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A lot of students do not know what to expect when they are applying for their first Co-op job. I had high hopes when I was seeking for my first position, but I did not know just how difficult it would be to secure an internship. What many students may not know is that it can be very disheartening to apply for jobs at first. You may not receive many responses. It feels almost as if all the positions you want have already been filled. I spent about 3 months applying to jobs and searching for positions that piqued my interest. Most of my friends had already found jobs, and I was starting to feel discouraged. I had no interviews lined up, and I began to fear that I would not secure a position for the following semester.
One evening, I was perusing through MyExperience looking through job postings, and I saw an opening to be an Intern for Asset Management at Goldcorp Inc. I had finally found a job that I was very interested in, and I felt there was a big opportunity for growth and development. After reading the job description, I thought it was highly unlikely I’d receive the position. The position was also listed under the Faculty of Applied Sciences, but I chose to apply anyway. I thought to myself, “the worst that could happen is I receive yet another rejection”. I tailored my application to the job posting, submitted the application, and hoped for the best. Two weeks passed, and I had not heard anything from Goldcorp so I assumed I hadn’t been selected to advance to the interview stage. I told myself it was okay, because the position wasn’t even in my faculty and I was sure the job went to someone more qualified than me. I diligently kept applying to other positions, not giving up hope. Another week passed and I received a phone call from an unrecognized number right before heading to a final exam. Confused, I answered my phone only to find out it was the recruiter from Goldcorp asking to do a screening process for my application! After verifying that I am a student and answering a few general questions, the recruiter told me she would send me an email containing an interview date, and who I would be interviewing with.
Surely enough, I received an email a few hours later with the details of my interview. This was the first interview I had gotten during my search for a Co-op position, so I was determined to impress. Not only did I thoroughly research the company, I also researched the two people interviewing me. On the day of the interview, I was incredibly nervous but confident in my knowledge. I told myself I had done everything I could to prepare, and it was time to prove it. My interview lasted approximately 1 hour, and it felt more like a conversation than a question and answer period. This isn’t to say some challenging questions did not arise. Why was a marketing and finance student applying to a job meant for applied science students? I gave an honest answer – I wanted to learn more about what my degree would not teach me, how to apply what I already knew, and prove that I would be 100% dedicated to the work I’d be assigned.
About 3 days passed, and I was called again by the Goldcorp recruiter who informed me the department had made a decision. I braced myself for the worst; after all, I was not an applied science major, so I was doubtful they would pick me in the first place. To my surprise, the recruiter offered me the position of Intern, Asset Management commencing in Spring 2019. Shortly after the phone call, my offer letter was emailed to me along with a welcome package. I felt so relieved that I had finally secured a Co-op position that I had a genuine interest in.
If I hadn’t taken the risk to apply outside of my faculty, I may have never gotten the opportunity to work for such an incredible company. I could not have been more thankful and happy with my experience at Goldcorp. I gained valuable knowledge, made connections, and worked on countless meaningful projects. I even got to experience a merger; I began the term working for Goldcorp Inc, and ended the term working at Newmont Goldcorp. My best advice to student seeking Co-op positions is to apply to any job that you might find even the slightest bit interesting; you never know what could be in store for you!