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International Student Recruiters for the University of Victoria
Angela Connelly, B.A.
Find out more about their exciting career and contributions by clicking below Our Job
Job Description: Heather: We’re international recruiters for the University of Victoria. Our job is to promote the University of Victoria to students in different parts of the world. We also promote the value of higher education in general to students, and get them excited about their future.
What does a typical day involve? Angela: It depends on where we go – we could be at a large fair, a high school, or seeing guidance counselors. Often when we’re overseas, we’ll represent Canada and visit consulates or delegates as spokespeople for the university.
Do you go out by yourselves, groups, or…? Angela: It depends on where we’re promoting the University. Sometimes we’ll go on a tour with a group of recruiters from other Canadian institutions and other times we’ll go on our own. Heather: There’s also times when we’ll be in a group for part of the trip, and then we’ll be off to meet with one student and their parents. It’s a real mix. Angela: Sometimes we’ll also bring along someone from a specific faculty or department to focus on promoting their niche within UVic. For example, if we’re hoping to especially promote the Faculty of Business, we might bring a faculty member, alumni, or another professional with a thorough knowledge of the Business program.
Where in the globe do you guys target? Heather: All over! We’re each given regions to take care of and we focus on those places. Right now, I take care of the USA and Middle East and Angela on South East Asia and Mexico. There’s an entire team of us here at UVic.
Is it a lot of prep to get on the road to these places? Angela: Are you kidding? We spend almost the entire summer in preparation for the following eight months. Between September and April, we are on the road for a majority of our time, with very few breaks in between trips. We kick our “travel season” off in September with three weeks of intense training with the entire recruitment department, which is the last step before we pack our bags.
What’s involved in your pre-trip planning? Angela: We need to book our hotels, book flights, liaise with schools, contact consulates, figure out travel options within countries we’re visiting – the list seems endless! Heather: And once we return to Victoria, there’s tons of post-trip work as well, such as following up with students and families we visited.
Our Careers
What’s the best part of your job? Heather: I think the best part of the job is helping students and families make sense of that giant leap into University. A lot of times people will have a question, not necessarily about UVic or even Canada, but just about University in general. I really like to help people plan for their future and get excited about this step, because it is something really exciting! Angela: Yeah, I’d have to agree. I also really like that I’m helping British Columbia become a culturally diverse place. Not only do we promote the University of Victoria as a great place to get your degree from, but we’re helping to promote the province as an exciting and majestic place. Heather: That’s true. We always take pride in the fact that we’re bringing new residents, either permanent or temporary, to BC and to the university. I think Canadian students and the community in general really benefit from having these students here. Angela: Yes and even helping out the economy by having these international students talk-up BC to their friends and family back home. Heather: Another thing I’d have to say is a favourite aspect of mine in this job is the travel opportunities. I’ve seen so many places that I’d have never gone to if I wasn’t working in this profession. Angela: That is another top pick for me too. I’ve been pretty much everywhere UVic markets to. Also, the fact that I’m a UVic alumnus makes me really take pride in promoting the university.
What are the most common issues you’d tackle in a day? Heather: The most recurrent challenge we face is getting people to think of Canada as a study destination. Canada has a great reputation abroad, but we have tough competition with places like United States, the UK, and Australia. Angela: Yes, international recruitment is an interesting process. Once we explain to potential students that Canada’s highly regarded degrees and wonderful lifestyle will further their professional and personal development, we still need to promote the University of Victoria as a leader within the country. Another hurdle we often face is keeping ourselves mentally and physically healthy while on the road. It’s important that we don’t forget that our own well-being needs to remain a priority when we’re travelling around the world, or else we’re no good to anyone! Heather: On that note, another personal hurdle for a lot of recruiters is the amount time you are away from home. It’s really cool we get to see so many wonderful people and places, but you give up doing a lot of things at home as a result.
What tools do you need to succeed at your job? Angela: I think the main tool you’d need in this line of work is an outgoing personality and a love for helping people realize their future is within reach. You also need to be comfortable presenting in front of large international crowds and be able to think on your feet while doing so.
Our History
So what brought you to your positions as recruiters at UVic? Angela: While completing my undergrad here at the University, I worked with youth in the Northwest Territories during a co-op program. I fell in love with collaborating with young adults to improve the area they lived in. Following that, I worked at the Royal BC Museum as an ambassador, which made me fall in love with intercultural interaction. This job was just a natural fit. Heather: My background is almost completely in education. Immediately after graduating from University, I worked as a K-6 Teacher. From that, I went to work at UWO in several roles and found recruitment was my passion. I made the move to the coast and worked at UBC in financial aid and scholarships before landing my dream job here at UVic.
What accomplishments have you two reached in this job? Heather: Our on-going goal is to continually increase international enrollment and diversify the student body at UVic, which we are always trying to accomplish. Angela: I think a personal accomplishment for both of us as well is having been to the number of places that we have. When I graduated, I knew that one of the important aspects I wanted out of my career was travel, and I’ve had the opportunity to go nearly everywhere UVic markets itself to. Like we said, we’ve seen so many beautiful things we otherwise wouldn’t have known existed.
Our Thoughts
What value does your job bring to BC? Heather: We get international students here and expand their minds to Canadian culture. When they return home for a visit or to continue their life after their degree, they act as ambassadors and promote BC to their friends and family. A lot of the students will make Victoria their permanent home, and we benefit because of their worldly experience and skills. These students really bring something to the classroom as well – they provide a different perspective and help Canadian students see things in new ways.
What do you think is in the future for BC? Angela: We have a great education system and BC is an amazing place to live. I think Victoria is always going be thriving in this world, both for education and quality of life. Heather: Access to higher education will always be a fantastic opportunity for students around the globe, especially here in British Columbia.
What does the phrase Professionals Making a Difference in BC mean to you? Angela: I relate to that, because we are making a difference – within our professions and offices, and within Victoria. We are helping people define their futures – we definitely have an effect. Heather: Yes, and not only that – UVic students are very community focused and involved in things like the United Way and tourism initiatives. They make a difference to the community and we help to get them here and get them excited about all these activities. Angela: That’s a really great phrase to think about actually. There are so many wonderful professions that we should be proud of, and we all need to think “how do I make a difference?”
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