Guest writer: Elliott van der Wee, Science Co-op Peer Mentor and Biology Co-op Student
Participating in the Co-op program is a great opportunity for you to gain career-oriented experience relevant to your field of study. It is also a chance for you to engage more deeply with your academic work from classes and labs.
When you are actually on your work term, it can be easy to forget about advancing your career when you are caught up with the busyness of your work routine. It is important, during your work term, to think about how you can be setting yourself up for more success in the future. There are a few thing you can think about to maximize what you get out of your Co-op work term.
Relationship Building
While you might imagine that you won’t see the people you work with once your work term is over, remember that your colleagues and supervisors are people in your field with similar career trajectories. Prioritize building friendships with your co-workers – it is likely that you may run into them in the future in a professional setting, and having good connections will set you ahead of the game.
Take opportunities to network with your supervisors as well: this could give you an advantage if you are competing with others for a future position.
Learn as much as you can
From an academic standpoint, you can learn a lot on your work term that you will be able to take to future classes. Take any opportunities at work where you could learn about something new, and ask questions as you go. Learning on your work term can also mean learning skills and gaining information about the fields you are interested in.
Ask your supervisor about their work and how they came to be where they are – you might end up on a similar path. Learning about how your supervisors like their jobs can help you understand whether those positions might be a good fit for you one day. It is also a great idea to write down new skills you learn on your work term. You can then use this information when you build your resume and write cover letters in the future.