Find a job on WaterlooWorks: Rank/Match | Co-operative Education

After interviewing for jobs on the Full-Cycle Service job board, you’ll find out how you did through something we call the “Rank/Match Process."

In this process, employers rank students from 1-10 and students rank employers from 1-10 in return. This order is intentional: we ask employers to rank students first so you can make your decisions. After the employers submit their rankings, you can view and submit/save your own rankings on the dates and times specified on the important dates calendar.

Once the ranking window closes, an algorithm will look for the lowest sum (e.g., 1+1=2) to determine job matches for every open position. If both you and the job are still available, you’ll be matched to that job (and if not, the system will continue to look for the next lowest sum until the job is filled).

Remember: your co-op advisor is available to help you with your ranking strategy!

Employers rank students one to ten plus students rank employers one to ten equals algorithm selects lowest sum to result in a match

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Ranking jobs in WaterlooWorks

On WaterlooWorks, you’ll see the following qualifiers next to each job that you’ve interviewed for in your ranking form.

“1”	Employer has ranked you a “1” and offered you the job. If you rank the job a “1” in return, you’ll be matched! Tip: If you have one or more job offers, rank your preferred job a “1” and all others from 2-10. Remember: If you rank multiple offers a 1, the WaterlooWorks algorithm will randomly employ you in one of the jobs. Think about this possibility when you are ranking!
“Ranked”	Employer has ranked you somewhere between 2 and 10. You could be matched with the job. Tip: You can rank multiple jobs as "1" to increase your chances of being hired. You can also rank jobs from 2-10. Remember: If you rank the job a 10, it’s still possible that you’ll be matched. Think about this possibility when you are applying!
“Not Ranked”	Employer has chosen not to rank you. You will not be able to submit/save a rank for this job in return, which means that you will not be matched with this job.
If you don’t see a ranking listed	If you had an interview for a job and it doesn’t appear on your ranking form before the deadline, this means the employer hasn’t submitted/saved their rankings yet. They might submit/save their rankings at a later date, or might not be pursuing any of the candidates. Either way, you’ll need to submit/save your rankings without this job included.

Submitting "Not interested" rankings

You can submit up to five (5) "Not Interested" rankings per term to guarantee that you will not be matched with a job and/or prioritize other jobs of interest! Please be sure to use this option wisely to ensure that you are still able to find a job for your upcoming co-op term.

To use this option, select "Not Interested" on your ranking form and provide a reason before hitting "Save Rankings." Specific student rankings aren’t shared with employers, but aggregated feedback may be provided by our staff as a coaching tactic to help improve their recruiting strategy.

If you need help prioritizing your rankings, reach out to your co-op advisor.

Important items to remember:

You MUST submit rankings for every job on your ranking form before the deadline closes. If you do not submit your rankings on time, the system will automatically rank every job a "10," which could still result in a job match.
Once you've finalized your rankings, hit "Save Rankings" to submit your responses. This will record them in our system.
Please do not discuss rankings with employers. If an employer contacts you to discuss rankings or offer you a job directly, you don’t have to share your ranking strategy. Let them know you’ll be submitting your rankings through the process illustrated above, and connect with your co-op advisor immediately. All job offers and matches for jobs posted in WaterlooWorks must follow the process above to keep things fair for both students and employers.
When you are matched with a job, you are bound by our co-op roles and responsibilities to honour this match. So be sure to only apply to jobs that you can realistically see yourself taking and submit/save your rankings carefully – even if you rank a job a “10” you could still be matched.

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WaterlooWorks Job Matching

After the ranking deadline, our rank/match system will match you with the appropriate job. Check the important dates calendar to see when match results are available on WaterlooWorks.

When the match results come out, the following scenarios may occur.

Scenario:	Details/What to do:
You’ve been matched (Congratulations!)	If you’ve been matched with a job, you’ll be notified via WaterlooWorks message with job-specific information. Learn more about how to view your match results on the WaterlooWorks Help: Rank/Match page. You can now disregard any upcoming interviews – we’ll take care of removing these for you and will try to find alternate candidates to take your place. Remember that you’re obligated to honour any matches. See information on what to do after a job match.
If you’ve been matched with an international job	Congratulations – you’re going abroad! Follow the next steps listed on our Found an international job in WaterlooWorks and Arranged your own international job pages to make sure you’re all set to go. You may be temporarily reassigned to a new co-op advisor to support you during your work term abroad. You can contact your co-op advisor in WaterlooWorks using the "Send a message" feature.
If you haven’t been matched (yet)	If you haven’t been matched with a job yet, that’s okay! Awesome jobs will continue to be posted on WaterlooWorks, and there are plenty of rank/match periods scheduled throughout the term. You can also look for jobs on your own outside of WaterlooWorks. Remember to consult the important dates calendar for posting, interview and match dates, and keep checking WaterlooWorks for new opportunities. If you need help with your job search, we’re here to help! Take advantage of the many supports and resources available to all students!
If you’re still looking for a job after your scheduled work term has begun	Sometimes it takes students a little longer to find a job, and that’s perfectly okay. If you’re still looking for a job after your scheduled work term has begun, you can continue to use WaterlooWorks and look for jobs on your own up until the last day to start your work term to meet the 12-week standard co-op requirement (does not apply to Pharmacy students). Keep an eye on WaterlooWorks – sometimes we reach out to students if any jobs open up. You should also be actively engaging with your co-op advisor at this time of the term.
If an employer cancels a position	Sometimes, an employer may have to cancel a job after rankings have been submitted. If this happens to a job you’ve ranked as “1” and you have no other first options, we’ll try to reach you via email before the match runs to discuss your options. Unfortunately, if we can’t reach you in time the match will proceed as is. If an employer cancels a job after you've successfully matched, immediately contact your co-op advisor so we can support you.

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