The Employment search and on-the-job support
If you're in a graduate-level co-op program that is fully supported by the Department of Co-operative Education, you have access to the WaterlooWorks co-op job board to find your co-op position.
You'll also have access to services from the Centre for Career Development and support within your faculty/department. Learn more about these resources below.
WaterlooWorks
Your contact: Work term support
For: On-the-job support
You'll be competing with peers who may have had relevant work experience during their undergrad. You'll also be competing with current undergraduate students who may already have several work terms under their belt. This can sometimes leave graduate students feeling frustrated. You will have access to many supports from Co-operative Education, The Centre for Career Development and your department to navigate through the various challenges of co-op.
Graduate co-op students with access to the co-op job board on WaterlooWorks also have access to an optional professional development course, COOP 601 (self-enrol in Quest). This optional online course is taken in the academic term prior to a work term and is designed to guide you through navigating job postings, preparing résumés and honing interview skills.
Note: if you've participated in Waterloo's co-op program as an undergrad, you will find much of the same preparatory material in COOP 601.
If you're having difficulty securing work for the next term, you can access resources through the Centre for Career Development (see below).
Once you've been matched with an employer, you'll be assigned a work term support (WTS) contact for your work term. This will be your primary point of contact for support while you're working. You can communicate with WTS via WaterlooWorks.
Note: Graduate students in WaterlooWorks supported programs can also arrange their own co-op job.
The Centre for Career Development
Your contact: CCD Career Advisor
For: Skills development, job search support
The Centre for Career Development (CCD) supports ALL students at the University of Waterloo as well as post-docs and alumni.
Visit CareerHub to learn about what employers want in a co-op student and to hone those skills for a competitive job search.
You can book an appointment with a career advisor or attend drop-in hours for a variety of specialized job search supports.
You can also attend workshops and events for graduate students, which are catered toward academic or non-academic career development.
Your faculty/department
Your contact: Departmental graduate coordinator/officer/administrator
For: Questions about academic/co-op sequencing, fees assessed, work reports
Some faculties have developed co-op supports in partnership with Co-operative Education and the Centre for Career Development. For example:
- The Faculty of Arts often holds Co-op Information Sessions in the fall or winter terms for MA students.
- Some Faculty of Mathematics students are required to participate in a co-operative education preparatory workshop series.
Speak to the graduate coordinator in your department for more information on faculty/departmental co-op supports available to you.
If you have questions related to co-op that aren't covered above and you are in a Co-operative Education supported program, you can drop in to the Centre for Career Development (Monday through Friday from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm) to speak with a Career Advisor in a "Co-op Consult."
