Victor Ngo
BA 2013: Major, Geography
Where did Victor work?
Work Term 1 (4 months):
Marketing and Artistic Coordinator, Arts Club Theatre Company
Work Term 2 (4 months):
Learning Technology Assistant, UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Work Term 3 (4 months):
Water Conservation Program Assistant, City of Vancouver
What did Victor accomplish?
Arts Club Theatre Company
As a Marketing and Artistic Coordinator for the Arts Club Theatre Company, Victor supported the summer marketing campaign and worked on advertising and promotional plans. He organized the annual General Auditions, providing show and event support, and assisting in budgetary planning, sales analysis and media buys. Victor was also able to use his academic skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through a project where he analyzed the Arts Club’s subscription market share by performing address geocoding and mapping to improve their direct mail campaign.
UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)
At the CTLT, Victor acted as a Learning Technology Assistant and provided technology support to the UBC community. This consisted of developing student resources for the UBC Learning Commons, workshop facilitation, skills training, and providing technical support and troubleshooting at the Chapman Learning Commons Help Desk. Victor also assisted in running World Cafe sessions, which looked at the components for an ideal learning environment, and co-presented the findings at UBC’s 10th Annual Learning Conference.
City of Vancouver
In his position as a Water Conservation Program Assistant, Victor made strong connections between his academic studies and his future career path while he co-designed and conducted a pilot study for the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. The study evaluated the effectiveness of using community-based social marketing practices for a public education campaign to promote and inspire water-efficient behaviour. Victor also attended community events to educate the public about water conservation, proper lawn care, water-wise gardening, and Vancouver’s regional watersheds.
What would Victor tell others about Arts Co-op?
When asked what he would say to students considering Arts Co-op, Victor says, “Do it. There is so much to gain from it and you will not regret it.” Victor joined Arts Co-op to get a taste of a variety of different career paths, and through his terms, he has realized what his passions are and what is important for his future career. He encourages prospective students to apply for Arts Co-op and considers it the “best decision” he has made at UBC.
How did Arts Co-op benefit Victor?
Bridging the Gap between Academics and Work
One of the main reasons Victor joined Arts Co-op was to gain work experience in his field of study. After completing his first work term with the Arts Club, he discovered that being a part of a community and working towards a greater good are valuable to him. In addition to learning more about his passions, his experience eventually led to a position with the City of Vancouver, where he developed his research skills by drawing upon classroom knowledge to perform literature reviews, research design, database construction, and mapping. He even co-authored an in-depth report outlining all the research he completed during his work term, underscoring to him the importance of strong writing skills. Applying his academic skills and knowledge in a work setting strengthened his passion for the environment and urban planning, and gave him confidence that this is indeed the right career path for him.
Sparking New Connections
Victor is sure that “having a strong set of experience before you graduate sets the foundation for career success and is absolutely the best thing you can do for yourself.” He has made great connections for his network at all three of his work terms and his transferable skills continue to build upon one another. Even positions and experiences that Victor initially thought would not be related to his degree have turned out to be beneficial for his intended career in urban planning.
Developing Critical Skills
Confidence is one of the greatest assets Victor has gained during his work terms. Based on his work experience, he is now more certain of the skills and abilities he has to offer to future employers. Victor also highlights his ability to write a strong resume and cover letter—an important skill he appreciated all the more when, at the Arts Club, he reviewed over 200 applications for general auditions and had to spend about 30 seconds per application. Victor credits the Arts Co-op pre-employment training for helping develop this “critical” capacity to tailor quality applications to job postings.
Victor Ngo
BA 2013: Major, Geography
Where did Victor work?
Work Term 1 (4 months):
Marketing and Artistic Coordinator, Arts Club Theatre Company
Work Term 2 (4 months):
Learning Technology Assistant, UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Work Term 3 (4 months):
Water Conservation Program Assistant, City of Vancouver
What did Victor accomplish?
Arts Club Theatre Company
As a Marketing and Artistic Coordinator for the Arts Club Theatre Company, Victor supported the summer marketing campaign and worked on advertising and promotional plans. He organized the annual General Auditions, providing show and event support, and assisting in budgetary planning, sales analysis and media buys. Victor was also able to use his academic skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through a project where he analyzed the Arts Club’s subscription market share by performing address geocoding and mapping to improve their direct mail campaign.
UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)
At the CTLT, Victor acted as a Learning Technology Assistant and provided technology support to the UBC community. This consisted of developing student resources for the UBC Learning Commons, workshop facilitation, skills training, and providing technical support and troubleshooting at the Chapman Learning Commons Help Desk. Victor also assisted in running World Cafe sessions, which looked at the components for an ideal learning environment, and co-presented the findings at UBC’s 10th Annual Learning Conference.
City of Vancouver
In his position as a Water Conservation Program Assistant, Victor made strong connections between his academic studies and his future career path while he co-designed and conducted a pilot study for the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. The study evaluated the effectiveness of using community-based social marketing practices for a public education campaign to promote and inspire water-efficient behaviour. Victor also attended community events to educate the public about water conservation, proper lawn care, water-wise gardening, and Vancouver’s regional watersheds.
What would Victor tell others about Arts Co-op?
When asked what he would say to students considering Arts Co-op, Victor says, “Do it. There is so much to gain from it and you will not regret it.” Victor joined Arts Co-op to get a taste of a variety of different career paths, and through his terms, he has realized what his passions are and what is important for his future career. He encourages prospective students to apply for Arts Co-op and considers it the “best decision” he has made at UBC.
How did Arts Co-op benefit Victor?
Bridging the Gap between Academics and Work
One of the main reasons Victor joined Arts Co-op was to gain work experience in his field of study. After completing his first work term with the Arts Club, he discovered that being a part of a community and working towards a greater good are valuable to him. In addition to learning more about his passions, his experience eventually led to a position with the City of Vancouver, where he developed his research skills by drawing upon classroom knowledge to perform literature reviews, research design, database construction, and mapping. He even co-authored an in-depth report outlining all the research he completed during his work term, underscoring to him the importance of strong writing skills. Applying his academic skills and knowledge in a work setting strengthened his passion for the environment and urban planning, and gave him confidence that this is indeed the right career path for him.
Sparking New Connections
Victor is sure that “having a strong set of experience before you graduate sets the foundation for career success and is absolutely the best thing you can do for yourself.” He has made great connections for his network at all three of his work terms and his transferable skills continue to build upon one another. Even positions and experiences that Victor initially thought would not be related to his degree have turned out to be beneficial for his intended career in urban planning.
Developing Critical Skills
Confidence is one of the greatest assets Victor has gained during his work terms. Based on his work experience, he is now more certain of the skills and abilities he has to offer to future employers. Victor also highlights his ability to write a strong resume and cover letter—an important skill he appreciated all the more when, at the Arts Club, he reviewed over 200 applications for general auditions and had to spend about 30 seconds per application. Victor credits the Arts Co-op pre-employment training for helping develop this “critical” capacity to tailor quality applications to job postings.