Co-op or regular? Whatever you choose, get career-ready skills and experience.
Our co-op program provides great experience and skill development. And you can also find great opportunities to develop your skills and experience in our non-co-op (or regular) program.
Don't believe me? Here are two students' real résumés that prove it.
(Jump right to our quiz: How to choose — co-op or regular?)
Regular (non-co-op) program
NOTE: Students in the regular system of study don't have access to the “Hire Waterloo Co-op” job board, but can access thousands of part-time, full-time, and summer job opportunities through our "Other Jobs” and “External Job” boards. They can also access 1-on-1 support and workshops through the Centre for Career Development.
More about Oumar
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Career goal
Medical school
Education
Fourth-year Kinesiology (regular)
Skills
- Responsibility
- Communication
- Seeing the bigger picture
- Good judgement
- Self-advocacy
Hobbies
- Hiking and backcountry
- Intermural soccer
- Weightlifting
- Type racing (I can type about 150 words per minute)
- Self-taught unicycling
- Self-taught guitar
- Dragonboat racing
Relevant work and volunteer experience
Student assistant — Westheights Medical Clinic and Pharmacy
Worked with medical clinic and pharmacy staff to chart, document, and organize patients' medical records in an online system.
Community tutor — House of Friendship
Taught children of all ages from local low-income communities math and English.
Anatomy Lab Teaching Assistant — University of Waterloo
Mentored and supervised first-year anatomy students to ensure they understood course material and were successful in the course.
Faculty of Health Student Ambassador — University of Waterloo
Supported large-scale event days, prospective student tours, and email inquiries.
Peer Mentor — University of Waterloo
Mentored upcoming first-year students during their transition from high school to university.
Orientation Leader — University of Waterloo
Supported the planning of Orientation, led various activities, and participated in a well-attended student panel the week of the event.
Co-op program
All about Krista
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Skills
- Communication
- Time management
- Collaboration
- Organization
- Leadership
Hobbies
- Baking
- Hiking
Career goal
Physiotherapist, chiropractor, or researcher
Education
Third-year Kinesiology (co-op)
Relevant work and volunteer experience
Student kinesiologist — Compass Community Health
Assisted physiotherapists and a diabetic kinesiologist with their clients, managed scheduling, gym supervisions, and exercise prescription of roughly 30 clients.
Visitors Centre Associate — University of Waterloo
Gave tours to visitors and supported large-scale event days.
AHSUM Kinesiology Representative — University of Waterloo
Advocate for the undergraduate Kinesiology student body to ensure their voices and concerns are heard by the department.
CCCare Start-Fit Volunteer — University of Waterloo
Guided participants through personalized exercise programs in small group settings.
Anatomy Lab Teaching Assistant — University of Waterloo
Mentored and supervised first-year anatomy students to ensure they understood course material and were successful in the course.
Both co-op and regular are great options that offer practical, hands-on experiences — they're just different.
- In co-op, you have a competitive, structured job process built into your degree program.
- In regular, you'll have more time to gain experience through part-time jobs, extracurriculars, clubs, and volunteering — but it's up to you to take initiative and make sure you get these experiences.
If I don't choose co-op, can I still get hands-on experience?
Sure can! Here are some examples from each of our programs.
More ways to get hands-on experience in our regular program
- Check out the EDGE program, an experiential education certification available to all Waterloo students.
- Although students in our regular program don't have access to the WaterlooWorks co-op job board, WaterlooWorks has other job boards with thousands of opportunities that all students (co-op and regular) can access. Theses additional job boards contain full time, part time, and summer opportunities.
- Students in regular can also access free appointments, drop-ins, and workshops through the Centre for Career Development to get help with things like career planning, interview prep, and job searches.
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