Jeff LeJeune (Bmath '96) shares how co-op continues to play a role in his career, from landing his first job to leading a team
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Jeff LeJeune (BMath '96) studied Computer Science at Waterloo, and got his first full-time job through a co-op term. After graduation, he worked in network management for a telecom company. He's been working in the Canadian tech sector ever since.
But over time, his career took him further from the actual tech and more entrenched with the people who build it. Today, he's the VP of Engineering at Magnet Forensics, where he leads a team building software to help investigate cyberattacks and digital crime. That team includes a number of co-op students. And just like Jeff, they often return as full-time team members after graduation.
Listen to this episode to hear about Jeff's career journey, his advice for aspiring managers, and why Magnet Forensics hires so many co-op students.
(1:34) Why did Jeff transfer into the computer science program?
(3:50) Jeff's first management experience was with a co-op student
(7:12) The role of technical experience in managing teams
(9:19) Advice for aspiring managers
(12:17) "You need to think about your teams as people"
(15:50) Why hire co-op students?
(18:55) Advice for first-time co-op employers
Magnet Forensics: Learn more about Jeff's employer and their digital forensics solutions
The cost of bad managers: Learn about the importance of great managers from Gallup
Adam Grant: Browse workplace-related content from the organizational psychologist (noted by Jeff in this episode)
Co-op hiring package: Download the package to get co-op hiring information
