With access to 8,000 employers, Waterloo co-op students work for an amazing range of organizations.
Research analyst, Ontario Financing Authority
Hameedat prepared materials like monthly summaries and briefing notes for the Deputy Minister of Finance. She credits this experience with allowing her to enhance her attention to detail.
She is completing her CFA exam and looks forward to starting in a full-time investment banking position after graduation.
Marketing intern, American Express
Rashmi had the opportunity to work on multiple marketing campaigns and coordinate activities between the sales and marketing teams on her work term with American Express.
By analyzing data from different industries including retail, tourism, and food and beverage, she was able to be creative in the ways her team acquired new clients.
Her hard work and dedication landed her a full-time job at American Express after she graduated.
Staff accountant, KPMG
Ceanna worked primarily in auditing and taxing and focused much of her work on doing audits for clients in the technology sector.
She credits her work term for helping to build her personality and make her a well-rounded employee because of the opportunities she was provided.
She developed her soft skills like communication and collaboration by working with her team and setting up meetings with clients.
Operational analyst, Lynk Global
Souhail connected clients with experts in foreign areas and communicated with various experts about the company’s business model, guidelines, and unique selling points during his work term with Lynk Global.
He helped the company expand into the Middle Eastern market by successfully fulfilling multiple client requests.
The biggest thing he learned from co-op was how to be patient and professional.
Project coordinator, Manulife Financial
Fatima was able to develop strong interpersonal and management skills as she worked to meet tight project deadlines. Each month she extracted and reported financial data to stakeholders and provided support on various internal projects.
The Legal Studies student used her diverse experiences in co-op to expand her skill set and breadth of knowledge, which she plans to showcase in her applications to law school.
Marketing associate, Red Canari
Ingrid wrote copy for marketing materials and managed all the social media platforms owned by the organization.
She was able to boost their social media presence by over 300% by posting consistently to encourage engagement.
Ingrid’s advice is to take initiative, ask questions, and become a leader in your role.
Health care jobs
Pharmacy student, Pharmasave
Camille counselled patients on their new medications and helped the dispensary give out prescription medications. She enjoyed the mix between community pharmacy and outpatient hospital pharmacy.
She also developed a new handout to counsel parents on pain management drugs that were prescribed to their children, which is still being used.
Student kinesiologist, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Rikki began her Kinesiology degree at Waterloo with the intent of pursuing physiotherapy, which led her to her first co-op position at a rehabilitation clinic.
Rikki's job introduced her to a variety of rehabilitation techniques and strategies to help treat injured patients.
She worked directly with clients, teaching them exercise programs and suggesting pain relief techniques to improve their conditions.
The experience opened her eyes to the diverse possibilities in the rehabilitation sciences and solidified her passion for a career in physiotherapy.
Chronic care - clinical assistant, Haileybury Family Health Team
As a clinical assistant within a preventative health care unit, Kyla worked with patients suffering from chronic diseases to help improve their quality of life.
She conducted blood work reviews for patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and ensured patients were completing yearly medical diagnostic tests to detect changes in their health.
Through her co-op work terms, Kyla has been able to explore careers in the medical field and gain skills in diagnostics and treatment.
Ophthalmology clinical assistant, iCare Surgical Optical Centre
Mahmoud developed strong communication and interpersonal skills by working with patients daily.
His work included eye imaging using a machine to take pictures of the back of the eye for diagnosis. He was also involved in patient education by developing booklets for the clinic and updating the website.
This work term helped solidify his desire to go to med school after graduation and pursue pediatrics.
Business intelligence analyst, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
During her work term at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Natasha helped redesign an online tool used to allocate clinical resources, such as nurses and therapists, to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care.
She was involved in managing stakeholder communications, project timelines and documentation, and proposing features for the system.
Through co-op, Natasha was able to gain experience in the managerial and business sectors of health care, giving her a unique skillset for future opportunities.
Medicine reconciliation student, Grand River Hospital
Navreet’s role involved getting medication histories, following up with patients throughout their stay and attending patient rounds. She really valued getting hands-on hospital experience through her work term.
She encourages students to be open to new experiences because you'll never know what you could learn.
Health research jobs
Research assistant, University of Waterloo
Rachel’s work in the Mobilize Clinical Biomechanics Lab included developing and securing ethics approval to conduct a qualitative study and began data collection through interviews.
Her research explored the experience and impacts of osteoarthritis-related pain amongst Black and white Canadians and how it affects physical activity and day-to-day life.
This experience has helped her become more confident in herself and her capabilities.
Research and analytics, Grand River Hospital
With a goal of enabling health equity, Shelby’s research focused on how to engage with community members in the co-design of the health care system.
She met with leaders of local community organizations and conducted literature reviews to find tools and approaches for engaging marginalized and vulnerable community members.
She developed many transferable skills through her co-op experiences including communication, analysis, and presentation skills.
Genetics and oncology research assistant, Mount Sinai Hospital
Iman collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses to develop an educational course on breast cancer in pregnancy.
He helped create and submit an abstract to the Canadian Association of Nurses and Oncology conference which he presented at.
He credits his work terms for helping him develop his communication, time management, and research skills.
Bioinformatics analyst, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Laura applied a new algorithm to existing technology in order to find patterns that showed the damaging effects chemotherapy has on DNA.
She learned how to analyze cancer genome sequencing of tumour samples from patients with pancreatic cancer.
Her work strengthened and confirmed her desire and enthusiasm to work within the health sector.
Clinical research study assistant, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Vinita is a fourth-year Science and Business student who discovered a passion for cancer research through co-op.
Vinita worked for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, where she assisted with research projects focused on lymphoma. She used her skills in clinical research to help predict the toxicity effects of chemotherapy, improving the clinical treatment process of cancer in older adults.
She also received a prestigious Co-op Student of the Year award for her contributions to cancer research at St. Michael’s Hospital.
Regulatory affairs associate, BioIntegral Surgical Inc.
Hussain worked closely with the medical director of the company and conducted research on cardiac surgeries and how the company’s implants can further improve health outcomes for patients across the world.
He also coordinated with regulatory authorities across Europe when proving the safety and efficacy of their medical implants.
Jobs in education and with NGOs
Social media coordinator, Habitat for Humanity
Emma provided Habitat for Humanity with significant data and developed materials for a year’s worth of social media posts centred around raising awareness for the organization.
Co-op helped her learn what was important to her in terms of a career. She really values a fun and supportive work environment, which is what she’ll be looking for in her career after graduation.
Development intern, Mosoj Yan NGO
With a strong passion for social justice, Samantha set out to Bolivia to help improve the quality of life of at-risk populations. She worked at a shelter for young women who were victims of sexual abuse. She taught English and music to them and helped with a children’s education program designed to keep at-risk youth off the streets.
After doing three co-op terms abroad, the Honours Arts and Business student (Peace and Conflict Studies major) plans to continue her international work after graduation. Co-op gave her the opportunity to work with different organizations and experience life as a development worker.
Health promotion specialist assistant, Heart and Stroke Foundation
At the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Praveenah planned events in South Asia, including focus groups for heart attack and stroke survivors to share their experiences.
The Health Studies student engaged with the local community, raising awareness about the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and educating the public on healthy lifestyle choices. Her experience as a co-op student inspired her to pursue a Master’s of Public Health.
Technology jobs
Lead iOS engineer, Web Wizards Inc.
Joseph spent his work term developing an entire app from start to finish. He discovered that continually improving his coding abilities has been the most rewarding but also the most challenging part of his co-op career.
He strives to be the type of engineer that can create complex codes for computers but also effectively communicate his reasonings to people around him.
Marketing and sales associate, Liquid Analytics
As an English major, Danielle’s communication skills were a natural fit for marketing. In her time at Liquid Analytics, she developed digital marketing content to promote new products, drafted social media content, and developed content for the company website.
Through co-op, Danielle has been able to test different careers and refine her choice of courses to best suit her interests in marketing and branding.
Junior full stack developer, Perch
Everett learned a lot about web development and structure by working on rebranding the company website during his work term.
His coworkers helped develop his communication skills in the workplace and improved his confidence.
He looks forward to learning more about artificial intelligence and robotics in future work terms.
IT business analyst, Johnson Johnson (JJ)
Sana was responsible for creating a dashboard that highlighted e-commerce data for a client with multiple sources of data. She was able to work with the customers and determine how their teams wanted the information displayed.
She feels like she really developed her technical coding skills through her co-op work terms. Her supervisors encouraged her to learn and grow which helped her become a better team member, coder, and researcher.
Security integration, Loblaws
As a co-op student at Loblaws, Kaajal helped manage company-wide security systems and educate employees about cybersecurity. She helped determine potential security breaches, such as malicious emails, and investigated these threats.
Kaajal worked with cybersecurity technology, a field she had not considered prior to her co-op term. Due to her newfound interest, the Honours Arts and Business student plans to pursue a Certified Information Systems Auditor designation.
Software engineer, PiinPoint
During his co-op term, Computer Science student, Joey, worked as a software engineer and lead developer at PiinPoint, a Waterloo software startup that helps retailers determine the best location to open shop.
He took on a lead role in the development, improvement, and expansion of PiinPoint’s platform, creating a drivetime polygon generator, which attracted customers to the platform. He managed a team of engineers and co-op students, and made changes to the production environment.
Engineering and science jobs
Software engineering intern, Tesla
Brandon’s extracurricular activities at Waterloo, as well as his past co-op experiences, really prepared him for his latest work terms.
As a software engineering intern at Tesla, Brandon was tasked with designing and building humanoid bi-pedal robots to automate repetitive tasks and wheeled robots for manufacturing and autonomous logistics.
Brandon loves the robotics industry and how fast it's changing. He wants to be part of the global impact robotics will have and make a difference in people’s lives.
Integrated devices design engineer, University of Waterloo
Sarah worked on developing a microneedle-based pH biosensor that would sense abnormalities inside the body in a minimally invasive manner.
She was responsible for testing and validating the device to ensure the device is reliable and performed similarly to existing methods.
Her experiences have helped her develop her critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
Mechanical design, Hatch
Maanoj used co-op to gain two years of experience exploring his passion for renewable energy. At Hatch, he worked with a mechanical design team to redesign a component of a hydroelectric dam.
The Mechanical Engineering student visited the dam site in Sudbury, working on refurbishment projects and brainstorming technical solutions with the team. He gained an international mindset as he worked on projects in both Canada and Zimbabwe.
Pharmaceutical business development intern, Mint Pharmaceuticals Inc.
From market analysis to product procurement, Esha was able to work on different aspects of the business development process.
She learned about the pharmaceutical industry, standard operating procedures, and project management. She even worked closely with clinical experts to structure bioequivalence studies for molecules.
She credits the co-op experiences she’s had in various industries for how her character has been shaped over the years.
Food technologist, Maple Leaf Foods
Charita was in the plant alternative protein department where she was part of creating a plant-based nugget formula for large fast-food chains.
Finding a job in food science really opened her mind to exploring a wide range of job types for future work terms.
She really valued her time working on a close team that was supportive of her career goals and ambitions.
Research assistant, Harvard University
Jonathan, a student in Chemical Engineering, knows the secret to having a successful co-op work term: that it takes more than just raw talent.
Having completed two work terms at Harvard University, Jonathan has some advice: seek out jobs that help improve your individual skill set. At Harvard, Jonathan did a lot of fundamental research investigating new areas, helping with publications and other initiatives.
Jonathan explains that co-op allows you to identify abilities and knowledge you need to gain. His ultimate goal is to start his own company and offers one last piece of advice: "Don't sit back and let life toss you around – educate yourself enough to set a direction."
Government co-op jobs
Science & technology staff officer, Department of National Defence
Sarina worked on a research paper for the Surgeon General Health Research Program and partner research organizations on aligning their research goals, funding, and priorities.
The highlight of her co-op experience has been networking, building relationships, and learning about different career paths.
Her experiences have helped her develop a stronger set of interpersonal skills along with transferable skills that she can use in her daily life.
Public affairs coordinator, Government Relations
Mackenzie helped market and promote government events and announcements happening around campus and developed communications materials to be sent to government officials.
The Honours Arts and Business (History) student worked within Waterloo's Government Relations department, which manages external communications between the university and all levels of government. She was able to develop diverse professional skills and realize her personal strengths.
Innovation lab – operations assistant, Employment and Social Development Canada
With passion for improving the quality of lives of others, Kailey spent a co-op term promoting national programs by developing workshops for community organizations across Canada.
The Social Development Studies student also researched poverty in Canada, using the experiences of low-income Canadians to help improve national social development programs.
Her work term solidified her plans for a career in government, where she is able to see the tangible impacts of her work.
Junior communications officer, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Haley worked on a team that provided strategic communications services for the Government of Canada’s military procurement activities.
She used social media to educate Canadians on ongoing procurement activities and utilized storytelling to improve engagement with stakeholders.
The Honours Arts and Business student travelled to national conferences where she was able to realize her impact on protecting and serving Canadians. Her experience in the public sector helped her find her professional passion and career goal.
Environment and sustainability jobs
Health, safety, and environmental specialist intern, S.C. Johnson and Sons
Charlie knew they wanted to explore all different types of employment avenues that their degree could offer them while in co-op.
At S.C. Johnson and Sons, they have helped with the implementation of new projects, as well as ensuring current policies and procedures are up-to-date and being properly followed.
Charlie knows that whether they decide to pursue further education after graduation or head straight into the workforce, they'll be well-prepared for either option thanks to co-op.
Community planning student, Municipality of Lakeshore
Matt assisted with pre-consultations which involved clients sending in conceptual sketches to the municipality for review. He would make notes about zoning amendments or site plan control to be shared with the developer.
His long-term project involved reviewing the zoning by-law and making recommendations for improvements.
One of the most rewarding parts of the co-op process for Matt was going through the interview process and getting hired.
Research technician, Churchill Northern Studies Centre
Working alongside a team of researchers, Jordan studied long-term climate impacts on sea ice, fox ecology, and seal populations.
He led teams of citizen scientists in conducting studies of subarctic climate variables, such as snowpack composition and the advancement of treelines, to better understand the dynamic nature of the Arctic.
As he explores different careers in environmental science, co-op has helped Jordan develop his own strengths and refine his professional goals.
Planning assistant, City of Ottawa
Jeffrey realized that pursuing a career in the public sector was something he wanted to do after completing multiple work terms.
His work involved the development review process where companies interested in building developments in the municipality must seek approvals for their projects.
He reviewed applications, resolved issues, drafted reports, and presented the final reports to clients.
Agricultural environmental sustainability analyst, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Kate studied the impacts of agricultural practices on the environment by using aircraft measurements of heat, carbon dioxide, and methane over agricultural areas.
The Environmental Engineering student used tools such as mass balancing, wavelet analysis, and eddy covariance. Co-op introduced her to research, which was a field she never considered working in.
Kate found research a really appealing career path and plans to explore it with her remaining work terms.
Sustainability and Accessibility, Blackberry
Sandra’s background in environment and business helped her assess Blackberry’s global greenhouse emissions and determine reduction goals.
The Environment and Business student worked closely with auditors to develop Blackberry’s corporate responsibility report and to implement sustainable business practices.
Her professional experience allowed her to integrate the business and environmental studies components of her degree, which she intends to further pursue in additional work terms.
