Finding workplace success through Co-op programs
Imagine being 31 years old, and not only having a successful job, but loving what you do? This is what most of us dream about, right? AC alumni Joel Janzen did it and I sat down with him to try to figure out his recipe for success.
Joel is a 2018 graduate of the Algonquin College Computer Programmer (now Programming) Diploma Program whose current employment with the Federal Government can be directly linked to the opportunity he was given through his Algonquin College Co-op experience.
In 2016, Joel was working odd jobs and decided that he wanted to make changes for his future. He had always enjoyed programming as a hobby, had had the opportunity to take programming courses in High School, and had always had an aptitude for math. With this he decided to apply to Algonquin College’s Computer Programmer program and selected the Co-op option, since for him the “whole purpose of going to college was to get a job”. He specifically applied to Algonquin because of their Co-op offerings, at 26 years old he was looking for the best and quickest way to get a foot in the door and begin working in the field.
At Algonquin College, Co-op programs provide students with the opportunity to learn through a paid work experience and acquire additional knowledge and skills related to their career goals. With over 50 programs that offer Co-op experiences, Algonquin offers those looking to start their career the chance for on the job learning and to build industry specific career connections. Many of these placements can transition into full-time employment post-graduation, making it one of the best ways to jump right into your employment field of choice.
The “luckiest Co-op experience”
When it came time for Joel to seek a Co-op employer, his program offered up a list of jobs and employers to send his resume off to. After interviewing with Innovation, Information and Technology branch, a section of the Employment & Social Development Canada department of the Federal Government, he was hired on as a programmer. Unbeknownst to him, the practice in this branch was for a hiring team to do all the interviewing for a section and then students were often brought on to different teams by one of the various managers of that section. One of the managers in the branch saw Joel’s resume and decided he wanted Joel for a newly created team working on developing a mobile app for the Job Bank, an employment website operated by the Canadian Federal Government that provides an online database of job listings as well as other employment services. This turned to be “the luckiest Co-op experience”, says Joel.
Initially prepared to work on older internal governmental systems, Joel joined the Job Bank team as they were in the concept phase of creating a mobile app. The experience he gained through the courses at Algonquin, including a mobile focused course, made him an excellent candidate to join this burgeoning team.
Joel explained that he was not anticipating being able to to work on “such an exciting cool new thing, it was an amazing opportunity for a co-op student”. The team was small and with the addition of Joel it brought them up to 3 members total. This gave Joel the opportunity to be involved in a little bit of everything. He was learning and working to build this new project right from the beginning.
When Joel started listing the areas he had worked on as a student, the skills he learned on the job, and the things he sought out to learn (because someone on the team needed to know and why not have it be him) I was absolutely astounded. It wasn’t just that he was getting practice in his programming skills or learning how to build an app that tied into an existing website, he was also learning how to navigate in and around government systems, how to implement mobile web accessibility, he spent time learning about security and how that needed to be implemented for the app. On top of all of that Joel shared that one of the most valuable things he had the opportunity to experience was seeing first-hand how directors and leadership worked in making decisions and working effectively with clients. “Not everyone gets the experience to see this in action and being able to work so closely with my managers and even the client was a fantastic learning experience,” said Joel.
When talking about the highlights of his Co-op experience Joel repeated his earlier sentiment that he really did have the luckiest Co-op experience. “I had the opportunity to learn, while also having so much freedom and control over what I worked on” said Joel, everyday he could go into work and see what work needed to be done and go ahead and work on it or take on learning something new to help move the project forward. He had opportunities to choose how things were laid out in the app, work on a project from the very beginning, and trouble-shoot and problem solve every day. Joel noted that this Co-op experience was such an amazing way to really dive into the workforce and learn how to deal with real world systems, their limitations and challenges, the demands of clients, and other experiences that can’t truly be replicated in a classroom setting.
Joel offers up this bit of advice while we’re speaking, “if given the opportunity every college student should participate in a Co-op program”, and if given the chance they should look into ones with government. Joel shared that in his time with the Federal Government he has seen how hard they work to make the Co-op experience valuable to students. “They offer feedback sessions, have specific youth programs to help new hires and students connect with each other and others throughout the government”, says Joel, also noting that he has seen how the government “will make changes based on the student’s feedback so that the experience can be made even better and more valuable for students”.
At the end of his Co-op semester, Joel was given the opportunity to bridge straight to employment. He went back to Algonquin to complete his final semester and then after graduation went right back to work on the Job Bank mobile app. I pointed out to him, it’s funny that the guy working on the job search app didn’t actually have to do a job search this time around.
Joel continues to work with the Job Bank team, noting that he enjoys the everyday challenges of “building something that the client wants, even though typically what the client wants is impossible. So, then you have to figure out what you actually can do”. He says it is “a gratifying experience to be able to see the difference I am making with my work, I get to be a part of a system that helps so many people find meaningful employment”. Joel explained that typically computer programmers work on internal systems where you don’t see the impact you’re having and it’s more difficult to see how you could modify things to the benefit of the user. Working on the Job Bank app, Joel has a connection to real world users, they can give him feedback on the problems they encounter and he can make changes to improve the experience.
Co-op gave Joel the opportunity to take the skills he had further developed in college and offered him the connections to get work experience in his field while still in school. It helped him launch his career in computer programming with the Federal Government, which has offered the stability, life balance, and growth opportunities that Joel, along with many of us are seeking for our future.
For more information on Co-op programs available at Algonquin College please visit the Cooperative Education department webpage.
