This article was originally published in the Arts Co-op Newsletter in Spring 2014.

Working in the private sector for the past two semesters has been a unique experience. As a Recruiting Coordinator for Ignite Technical Resources, one of Canada’s fastest growing companies, I learned new skills as well as polishing existing skills. These included excelling in Microsoft Office and perfecting my professional demeanor. Ignite’s open-concept office created a fun and productive environment. Team-building activities like Friday morning games made for a friendly and collaborative atmosphere. We also had regular meetings and social events to celebrate reaching our monthly goals. I felt like a part of the team from day one.

I assisted the Account Managers and Recruiters in getting job applicants and preparing candidates for submission. My responsibilities included posting jobs, calling references, formatting resumes, and managing social media marketing. I also did special projects for the VP Operations such as data collection for statistics and updating the database.

The coolest thing I did at Ignite was recruiting someone first-hand: my replacement. I communicated with Co-op advisors, and then sorted through the 40 student applicants to find the top 10. Next I got to experience interviewing from the other side, as I interviewed the top applicants. From there, I selected the top 3 for interviews with the VP Operations, who made the final decision. In my last week at Ignite, I trained the chosen Co-op student to replace me as the Recruiting Coordinator for the next two semesters.

As a Recruiting Coordinator, I learned a lot about the business of recruitment. It’s a win-win-win situation, as a candidate gets a good job, our client gets a great employee, and Ignite profits while making the candidate and client happy. I didn’t know much about recruitment before this Co-op job, but now I look at it as a lucrative and rewarding career possibility.