Corie Houldsworth

About me

I was born/grew up in: Delta, British Columbia

I now live in: Calgary, Alberta

I completed my training/education at: I attended BCIT for Nuclear Medicine Technology and now Royal Roads University for a Masters in Learning and Technology.

What I do at work

I work at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).  CNSC is the federal nuclear regulator in Canada. I use my radiation safety training every day to assess licensees' performance against regulatory requirements. When doing inspections, I use a variety of specialized equipment depending on the situation.

I have to communicate tough ideas about compliance with members of the public sometimes. I also help with incident investigations after they happen. I also have to work and travel alone a lot. I make decisions sometimes alone in the field while doing inspections. Other times, I have my team to help make decisions. These decisions can sometimes negatively affect businesses in Canada, so we have to be very careful in how we communicate the decision. I also write reports and provide information to the public about radiation, as needed.

My background in STEM helps me a lot because it has given me the skills to use science to evaluate the information that I gather during inspections. I sometimes use French at work, but not often because I'm based in the west.

My career path is

I wanted to be a lawyer in high school. I'm very much about rules, so this job is a nice fit for me. There's some science, but also some humanity in the job as well. This means things are sometimes a little less black and white than science sometimes is.

I hold a diploma from BCIT in Nuclear Medicine Technology. This program involved an apprenticeship as part of my training. I'm working on getting a Master’s degree now. I spent a number of years training radiation workers and I loved that time in my career. This is why I decided to do a graduate degree that was related to that. I love learning about how people's minds work and figuring out why they do what they do. I use this knowledge during inspections as well as in learning situations.

I am motivated by

I love to travel, so I love that my job has taken me all over Canada! I also love the challenge of talking with all sorts of different people in all sorts of industries. It's good practice for my communication skills and I meet some very interesting people. I love people, so I love this part of my job the most.

How I affect peoples’ lives

I love my job! I get to see all parts of Canada because we travel a lot. Most industries use radiation. As a result, I also get to meet many different people. I work for the Canadian public, so I feel like I make a direct impact on Canadian public safety, which feels good.

Outside of work I

I volunteer with the Canadian Radiation Protection Association. I like to ski and love learning, so I read a lot.

My advice to others

Be open to opportunities. Don't be afraid of taking on a challenge. You never know where you'll end up!