shareit said:
Thank you. That was a pretty informative post.
Quick question: Are co-op committal programs? Most people will continue to apply for jobs in their fields even while being in a co-op program. What if they get a job offer? Can they quit the program (immediately?) and proceed to the new job?
for some programs, co-ops are mandatory such as in engineering. for others, they can be optional but only if the university/ college offers it. an official co-op designation means 16 months of work experience through co-op terms i.e. 4 semesters worth of work experience.
If optional, you have to apply first to the school department to get into the co-op program. as the OP stated, there are certain requirements you have to satisfy to be eligible and remain eligible and they just dont let anybody in. Once you are accepted into the co-op program , you get access to all the co-op jobs available to the school. You can drop out of the optional co-op at any time however it may affect your overall gpa if you quit in the middle of the work term (it did at my school).
If mandatory, you have to complete the co-op work terms in order to graduate, no exceptions.
also while on co-op, there are certain requirements you have to complete every work term. such as writing a co-op report at the end of each term. I had a co-op adviser who visited me every term to see how things were, how i was treated and how i found the employer etc.
Alternatively, some schools may offer what is called a 'work experience' option. this works the same as co-op but with less restrictions. You dont need a specific gpa to enter or to maintain status, you get access to the same job portal as co-ops do and you only need 2 work terms to get the designation on your degree.
It is better to time the co-op work terms throughout your degree if you have the flexibility. It is very hard to get co-op in the first year as expectations are high and skill levels are low. when you are in second or third year, you have shown commitment to your education and proved your ability (a lot of people flunk out of engineering/ Comp Sci programs after the first year). so its a bit easier to get a placement after first year. Some prefer to do all/most of their work terms at the end of their program after all the school terms have finished. This allows them to continue working as a full time employee after their co-op terms have ended. Otherwise you have to go back to school to finish your courses and that job may not be available once you are finished.
One more thing that i have noticed during my work terms and thought i should throw it out there. Make sure the job you are getting is meaningful. Employers will usually hire just about anybody for meaningless jobs because co-ops provide cheap labor. This work experience will not benefit you in the long run. I have seen electrical/ mechanical engineering students doing software QA jobs for co-ops. SQA is an entry level job for perhaps com sci / soft eng students but not for elec/ mech engineers and probably wont look too good on the resumes. sometimes, the perfect job is not available right away. So be patient and wait if you have to, it pays in the long run.
BTW, all of the above is based on my experiences at UVIC. the same may/ may not apply to other schools and their co-op programs/ availability may differ. but the idea still applies.
