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.
Tip #1: Good old WaterlooWorks
WaterlooWorks is a great place to start your job search, especially since all of the jobs listed in the portal have already been reviewed and are eligible for a work term credit. Many jobs are posted there and you can easily find ones related to your studies.
A good place to start would be to select the “For my program” option under quick search. This will give you a list of positions related to your program or faculty, quick and easy. This search is more surface-level. To find jobs more specific to your preferences, you can do something called a “keyword search”, which allows you to find job postings related to skills, industries, or organizations that you may be interested in. Here are some more great tips for job searching on WaterlooWorks. Don’t forget that you also have a co-op advisor who is there to support you along the way.
Tip #2: Explore external job boards
Alongside WaterlooWorks, there are other job boards available for you to check out. First, go to your WaterlooWorks dashboard and select “External Job Boards” from the navigation menu. You will find a list of external job board sites like Indeed, Talent Egg, LinkedIn, and the Canadian Job Bank, just to name a few. Searching for a co-op position on different job boards will present you with more options and opportunities, hopefully increasing your chances of landing more interviews and possibly a job in the end.
When job hunting outside of WaterlooWorks, keep in mind Waterloo’s co-op requirements that must be met to obtain a co-op credit. If you decide to go in this direction, be sure to complete these steps to arrange your own job.
Tip #3: Post content on LinkedIn and network!
If you have been following my blogs up until now, you might be familiar with my very first tips blog on improving your LinkedIn profile. If you aren’t, be sure to go give it a read! So, let’s say you’ve created your LinkedIn profile and have spruced it up. The next steps are to have some activity on your profile and to build your network.
Post an article that you wrote, share a personal experience, a video, etc. When posting, you also want to make sure that you are interacting with others regularly. Try your best to respond to comments under your posts, answer questions, respond to reactions and remember to always be professional. As you become more consistent with your posts, you will start to get noticed and could gain attention from an employer.
It’s important to take some time to network and build your connections as well. Reach out to people and start a conversation with them. Introduce yourself and try to learn more about the person. You never know where these discussions can lead to. If you have any family or friends that can connect you with a position or put in a good word for you, ask them to. This can put you ahead of others and increase your chances of becoming a candidate for a position.
Here are some examples of topics you could post about:
- Your authentic experience by timeline (see example below)
- Your inspirations
- A top 10 list
- Give your review on a content piece
- Career/life advice
Your goal is to create posts that will connect and give value to your audience. Oh, and don’t forget to use those #hashtags and emojis! Here's an epic example from a Waterloo alumnus (who just happens to be my brother).
Tip #4: Attend career fairs and information sessions
Now, you’ve been searching for most of your jobs online, but maybe it’s time to shift gears and go with something a little more interactive, like a career fair or information session! Lucky for you, Waterloo provides both. Did you know that you can find different networking and career events under your dashboard in WaterlooWorks? Go to your navigation menu and click on Employer Information Sessions or Additional Networking and Professional Events. It will take you to a calendar that has various info sessions you can attend, and they’re all free! Please note, registration is required to attend the information sessions.
Another event worth checking out is the P4E Career Fair/Job Fair. Two separate fairs are held during the end of September (Career Fair) and the beginning of February (Job Fair) each year. Be sure to register for the next one!
There are many benefits to attending these kinds of events. This is an excellent opportunity for you to build a personal connection with an employer and a time for you to ask questions and learn more about a specific job or organization that you may be interested in. Make sure not to miss out on these!
Conclusion
When searching for a co-op job, try your best to keep an open mind. I always see co-op as a perfect opportunity to experiment with various positions and introduce yourself to jobs you may have never considered working in before. Last term, I interviewed a Health student, Mahmoud Noweir, who shared that his co-op introduced him to a position that he never thought he would work in. “I didn’t think I would ever get exposed to the medical technician or nursing side, since I was always being the patient,” said Noweir.
There are multiple ways for you to excel in your job search and many resources available for you on and off campus. Step outside of your comfort zone, communicate, maybe make a goal of applying for a specific number of jobs each day and see how it goes. Consistency is key in all of this!
About the author
Fatima Muni
Social Media Campaign Coordinator 
Fatima Muni is an Arts and Business co-op student at Waterloo and is currently completing her second co-op term at the University of Waterloo, as a Social Media Campaign Coordinator for Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE). One of the main projects she is working on this term is writing blogs for the Co-operative Education blog page. To date, she has written about helpful co-op tips and student co-op experiences, and continues to write more blogs to share information that can benefit other co-op students! Feel free to check out Fatima's LinkedIn.
References and further resources
Best Ways To Find a Job: Six Methods That Really Work | Indeed.com
How to find your co-op job | Co-operative Education | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca)
6 Reasons Why You Need to Attend a Career Fair (careerfairplus.com)
