Blog posts archive

Vikram Bhatt (he/him), a third-year management engineering student, shares how he improved his networking and professionalism skills while working on his co-op terms.

To date, Vikram has completed three co-op terms and is currently finishing up his fourth:

Anna Bordioug is a fourth-year co-op student completing a double degree in computer science and business. She shares her varying work experiences in tech and business.

Co-op #1: Software developer, InSpark Analytics  

Co-op #2: Software developer, TunnelBear Inc.  

Co-op #3: Associate consulting operations, SAS Institute Inc.  

Lauren Mitchell (she/her), a third-year Faculty of Health student, talks about her co-op working at KW Habilitation and Sunnybrook Health Science Centre as well as the ups and downs that come along with co-op.

Lauren's co-op story

Anand Nair, a third-year Chemical Engineering student, shares what it was like working and completing courses remotely, all in a different time zone.

Work term 1 & 2: HelloFresh – Procurement analyst

Shelby Robertson (she/her), a fourth-year student in Environmental Science Ecology, has been working towards making an impact on the environment through her co-op position at Parks Canada. She shares with us her experiences working in an aquatic field and how her courses helped her throughout her work terms.

Shelby has completed a total of five co-op terms:

Maham Surahyo, a third-year Public Health student, shares her experience working for the Peel Regional Police as a community safety and well-being analyst. 

Q & A with Maham  

What are your responsibilities in the workplace and what does your work entail?  

No matter where you work - whether it be a formal or casual work environment – keeping a professional image of yourself will only increase your chances to make a good impression on the company.

It may be a little tricky to get used to, but little things can make a big difference to be the best-behaved employee. Here are a few tips on how to be professional in a work environment…

Attending a networking event can be very intimidating for many of us, especially when we don’t know what to expect or how to prepare.

Hi! My name is Tanveer Randhawa and I am excited to share my academic, professional and personal experiences over the last few years as a Health Science co-op student at the University of Waterloo.

What year and program are you in?

Hey everyone! My name is Ina (she/her), and I am in my third-year at the University of Waterloo, obtaining an Honours Arts degree with a double major in Psychology and Social Development Studies.  

How many co-op work terms have you done and where have you done them?  

Hi! My name is Manvi (she/her) and I’m an Honours Arts and Business co-op student and I completed my first work term this winter. My major is Economics and I'm also working towards a minor in Legal Studies.

What are some main projects that you worked on during your co-op term?

Hi everyone! My name is Fatima Muni and I am a third-year Arts and Business co-op student at Waterloo. I am excited to take you through my co-op journey working at Co-operative and Experential Education (CEE), and what I did during the eight months that I was there.  

Abdurrahman Muni, a Waterloo alumnus who graduated in 2016 from the Arts and Business program, gives us a glimpse into his unique co-op journey and tells us about the entrepreneurial business he is running six years later in career coaching.

During his time at Waterloo, Muni completed a total of five co-op work term:

My name is Brandon Goh and I am a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student. I will be sharing my co-op experiences that range from debugging financial applications to programming cutting-edge innovations, such as Tesla’s humanoid robot!

Falak Ismaili, a third-year Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student, shares her co-op experience working in the financial sector and how she conquers the hurdles that come along with it!

Abdullah Butt (he/him), a fourth-year student in the Health Science program, shares what it has been like to work in research for both of his co-ops and how he was able to successfully take lead on one of his projects!

Navya Manoj (she/her), a second-year Health Studies student, shares what her experience has been like completing her first co-op with Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), and how her prior experience with the organization led her to the position she is in today!

It’s nearing the end of your co-op work term. You have probably come across different challenges, successes, and, hopefully, have learned a few valuable lessons along the way. Now it’s time for you to reflect on these experiences. As I’m sure a lot of you already know, you need to write a few work term reports in order to receive your co-op degree. So, without further ado, let’s get to writing!

Rashmi Jayaram, a 4B Arts student studying Honours Economics, dives into her experiences working in product marketing and tells us how her hard work and dedication landed her a full-time job at American Express - the same company she completed her final co-op!

Rashmi has completed a total of five co-op work terms:

Esha Awan (she/her), shares her co-op experience as a fourth-year Science student, working in a variety of industries — from pharmaceuticals to robotics— in addition to her passion for veterinary sciences.

Sana Allana (she/her), a 4B Biomedical Engineering student, gives us a look into the various co-op jobs she has had and the important lessons she has learned from these experiences.

Sana has completed a total of six co-op work terms:

For the impact her work had at Habitat for Humanity, Emma Schuster (she/her) is the recipient of the 2021 Environment Co-op Student of the Year Award! Schuster, a second-year Environment student, talks about her experience working in social media and what she has learned from it.

Camille Huo (she/her), a third-year Pharmacy student at the School of Pharmacy, shares her experience working in a pharmacy during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and how she navigated the pressures of it as a co-op student. Her accomplishments led her to be named the recipient of the 2021 Science Co-op Student of the Year Award!

The job search is stressful, challenging and can sometimes make you lose your patience. Not to mention, you’re on a study term so that just adds even more to your plate. Searching for a job can be difficult, but just like most things, it’s a learning process. You might apply for a hundred jobs and end up getting one or two interviews, or sometimes even zero. But don’t lose hope just yet! There are many ways for you to find a job and I’m here to sprinkle a little bit of guidance into your job search tactics.

Ceanna Aranha (she/her), a third-year Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) student, shares what her experience was like working at one of the Big Four accounting firms, KPMG, and how this co-op term has helped strengthen her soft skills and career knowledge!

Jeffrey Ren, a fourth-year Urban Planning student at Waterloo, shares his co-op experiences working for the City of Windsor and the City of Ottawa, and how the connections he built through co-op got him an offer for a full-time job!

Introduction

For the past four years, I've been a student at the University of Waterloo studying in the Science and Business co-op program, specializing in Biochemistry. Being from B.C. - one of the reasons why I chose to fly across the country to attend Waterloo was because of the co-op program.

Want to make the most out of your co-op this term? I've got you covered!