Hire a co-op student anytime!
Waterloo's co-op program runs year-round. Our students are always available for four or eight-month work terms throughout the year. Use the following table to identify the typical work terms and when recruitment typically begins.
| Co-op work terms: | When to hire: |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 (September 8 - December 23, 2026) | May - August 2026 |
| Winter 2027 (January 11 - April 30, 2027)* | September - December 2026 |
| Spring 2027 (May 10 - August 20, 2027) | January - April 2027 |
*The Winter 2027 work term begins on January 11, 2027. If you expect a co-op student to start before this date or work outside the suggested work term dates, include the expected start and end dates in your job posting. Be sure to discuss these dates with students during the interview and offer process.
About our co-op hiring cycles
The most popular way to hire a co-op student is to post a job through our recruitment system, WaterlooWorks. Our Full-Cycle Service job board follows structured hiring cycles that guides you through posting jobs, reviewing applications, interviewing candidates and participating in our rank/match process.
Cycles 1-3:
- Each cycle runs 2–4 weeks, with defined dates for job postings, interviews and student rankings.
- In cycles 2 and 3, jobs are posted daily for 2 business days.
- At the end of each cycle, employers and students are matched based on their rankings.
- Cycles give employers and students time to evaluate opportunities and make informed ranking decisions.
Direct offer phase (after cycle 3):
- Continue recruiting by extending direct offers to students
- Post jobs on WaterlooWorks and arrange interviews on your own, directly with students.
- Offers are made directly by employers; no rank/match process is used.
- Your service team remains available for support.
Need more flexibility? If your hiring timelines don’t align with the Full-Cycle Service dates, consider using the Employer Student Direct job board to recruit outside of Waterloo’s hiring cycles and manage your hiring process directly with students on your own timelines.
Full-Cycle Service co-op hiring dates
Pharmacy Full-Cycle Service co-op hiring dates
Employer-Student Direct co-op hiring timelines
Use the Employer-Student Direct job board to recruit co-op students outside of Waterloo’s hiring cycles.
- Post jobs at any time for the upcoming or future work terms.
- Students apply directly to employers as instructed in job postings.
- Jobs remain posted on the Employer-Student Direct board for two weeks (unless otherwise specified).
- Employers contact students directly to schedule and host interviews.
- Manage offers directly with students. Consider asking students to sign the "Student Employment Acknowledgement Form" when you make an offer. Contact your service team if a student accepts your offer.
- Some students may not be available based on their academic schedules. We recommend confirming availability and eligibility with the candidate(s) directly as this could impact funding or tax credits.
Graduating students and alumni hiring timelines
- Recruit graduating students and alumni year-round for full-time positions.
- Use the Graduating and Full-Time job board on WaterlooWorks.
- Jobs remain posted for two weeks. Candidates will apply and interview directly with the employer.
Contract, part-time and volunteer hiring dates
- Recruit students year-round for contract, part-time, volunteer and summer positions.
- Use the Contract, Part-Time and Volunteer job board on WaterlooWorks.
- Jobs remain posted for two weeks. Candidates will apply and interview directly with the employer.