Find a job on WaterlooWorks: Apply

Once you've searched for jobs on WaterlooWorks to find opportunities of interest, it's time to start applying! Please follow the steps below to submit applications on the Full-Cycle Service job board and remember to adhere to the co-op roles and responsibilities.

Five steps for applying to jobs in WaterlooWorks

Step 1: Take note of job application requirements

Each job description will list requirements for the position. It is important that you read and consider these carefully before applying. Every time you apply for a job on WaterlooWorks, you are agreeing to:

• Attend any interviews
• Honour any match results
• Commit to all job requirements specified in the job description, including:
  • Work term length/time commitment. While most co-op jobs are 16 weeks in length, some employers might require an eight-month commitment. If this is the case, you must have faculty approval to complete an eight-month work term before applying. If an employer requires a two work term commitment in non-consecutive terms (meaning you have an academic term between work terms) a sequence change is not required.
  • Work location
  • Transportation requirements
  • OSAP eligibility
  • Required citizenship
  • Engaging as an independent contractor (if specified)
  • Any other job eligibility requirements stated in the job description (including the special job requirements section) or discussed at the interview

Important: If you cannot honour an employment match for reasons that were clearly stated in the job description or interview, you may be penalized. For more information, review our co-op roles and responsibilities.

If you have any questions about specific job postings, please don’t reach out to employers – connect with your co-op advisor for support.

Step 2: View hiring history and work term rating summary

Within each co-op job posting in WaterlooWorks students and employers can view work term ratings submitted anonymously by students over past work terms. This tab will also contain a hiring history for the organization, if available.

This approach to sharing student feedback will allow you to consider the experiences of other students when making your application decisions, as well as provide your own anonymous feedback about an employer or job after completing a work term. This means you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about your next work term while helping other students to do the same.

The work term rating summary includes:

• The average overall rating (out of 10) and number of ratings for all co-op work terms
• The average overall rating (out of 10) and number of ratings for the employer Organization and Division (if available)
• A distribution breakdown of overall satisfaction ratings (out of 10)
• A breakdown of average ratings (out of 5) by individual Rate My Work Term questions for both the employer and for all co-op work terms

Step 3: Create application packages

When applying to jobs in WaterlooWorks, you must upload and submit specific application packages for each job.

Employers will request specific documents within each job description (under “Application information”) and you can only apply by submitting all required documents. You will not be able to apply if you don’t include all the required documents.

Some jobs may require that you answer pre-screening questions before creating your application package. You are required to answer these questions truthfully as employers use these questions to determine eligibility for things such as funding, duration, security clearance, etc. Your answers to these questions will be appended to the end of the application package that you create for this job. Do not use these packages to apply to other jobs as the answers to your pre-screening questions will be included.

If the job posting has closed, you need to contact your co-op advisor.

For help with your application documents, check out the Centre for Career Development’s drop-ins, appointments and workshops.

Visit the WaterlooWorks help pages for an explanation of different types of application documents and how to upload documents to WaterlooWorks.

Step 4: Submit your application for jobs in WaterlooWorks

To submit an application for a job on WaterlooWorks, hit “Apply” next to each job you’d like to apply for and submit the required application documents.

Once you apply, your application package will be frozen and no changes to your work history or grades will be included. If you’d like to update one of your application documents before the application deadline closes, you can cancel your application and resubmit with the updated documents.

Reminder: Anytime you apply for a job on the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service job board, you are agreeing to attend any interviews and honour any matches associated with that job. For more information, review our co-op roles and responsibilities. If you’ve applied for a job in error, contact your co-op advisor immediately.

Tip: Don’t wait until the last minute to apply! Extensions will not be given to students who have not completed their applications by the time job postings close.

Step 5: If you receive an offer from outside the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service Job board

If you’ve been applying to jobs on the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service job board and then receive an offer outside this job board, you could still have time to remove your other WaterlooWorks applications and interviews. This largely depends on when you received your external offer and whether the job qualifies for co-op credit.

Learn more about withdrawing WaterlooWorks applications and interviews and connect with your co-op advisor as soon as possible to discuss your options!