Student Opportunities: Launch Your Career

An accounting degree is your ticket to a secure and versatile career. Accountants are essential to every industry, from small businesses to global corporations and non-profits. With a professional designation, you can specialize in auditing, taxation, or financial management, opening up a world of opportunities. Accounting roles offer a clear career path with significant earning potential, especially for those with a professional designation like a CPA.

• Staff Accountant: $40,000 - $60,000
• Auditor: $82,500 - $109,067
• Forensic Accountant: $81,994 - $141,595
• Controller: $70,000 - $196,919
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA): $67,500 - $105,605

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

In Financial Services, you’ll learn to manage money and help individuals and organizations achieve their financial goals. With a focus on investments, banking, and financial planning, you’ll be prepared for a career where you can make a tangible impact on the success of others. This field provides opportunities to specialize in areas that directly impact individuals' and organizations' financial well-being.

• Financial Planner: $56,883 - $97,633
• Credit Analyst: $90,909
• Investment Advisor: $50,000 - $150,000+
• Mortgage Broker: Commission-based, varies widely
• Loan Officer: $40,000 - $70,000

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

Hospitality graduates hold management positions in hotels and resorts, golf and country clubs, restaurants, convention centres, ski resorts and large food service companies as well as providing management services to hospitals, universities and airlines. The number and type of positions for graduates is virtually limitless. Out of every ten tourism-related positions, seven to eight are in the hospitality sector.

• General Manager (full service hotel): $75,000-125,000+
• General Manager (limited service hotel): $35,000-85,000
• Food and Beverage Director (full service hotel): $60,000-90,000+
• Restaurant Manager: $35,000-60,000
• Assistant Restaurant Manager: $30,000-45,000
• Rooms Division Manager: $35,000-75,000 +
• Front Office Manager: $30,000-60,000
• Reservations Agent, Front Desk Clerk, Housekeeper $9-$15 per hour

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

Human Resources professionals are the bridge between employees and management. With a Human Resources degree, you can make a difference in an organization’s culture, productivity, and success. You’ll be prepared to specialize in areas like talent acquisition, employee relations, and compensation and benefits. HR professionals are essential to a company's success, with salaries that grow with experience and specialized skills.

• Human Resources Manager: $70,000 - $120,000+
• Recruiter: $50,000 - $90,000
• Compensation and Benefits Analyst: $63,804 - $111,658
• Training and Development Coordinator: $50,000 - $80,000

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

A management degree prepares you for a wide range of leadership roles across all industries. You’ll learn how to lead teams, create and implement business strategies, and solve complex problems. Whether you want to start your own business or climb the corporate ladder, a management degree provides you with the skills to succeed. Management roles are foundational to every industry, and an average salary can vary widely based on the size of the organization.

• Project Manager: $60,000 - $110,000+
• Operations Manager: $65,000 - $120,000+
• Business Development Manager: $90,013 - $183,549
• General Manager (Hotel): $115,751 - $210,582
• Entrepreneur: Income varies widely

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

In marketing, you’ll learn how to create and communicate value to customers and build brand loyalty. From digital marketing to public relations, you’ll have the skills to help organizations grow and stand out in a competitive market. It is a dynamic field where salaries can be influenced by specific specializations like digital or social media marketing.

• Marketing Manager: $60,000 - $120,000+
• Digital Marketing Specialist: $50,000 - $80,000
• Brand Manager: $73,500 - $110,000
• Public Relations Specialist: $55,000 - $95,000
• Market Research Analyst: $55,000 - $90,000

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these fields.}

Tourism and Recreation Management graduates find careers in a diverse range of roles, from guiding adventure tourism to managing large-scale events and overseeing resort operations. This field is a major economic driver, and your skills can be applied to local government, non-profit organizations, and private companies. The tourism and recreation industry is diverse, with salaries reflecting the type of role and level of responsibility.

• Adventure Tourism Guide: $42,900 - $81,614
• Ecotourism Guide: $28,500 - $77,500
• Event Planner: $59,829 - $100,914

_{*Salaries for these positions can vary significantly based on experience, location, and the specific company. These are typical salary ranges in Canada for each of these field.}

At the core, the main difference between an Internship and a Professional Work Term lies in their structure, duration, and integration with your academic program. In the Faculty of Management, both are invaluable for gaining real-world experience, but they serve different purposes.

Professional Work Terms: A Formal Partnership 

A Professional Work Term, is a structured, long-term program that is a formal part of your academic curriculum. In the Faculty of Management, our Hospitality Management and Recreation and  Tourism Management programs feature this option through Work Integrated Learning courses.

• Duration: Work terms are typically full-time, paid positions that are 4, 8, or 12 months long. They involve alternating periods of academic study with periods of professional work, allowing you to get a comprehensive view of an organization.
• Integration: Professional Work Terms are a formal partnership between you, the employer, and VIU. You are registered in a Work Integrated Learning course while working, and your performance is evaluated by both your employer and a faculty member. This ensures the experience is directly tied to the learning outcomes of your degree.
• Examples: A Hospitality student might spend 4-months managing a restaurant, while a Tourism student might spend the same time at a major hotel chain as a revenue analyst. These work terms allow for significant project ownership and skill development.

Internship: Flexible and Targeted 

An Internship is a more flexible, sometimes shorter-term work placement that can be either for credit or extracurricular. Unlike the semester long terms, an Internship isn't always at a specific point in a program. It’s often used to gain specific experience in a field or with a particular company. Each Internship has a minimum number of required hours to gain the credit assigned to the course it is attached to. 

• Duration: Internships are generally shorter, often lasting a few months, and can be part-time or full-time. They frequently take place over the summer or during a specific academic term.
• Integration: While an internship can be for academic credit in some programs (e.g., a credit-earning practicum), it's often a standalone experience that you arrange independently. It may not have the same formal, integrated partnership structure as a co-op.
• Examples: A business student might secure an unpaid, project based internship with a local marketing agency to gain experience in social media management, or a Masters of Business Administration student might work at a bank to learn about investment portfolio management. These experiences are excellent for building your resume and exploring a specific career path without a multi-term commitment.

Internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the position or project. Professional Work Terms are typically paid employment within your field or industry.