Find a job on WaterlooWorks: Search

During your recruiting term, you'll be searching for jobs for your upcoming co-op work term. Jobs will be posted on the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service job board according to the employment cycles listed on our important dates calendar, which contains dates related to job postings, applications, interviews and rank/match results. 

We know the job search process can be tough. On average, you can expect to spend 25+ hours securing employment each term on top of your academic commitments. Every job search experience will look a little different depending on your program, interests, goals and work experiences. It’s a good idea to use a variety of job search approaches to help you land a co-op job. To maximize your chances of landing a co-op job, it’s important to become familiar with the main pathways to finding a co-op job:

  • Applying to jobs on the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service (formerly Hire Waterloo Co-op board) job board and following our co-op employment process.
  • Applying to jobs found on the WaterlooWorks co-op Employer-Student Direct job board that do not follow our co-op employment process and timeline.

Not sure what jobs might be interesting to you? Book an appointment to chat with a co-op advisor to explore your career goals.

Searching for jobs in WaterlooWorks

In order to access co-op jobs on the Full-Cycle Service job board, you must accept the terms and conditions and keep your job search intentions up to date throughout the term. If you change your plans, please notify your co-op advisor so we can provide you with the appropriate supports. Leveraging the five tips below can help you maximize your search for a job that aligns with your skills, interests and program.

Learn more about how to search for jobs using WaterlooWorks.

Remember: Job searching is about trial and error! It's always best to start with a broad search and narrow your criteria as you go. If the results are too narrow in scope or if you're not seeing the results you were looking for, consider starting again and using a different search technique.

Five tips for finding great jobs in WaterlooWorks on the Full-Cycle Service and Employer-Student Direct job boards

1. Quick search - for my program
  • Quick searches are pre-made search shortcuts within WaterlooWorks that can be used as a starting point for your co-op job search.
  • A popular quick search is the “For my program” option, which allows you to view jobs that employers have identified as being related to specific academic clusters.
  • While the “For my program” quick search is a popular place to start your search, you shouldn’t stop there. The results returned from this list may be narrow in scope, and do not take into account other criteria such as your level or any related programs/jobs that you might be interested in.
  • We suggest that you use quick searches like “for my program” as a starting point only and also use some of the other search techniques outlined below.

2. Search by cluster
  • When employers post their jobs in WaterlooWorks, jobs are tagged with thematic and academic clusters. These represent the skillset the employer may be looking for so it’s important to think about the technical, industry-specific or soft (transferable) skills you possess that could fit into these different clusters.
  • When using clusters in your job search, familiarize yourself with the thematic and academic clusters related to your skills or interests:
    • Thematic clusters: Employers use thematic clusters to indicate job function, not specifically the industry or occupation. These themes can cover a wide range of jobs and will give you a more generalized search result. This may provide you with a good overview of the types of jobs that are available based on your skills and interests.
    • Academic clusters: Employers use an academic cluster to indicate the academic program they think would be a fit. Please note, many employers are not aware of specific course teachings when selecting these academic clusters. It’s important to think about transferable skills you’ve developed that can be applied to a wide range of jobs.
  • Remember, this is just a starting point for your search as it doesn't consider your skills or interests. Thematic clusters are more likely to provide more results which you can narrow down later.
  • Tip: To include multiple clusters in your search, hold down the “Ctrl” key as you select various filters.

3. Keyword search
  • Keyword searches are useful for obtaining more specific results and can lead to a more effective job search in WaterlooWorks. You can expand your search results or narrow them by adjusting the keywords you use.
  • A keyword search allows you to search postings by factors such as:
    • Skills you want to use or develop on the job (e.g., HTML, editing, research, CSS, relationship building, teamwork)
    • Sector/industry (e.g., technology, education, government)
    • Job categories (e.g., marketing, accounting, finance)
    • Position titles (e.g., policy analyst, design student)
    • Organization name
    • Remote work opportunities that can be completed from any location (try searching for the keyword "remote")
  • To perform a keyword search, enter keywords of interest into the "Filter by Keyword" text box on the job board search page.
  • Please note that using specific keywords can limit your search results depending on the various terms that employers use to describe jobs. To maximize a keyword search, consider using broader keywords related to the sector or industry that you’re interested in.
  • There may be specific words that you want to filter out from your search (for example, international students may want to filter out jobs that reference SWPP funding so they will only see jobs they are eligible for). To do so, click on “Advanced Search – Co-op Jobs”, type in the keyword you want to exclude from your search in the "Keyword" box and select “None of these words” from the Options menu. This will give you a list of jobs that do not include the keyword you entered.
  • If you are looking for something specific:
    • Try combining two or more keywords. For example, if you want to work in a laboratory that deals with environmental concerns, you can layer two keywords like “environmental” and “laboratory” to see what specific types of job postings exist.
    • Layering keywords in WaterlooWorks will narrow your search results. If you are curious about what is out there, be sure to clear your keywords from WaterlooWorks before moving on to another keyword search
  • Tip: Want to combine keywords with other search parameters? You can filter by keyword, job title, location, NOC code (see more below) and more by using the Advanced Search.

4. Advanced Search and NOC codes
  • Within each co-op job board under the SEARCH button, you’ll find the Advanced Search - Co-op Jobs function. It will allow you to narrow down your job search by adding details like company information, tag filters, work term duration and other filters.
  • Remember, the narrower you limit your search, the fewer jobs it will return. Be sure to use multiple search options to find jobs.
  • Tip: In the “Job Posting Information” section, you can select one or more National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes as part of your search criteria. NOC codes are Canada’s national system for describing occupations. Using the codes can help you to learn more about your field of interest and discover other occupations that you might not have considered.

5. Search by location

If you’re interested in finding a job in a specific location, there are a number of strategies you can use to filter results in WaterlooWorks!

Search multiple job boards

Filter by region

  • Filtering by region is a good option if you are searching for jobs in a general area.
  • On the Full-Cycle Service, Employer Student Direct and Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job boards, you can choose to filter by the regions below:
    • Ontario (choose from 16 different regions)
    • Quebec
    • Atlantic Canada
    • Western Canada
    • United States (U.S.) (choose from 3 different regions)
    • International
  • From the list, pick the geographic region of interest to review jobs posted for that area.
  • You can select multiple geographic areas by holding the CTRL key as you scroll through the list.

View jobs by city

  • On the “Search Results” page, you’ll see a “City” column that contains the job city for each job.
  • This can be a helpful way to see each job’s location, before exploring each position further.
  • Tip: You can sort the job results alphabetically by city by clicking the “City” column header. This way, you can see all the jobs in a specific location side-by-side!

View jobs by employment location arrangement (in-person, remote, hybrid)

  • If you want to search for jobs based on whether the position is in-person, remote or hybrid, you can use the “Advanced search” feature (under the “Search” button) to enter specific criteria.

  • On both the “Hire Waterloo Co-op” and “Hire Waterloo Other” job boards, you can use the “Advanced search” feature to search the “Employment location arrangement” field using the following criteria: 

    • In-person

    • Remote

    • Hybrid

Advanced search for specific locations

  • If you want to search for jobs in specific regions, countries, provinces/states or cities, you can use the “Advanced search” feature (under the blue “Search” button) to enter specific criteria.
  • On both the “Hire Waterloo Co-op” and “Hire Waterloo Other” job boards, you can use the “Advanced search” feature to search by:
    • Region (same options as above)
    • Job - Province/State (includes both Canadian provinces and US states)
    • Job - Country (includes all countries)
    • Job - City
    • Job - Postal code / Zip code (X#X #X#)

Complete your Skills Profile to receive alerts about jobs in locations of interest

Want to receive alerts about jobs in specific regions/countries? Ensure that your Skills Profile, along with the locations you’re willing to work, are kept up-to-date. We use this information to send you details about job opportunities you may be interested in, straight to your WaterlooWorks inbox.

Remember: The more specific your criteria, the narrower your search results will be! As always, we suggest you start with a broad search and narrow your criteria as you go.

6. Search by level
  • You can filter by level (i.e., junior, intermediate, senior) to identify jobs that employers have tagged as being appropriate for certain experience levels.
  • Tip: Remember that employers might have different criteria for what constitutes a junior vs. an intermediate job, so it may be helpful to try a few different filters to see what kinds of jobs come up.

Job searching outside of the Full-Cycle Service job board

While the Full-Cycle Service job board in WaterlooWorks is a great tool to use in your job search, it’s not the only way to secure a co-op job. By using a combination of job search methods, you increase the likelihood of landing a co-op job. For more information, visit How to find your co-op job.

WaterlooWorks Employer-Student Direct job board

The WaterlooWorks Employer-Student Direct job board contains postings that are pre-approved for co-op credit. The postings might not align with Waterloo’s work term sequences and follow employer-driven timelines. Learn more about the differences between the Full-Cycle Service and Employer-Student Direct job boards.

WaterlooWorks Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job board

The WaterlooWorks Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job board is a great resource for potential co-op jobs. This job board contains a variety of positions that may be eligible for co-op credit, but that might not meet our standard requirements.

If you find a potential co-op job through the WaterlooWorks Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job board, follow the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process to determine whether it is eligible for co-op credit. 

WaterlooWorks External Job Boards

You can find a list of external job boards by going to the External Job Boards menu in WaterlooWorks. Here you will find different job boards for co-op, full-time, summer, part-time jobs, and other jobs with recruitment timelines that fall outside the typical co-op recruitment cycle. These jobs have not been reviewed by the University but may be eligible for co-op credit.

If you find a job through one of these job boards, review the job against the work term requirements to determine if the job is eligible for co-op credit. Then, follow the application instructions and Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process to apply for approval.

Arranging your own job

Another option for securing your own co-op job is to use your network of professional contacts, family and friends or other job boards. To do so, you’ll need to follow the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process. You can use this option even as you search for jobs on the WaterlooWorks co-op Full-Cycle Service job board. Please note that an Arrange Own Job must meet the Co-operative Education work term criteria for co-op credit.

Have questions or need support? Contact your co-op advisor!

Whether you’re searching for jobs on WaterlooWorks, sourcing a role using the Arrange Own Job (AOJ) process, or a combination of the two, connect with your co-op advisor for advice about how to navigate the co-op process and make the most of your search.