Here’s 10 things I’ve learned about co-op

Thoughts from an experienced co-op student

Photo by Jonathan Simcoe on Unsplash

It sounds so promising, maybe too good to be true. That after five years of school you would have almost 2 years of diverse work experience. Welcome to the co-op program.

Expectations are hardly the same as reality. And for some reason, no one seems to want to talk about co-op-ing in science. Probably because there’s so few of us compared to the engineers.

I’m an international student in biochemistry — a pretty competitive co-op program — with 3 co-op jobs under my belt, so I’ve lived the highs and lows. I remember hitting my first recruiting term, finding out that not everyone gets a co-op job, and struggling through the main round of applications and interviews. If you’re in that position, or maybe almost at that point, I’m here to share things I wish I’d known about co-op going in, and things I’ve learned both from personal experiences and those of friends.

1. As briefly mentioned, not everyone gets a co-op job. Getting into the program, paying the co-op fee and doing great in courses doesn’t guarantee you a job. BUT not getting one is NOT representative of your abilities, personality or qualifications. It’s not the end of the world. In the event it does happen, here are a few things you can do to most benefit yourself:
   
   Be patient. It’s possible to land a job the week that school ends. There are still cool jobs in continuous round (I know for science not so much as engineering but I do have friends who landed jobs in continuous), which may also have less competition. Placements are still valid even if they start a month into the term. The point is not to lose hope.
   
   Be perseverant. Keep trying, don’t give up applying unless you genuinely feel it’s taking a toll on your health or other aspects of your life, or if you have alternatives that do not quite fit the co-op program (like you would rather just work in the summer), in which case I would suggest speaking to an advisor and dropping the program. Yes, it doesn’t make you any less awesome. Yes, you will still be able to get jobs after you graduate.
   
   Be timely. Don’t leave things until the last minute. Apply like you really want the job, if you really want a job. Frankly, even if you don’t really want a job but you feel you could learn/grow/be able to contribute, then apply like you want it. Also start looking around at what else you can do (see more on arranging own job below)
   
   Be loving (to yourself). Gauge your own well-being. You haven’t not gotten a job because you’re not good enough. Remember you’re often competing against upper years who have already gotten co-op jobs before. The process is rigorous and merciless, the outcome is not your fault.
   
   Be practical. Change your sequence, take a study term, take a term off, drop co-op, take up a volunteer position, find a part-time job…once you stop believing co-op is everything, you’ll start to see a lot more opportunities
2. Not every co-op job needs to be paid. Like mentioned above, volunteer positions may also be eligible for co-op credit. If you feel that you would benefit from the position, you could get it signed off by talking to a career advisor at the CECA. It’s a little more difficult if it’s in a country listed with ‘Avoid all non-essential travel’ and ‘Avoid all travel’, however.
3. You don’t have to do co-op to be successful in life. I think when I realized this, it was eye-opening. Having such a well-developed co-op program at Waterloo has almost wired students into believing that without the co-op success stories, they would not be able to do well in the job force. That’s false. Co-op isn’t a prerequisite to the real world. It’s more like an advanced placement course. Though it’s great to take those in high school when preparing for university, it’s not only those that took AP that are accepted. See what I’m getting at? Co-op is great in letting you explore different career options and learn valuable skills, but it’s not worth sacrificing yourself for. Work hard at it, but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go exactly the way you wanted.
4. You can arrange your own job. There are quite a few options. Two of the three terms I’ve had (currently on my third) have been AOJ’s. The first was through speaking with and volunteering for a professor, who then offered me a position in his lab. The second was an internship I applied for through Waterloo Passport, which is actually Waterloo’s exchange portal. You could also secure a job through relatives, acquaintances, other job application sites…really if you have relevant details (employer name, address, salary, job description) then you’ll very likely get approval. Note, approval is not given for countries with the travel precautions mentioned above.
5. You don’t need to work all scheduled terms. This is something that varies from program to program, but in biochemistry 4 out of the 5 scheduled terms are required. That’s to say that if anything that doesn’t go as planned, you need time, etc. you have one term you can use to move things around in your schedule. International students should be aware that taking a ‘term off’ — in which you’re neither on co-op or in school — can jeopardize the post-graduation work permit application. I recommend speaking to an international advisor at the student success office (SSO) before attempting to do this.
6. The application process can be brutal. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record. If you feel stressed, it’s normal. You’ve also got classes, midterms, tests, assignments, labs and lab reports, and maybe even extracurriculars going on all while applying to jobs and going for interviews. You don’t need the additional pressure if you can’t take it. Your mental health is very important. Seek help if you feel like you need it. Counselling services, peer-peer coaching at the SSHT, and other campus services can help you out with managing and coping with the stress/organizing your life.
7. You won’t be a perfect fit for every job ‘related to your program’. You could try shooting it all from the hip OR creating detailed, relevant applications for the jobs you know you can do. The latter is more effective.
8. You don’t need to be co-op student of the year. Your job doesn’t need to be unbelievably amazing. Co-op is meant to be a stepping stone, regardless of what it is, there are skills that can be gained and polished to make you into more of who you can be. It’s an opportunity to try different things, not to cure the world of all its problems.
9. What PD1 says isn’t the be-all and end-all. I found the PD1 content was great to ease you into the idea of the application process, but it could feel nit-pocky about things that can end up being a personal choice particularly with resume layout, especially since this was a graded course. What I’m trying to say is, if you feel like you didn’t agree with certain things that were taught in this course, be yourself. There’s no real metric to a good resume or a good candidate. The key is to clearly express your fit for the job in a clean, professional manner.
10. International students: there are a lot of jobs that state ‘Hiring Preference Canadian’, i.e. they are more likely to hire a citizen/permanent resident, particularly for government jobs. Don’t let this discourage you. Pay more attention to applying like you really mean it, to any job you apply for. Additionally, even before you start recruiting terms, try to build a network in Canada for example with professors, that might be able to provide hiring opportunities. This can be done by attending professor-student socials and career nights hosted by program specific clubs/associations, such as the biochemistry student association. Utilize the network you have where you call home as well. A lot of employers like international experience, as this shows you have developed cross-cultural skills and would set you apart in future applications.

At the end of the day, co-op should be a personal choice (if possible, there are programs that are co-op only), though switching out of co-op after you’ve already done 2+ co-op terms is discouraged as it negatively affects the program as a whole. I would say once you’ve got passed the first co-op term, you might as well continue with it, because it does get easier the more times you do it. However, each person differs, and I can’t tell you what would be best for your situation, but there are resources out there that can.

I hope some of my tips were able to help, now go forth and seize the pay.

Want to read more?

Here is a benefits and challenges of co-op (particular to psychology, but many of the factors covered can be applied to anyone deciding whether to do/remain in co-op)

Wondering what kinds of jobs students usually get their first term? This Quora thread basically sums it up.