daily trip to the bank, and depending on which one I'm sent to, this can take from ten minutes to half an hour. It isn't that exciting, but it's refreshing break from a day of computer work.

Speaking of computer work, I have not had any big computer problems where I've actually had to call Vic. I'm very proud. However, I'm been doing the same thing - making web pages, so not much can go wrong with the computer, despite the fact that I'm working on it.

I really miss pool though. I haven't played in days, close to a week, and we finally got some more chalk, so that the balls don't go flying. I only hope I'll be able to play again soon. Till next time...

Tam

Technically Challenged.

noreply@blogger.com (Tam) — Tue, 03 Aug 2004 16:49:53 PDT

It was comfirmed today: my computer does not like my company. My PC, is the fastest (and assumed best) in VEC, as I have been told numerous times. However, it the past few weeks it has frequently crashed on me. My record for calling Vic and/or Billy is four times in one day. I've had little to no incedents in the past two weeks, but today half an hour into my work day, it crashed once again. I had to go get Vic, get him to fix it, and all things went smoothly until about 1:30 today. As I was working, with litterally my fingers on the keyboard and my eyes on the monitor, it crashed, again! Right before my eyes, the screen flickered, and it appeared. The all too familiar, much dreaded, infamous, bluescreen. I called Vic, AGAIN, but didn't stick around to see him work on the machine becuase I was delivering a piece of mail for Mr. Gardner. When I came back an hour later, I was told by Billy that I would be getting a different PC, which is the machine which I am currently writing this blog. I certainly hope we get along better. Until next time...
Tam

Fridays Are My Favourite...

noreply@blogger.com (Brennan) — Tue, 03 Aug 2004 08:40:14 PDT

...and I promise I'm not being biased just because it was pay day today and the beginning of a long weekend.

Fridays are always great! Especially this one! I have been working on the computer practically all week and since I didn't have any more computer work left to do today, I helped Carly in activities by stuffing binders and helping out students. It feels great to end a week of intensive computer work by actually being out there and TALKING to people and moving!! I feel rejuvinated and I'm already pumped for Tuesday.

Organization Is Great

noreply@blogger.com (Brennan) — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 10:20:21 PDT

THE STORAGE ROOM IS ACTUALLY CLEAN AND ORGANIZED!!! Once we started getting everything in the room, we couldn't stop and within an hour, we had completely finished. It's amazing at how a little bit of organization can impact a room and save a lot of space. Before we started cleaning it out, it was full without even much room to walk around. Now everything only fills half of the room with plenty of space to get around and find what you need. :D

Wrapping Up Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Brennan) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:24:30 PDT

Today felt more laid-back than I'm used to. I started the day off by painting a second coat on the storage room floor. I don't understand how one little concrete room in the corner of the building can get as hot as it did. All the painting has finished now and although it feels as if it should have padded walls once you're standing in it, the room looks 200 times better than it did before (which I can't really say about my pants). I thought I was being careful not to get paint on me, but as I was walking out of the room to wash my hands, I found paint going all the way up the side of my calves as if I pressed my pants on the floor. I'm yet to figure that one out...oh well, at least I managed to clean it off before it dried...as awkard as holding my leg up to the hand dryer in the washroom was...

After that, I completed all of the faxing that Tina had left Tam and I to do for the Summer.... I just hope all the fax numbers and papers don't end up on my desk again to re-fax...the fax machine is just so slow! Within the time it took me to deliver the notices that Akshay gave me, I could have only done one fax, two if I was lucky. Stupid machine!

Later, Mr. Gardner got John, the resident computer genius, to show Tam, Akshay, and I how to start creating new advertising pages on the VEC directory. I'm excited to work on that as it is what we have been working towards with all the tedious data entry. It will be great to see the final product that many people here at VEC have been working hard to acheive!

Other than that, I just worked on filling in contact information for the International Student Safety Program database. I managed to get a lot of information done in a short period of time today, so I hope to have it all complete before lunchtime tomorrow so Tam and I can put everything back in the storage room tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited to work tomorrow to get these two projects finished and out of the way!

Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Brennan) — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 08:45:55 PDT

I decided since my blogs mostly sound the same, I'm only going to write one every few days or if something exciting and different happens in my day.

Friday felt like it was Saturday, because it seemed as though nobody was here. Since Melanie was away, barely anybody came into the office to talk to her, and Tam and Akshay don't work on Fridays, so it was just me. I cleared some more stuff out of the storage room, did a lot of data entry and then moved on to a bit of faxing before I left. I had a lot of overtime hours so I needed to leave early on Friday. At 11:30, while I was heading out, Mr. Gardner had asked me to fill out information in a database for the International Student Safety Program. He needed it done by Monday, so I was happy to stay and work on it.

Yesterday (Monday), the day mvoed by quickly. Tam and I started by completely clearing out the rest of the storage room. Then we needed to vacuum it. We figured because it was so loud, that we would just shut the door as I was inside vacuuming. It got so dusty that when Tam opened the door, it billowed out. Gross! Afterwards, we were finally able to get a coat of paint on the floor. And by the floor, I mean all over Tam and some on the floor. It was really, really, REALLY hot in that room yesterday, I wish I didn't wear pants. Later on that day, I went to the bank for the payments department and then I did a lot of faxing.

Today, I would like to get the second, and hopefully final coat of paint on the floor, and if it dries quick enough, put everything back in the storage room by the end of the day.