Congratulations! You’ve made a commendable decision to join the largest co-operative education program in the world. Over the next several years, you’ll enrich your classroom learning with intervals of real-world job experience in rewarding and instructive positions.
As you orient yourself to all that uWaterloo has to offer, make sure to familiarize yourself with the co-op process as well. After all, co-op plays an important role in the quality of your overall undergraduate experience.
Prep for success
Since Waterloo co-op is the biggest and the best, there are many bright, motivated students. In order to distinguish yourself, you’ll need to be prepared. The first step is having an effective and up-to-date résumé – a critical element in securing work term employment. Reflect on your volunteer, extra-curricular and work experience to date. Highlight the skills you acquired in a variety of roles. Communicating the experiences and skills developed from all of the activities you have done on your résumé can really make you stand out as a desirable employee.
Keep a close eye on the Important Dates calendar to know when postings, interview dates and rankings go up. This will help you maximize your job opportunities and ensure you don’t miss any deadlines.
Staying in the loop
Many first year students feel uncertain about the co-op job hunt. If you have questions, concerns or doubts, you aren’t alone. Luckily, you have an entire support system on campus to provide you with the resources and information you need to succeed. Take advantage of all that Co-operative Education and the Centre for Career Action have to offer. You can make an appointment to have your résumé reviewed with suggestions for improvement, or meet with your co-op advisor to discuss your short-term and long-term career goals. The Centre for Career Action in the Tatham Centre hosts many workshops to prepare you for the interview cycle. These sessions enable students to practice for real-life scenarios, examine professional objectives, and learn basic cues for proper business etiquette. To find workshops offered this term, check out the Career Action website at www.careeraction.uwaterloo.ca.
Landing that job
It can be daunting to come into co-op as a first year student competing against intermediate and senior co-ops in your field, but Co-operative Education & Career Services has a very high employment success rate each term. That being said, CECS cannot guarantee that you will find employment. Your actions and preparation will shape your success. Be open to the opportunities presented to you; co-op may take you out of town, out of the country, or into a company you had never envisioned yourself working for. Variety adds value to your work term experience, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
Once you’ve secured a job, you’ll be required to keep up with your duties as a co-op student. Students must submit all mandatory work term reports. Full instructions can be found online on your program website. Make sure to get the details early – the quality of your work will be compromised if you leave it to the last minute. Active reflection throughout the work term is necessary to write a compelling and sincere report.
Lastly, the Co-op Student Manual is available at www.cecs.uwaterloo.ca/manual. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about the application process, JobMine ranking, and reports. Feel free to also stop by the Tatham Centre with questions for the CECS staff. We’re happy to help, and to meet the newest co-op ambassadors of our institution. Welcome and good luck!
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