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Co-operative Education

Giulia standing in front of a window
What are you studying at SFU, and what year are you in?

I am a fourth-year Economics student.

What co-op work term(s) have you done?

I have completed two terms at Trulioo (Summer and Fall 2022) as Strategic Expansion Co-Op.

How did you know this job was a good fit for you? Can you tell us about the interview?

When I applied for the job, I was working with a Beedie professor on a project involving the role of fake reviews. I knew Trulioo works with a top 3 global marketplace and other companies to verify their customers’ identities and thought it would be interesting to apply. The interview was about my strengths and my work ethics. Mentioning the project I had been working on definitely helped me.

What were your first weeks at work like? How did you feel about this new job?

My first weeks consisted of going over training modules to learn about the company and its products. It was a little bit of a repetitive task, but it was fundamental to get my work term started. I felt like I had a lot to learn, but once I began completing tasks, everything fell into place, and I quickly figured out what my role would be.

What were some things you did to help yourself settle into the new workplace?

The thing that helped me the most was going to the office on a regular basis (Tuesday and Thursday) although my position is hybrid. Doing so, I met other Co-op students and regular employees and soon developed great connections with them.

What was the workplace culture like?

Trulioo’s workplace culture is absolutely fantastic: we have weekly office lunches as well as monthly happy hours. I often find myself going to team building events, such as exhibits or hockey games. I can safely say I have developed amazing friendships with some coworkers, and this is something I was not expecting at the start of the internship.

What are your day to day tasks in your co-op position?

My daily tasks involve many meetings with my supervisor as well as different teams. Every day is different though, and I often find myself completing projects and tasks to help departments other than mine.

A strategy position is great because it helps you in a variety of skills whether it be problem solving or communication. What do you think is the most significant skill you learned from this position?

I think this position definitely helped me improve my interpersonal and communication skills. As I have at least four or five meetings every day, I learned how to have conversations with coworkers in a professional way. Even if I am not shy, working at Trulioo totally helped me become more spontaneous and less hesitant to share my opinions.

As Trulioo is an organization that is technology-heavy, do you think you learned some unique skills that you could use outside of your position?

For my role, I use Salesforce and Tableau on a daily basis, and knowing how to use these platforms is something I am extremely grateful for. I believe these systems are very important and so many companies outside of Trulioo use them nowadays.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from this co-op experience?

Probably that being adaptable and willing to work in many different departments can help you figure out what you want your future to look like.

Has this experience prompted a change or clarification of your academic focus or future goals, and how?

Yes, absolutely. This experience has helped me decide I will pursue an MBA within three years of my graduation from SFU. I am not sure what specific field I want to explore yet (definitely not marketing).

What would you tell seeking students going into their first co-op?

I would tell them to apply for a job even if they do not meet all the job requirements. I am not a business student (my position was under Beedie Co-Op) but still got the job because my skills align with what Trulioo is looking for. I would also suggest to “apply, apply, apply!”: I sent over 35 applications during my first seeking term because I had no experience other than a research assistant position, and I knew I obviously would have higher chances of landing a position if I applied to more jobs. Lastly, start applying as soon as the term starts: I began seeking as the postings were released in Week 1 and got this job in Week 5 before my midterms: it was a really good feeling!

Co-operative Education
visibility  324
Feb 3, 2023

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