Seeking Co-op Students

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up” - Les Brown

Getting Through the First Month of Your Co-op: How do you prepare for a new work term? And how do you survive the first month in a new co-op position? Business Major Anca Zgreaban shares five tips for easing smoothly from a study semester into a working term.

Are you wondering what skills you might need for a job in CMNS? Co-op student Amy unpacks five essential skills for your future CMNS career you might want to develop.

Second-year engineering student Danielle Arciaga faces a tough decision once she graduates from Simon Fraser University—which emerging green industry should she choose: clean tech or smart cities?

“Business courses helped me with workplace etiquette, while Communication courses allowed me to develop different perspectives.” Human Resources student Tabraiz reveals the hidden benefits of applying to jobs outside of your major and gaining a unique, mix-matched skillset.

Ever wondered what your interviewers were thinking? Amanda takes us behind the scenes of an interview process and shares how to prepare for trick questions, ways to leave a strong first impression and techniques for highlighting skills and experience. 

“Co-op is the tricycle of professional life: you’re getting rewarded and gaining vital skills, but you’re supported, have a chance to experience all aspects of your role, and have time to figure out what works for you and what you’re ready for. There is no better way to prepare for life after university." Read about Monique's co-op experience here! 

Read on to learn about Jacky's valuable co-op experience that transformed his self-doubt into professional development at Telus!

So maybe you did not land your dream co-op job.  Don't despair - Rutendo explains how an unexpected position might just be a huge blessing in disguise.  

Mechatronic Systems Engineering student Guninder Malhi, shares how experience gained through an SFU research position allowed him to build the skills necessary to kick start a career. 

When Taylor Nguyen imagined working at a large bank, she pictured cubicles, formal attire, and stacks of documents. What she found instead were opportunities to learn and create in a fun and collaborative environment. 

An unexpected offer to extend a stay in San Fransisco for co-op turned into the experience of a lifetime for health sciences students, Yasmin Khalili. Read about her incredible summer in sunny California. 

Sometimes self-doubt can get the better of us. Read Alyssa's article to find out how they were able to overcome feelings of doubt and transform them into self-confidence. 

It is not hard to produce a perfect car. The difficulty lies in manufacturing 100,000 cars exactly alike. Read about the challenges Ryan learned about while working at Tesla, helping to manufacture modern luxury vehicles. 

Of the many career paths to try, research is an opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom to the real world. Matthew Malinab shares how a co-op with FAISAL opened his eyes to new career possibilities. 

Patients across BC should expect to receive excellent care from our health system, and it usually delivers. Rasha Syed shares why the best way to assess the healthcare system is to hear patient experiences. 

Searching for and adapting to your first co-op work term can be tough and quite unexpected. Jordan reveals five tested practices for boosting your resume and building confidence. 

Getting a great job without experience can be tough. Business Co-op Program Manager, Tanya Behrisch explains how to graduate with not just work experience but more than a year of relevant experience, all while completing your degree. 

Thinking about joining the co-op program but hesitant at the idea of having to pay tuition?!? Tanya Behrisch explains the costs and benefits of co-op and the advantages of investing in career development while you are a student. 

Hazel Cheung discusses the importance of creating work-life balance and an awesome office culture while on co-op with the RCMP.

Shonnah talks about her co-op experience with MTU Maintenance.

Maggie Quinn discusses her experience of working with a remote team as a Junior Regional Recruiter with Kal Tire. 

Fahimeh Karimi talks about her research co-op with the BC Children's Hospital.

Follow Sheldon's Co-op journey as a Mechatronic Systems Engineering student and find out what patience, perseverance and sheer tenacity can do to help you land a co-op at Tesla.   

Thinking of changing your career path?  Saniya explains why it's normal for your career path to not be linear and redefines what it will look like for most of us.

It’s been two months and 20 days since my first day of my Co-op term at Westcoast Family Centres, but I still find myself waking up every other day in utter disbelief that things worked out!

As someone who didn’t have a lot of direct experience in a technological setting, providing value to the organization had to come from something much bigger than my direct skill set.

“So, what exactly do you study in communications?”

"As it just so happens, I went in blind. I didn’t know what I was up against, and I can’t say I felt particularly ready either, as I had no previous marketing experience." - Sandra talks about her co-op experience with Picniic.

"Sometimes, a co-op work term is not exactly what you expect it to be; it happens." But perspective is everything. Read Diana's tips on how to cope with a challenging co-op term.