Co-op: Tips for a truly engaging work term.

For those of you who missed out on "College to Career" week at Okanagan College, I presented on the last day about obtaining Co-op jobs as well as providing advice on how to have a successful work term. In this blog post I will revisit some of these ideas as to assist students who weren't present that day.

So why choose co-op? Well I chose co-op for the same reasons most students should choose co-op. Co-op allows you to beat the “Catch 22” - you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience. You also get to “test the waters” in a chosen field and determine the suitability of your career choice before entering the workforce full-time. Co-op gives you the chance to apply everything you have learned in class to a practical "hands-on" work setting which makes learning more engaging. The job experience gained develops your soft skills such as communications, team work, cooperation, and interpersonal skills that are demanded in today's work environment. Being a co-op student forces you to practice your resume writing, job search and interview techniques which are essential in order to be successful in future job searches. Lastly you have a great opportunity to make some money to help fund your education.

As for actually landing a Co-op Job there are some things all students should try to do:

You must take action; success is your responsibility! You have to rise above your comfort zone in order to obtain any job position. Many students don’t believe that they have what it takes to face the challenges of a new job, but in reality you can do anything, as long as you spend the time to put in the effort! Filling out many different applications and writing separate unique cover letters seems quite demanding and can be intimidating at times but trust me you’ve done harder things in your life and have obviously completed more demanding projects in class. If you don’t take action you’re missing out on so many opportunities and ultimately letting yourself down.

Be Flexible: Landing a job requires you to be open to all possibilities. Many students get discouraged when they can’t find the “perfect” job but you have to start somewhere and each and every job has something valuable to teach you even if it’s not directly related to your specialty. Most jobs teach you skills that are transferable to other jobs which still builds on to your unique resume.

Try something new: Accept relocation. Be willing to take up a new job positions in a different city or town. If you’re having trouble finding a job in Kelowna, try searching in bigger economies such as Calgary or Toronto. The offerings can be endless if you just open yourself up to brand new surroundings.

Be yourself: Don’t try to be your most typical job candidate. You want to be original and ultimately show your potential employer that you have unique qualities and interests other than your education. Most students get the same grades and take the same courses but its different life experiences and choices that set us apart from each other.

For those of you who have now obtained a job position, here are some important tips to get more engagement out of your work term.

Treat every day as a new opportunity: You should try to absorb as much as possible and if you have the chance to try something new, or be apart of a unique event take it! Strive to meet as many people as possible, whether it be a new employee, supervisor, customer or guest visitor, each person that you come in contact with on your job can teach you something new and has many different things to offer.

Don’t fall in a rut: You don’t want to wait for people to approach you with new information or tasks, instead seek it out yourself and acquire new challenges. Challenges push you further and open more doors for you.

Be enthusiastic: Employers value workers who are excited about their job and will most likely give you more things to do!

Ask Questions: Discuss expectations with your employer so you can set goals and objectives to make the most out of your work term. Don’t be afraid to ask, questions. This shows that you are interested in performing well and take interest in the job. Attend meetings and take note of discussions . Express your ideas and opinions with confidence. Think of yourself as a contract student and not just the office minion.

Learn from Mistakes: Your supervisors expect you to make some mistakes however you need to ask for feedback and be honest with your employer. Your employer wants to see you succeed and they hired you for a good reason. In Co-op you aren’t given a grade on every assignment you work on so ask for input on what they thought of it and how you can improve. Constructive criticism helps you grow as an employee and it’s good to show your supervisor that you are willing to constantly learn.

Keep Records: It’s very helpful to keep track of everything you work on and or have accomplished during your work term. Keeping records will come in handy for when you have to write your final work term report at the end. It’s also good to review these tasks after work to help you reflect on whether you accomplished all your objectives or if there is more things you need to learn. By remembering your achievements and projects you can create a better portfolio for yourself which benefits you in your future job search. Having a well prepared portfolio or list of achievements allows you to better showcase your skills to future employers.

Network: Finally, you should try to make friends with your co-workers. Co-op is one of the best ways to meet people in all aspects of the organization or industry and to hear about different work experiences. Get out and attend industry/work events; events help you connect with people you might not otherwise ever meet, learn about new topics and develop connections with other industry members. Connect with your employer/co-workers on LinkedIn and grow your online presence. This will not only let you get exposed to new opportunities but it will also help develop your own personal brand.