Success Stories: Exactly How This Student Excelled at her Co-op Term
Posted on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017
Lana-Marie Souaid is a second-year student in the Interactive Media Design program at Algonquin College. Like others in her program, Souaid chose to take a co-op term during the second term of her studies.
Working with the co-op department, Souaid secured a co-op position at CENGN, an association of industry leaders that work in telecommunications. The organization needed a brand-new website, and based on Souaid’s skillset, she was asked to design and create it. It went live this month.
“It feels unreal to have my website go live,” Souaid says. “I have never made a website this large before, yet alone for a well-known company.”
This kind of experience is a huge bonus for Souaid, who is set to graduate from the Interactive Media Design program this year. Now armed with industry experience working for a large organization, co-op has given her the opportunity to grow her skillset and test her abilities.
Souaid works at her desk during her co-op term at CENGN.
Use the resources available to you
Souaid is an example of the success that students can achieve during their co-op work terms. For students just entering the world of co-op, what can they do to have the same kind of success?
As with most things, the answer is to prepare in advance for the work that’s coming. Lucky for you, there are tons of resources to help you get ready for your co-op position.
The Cooperative Education Department at Algonquin College
The Algonquin co-op department is a good place to start. The co-op department facilitates the job hunting process for students, and provides employers with pools of candidates to interview and choose from.
But for students, there is so much more the co-op office does. When students are accepted into co-op, they gain access to learning modules that walk them through identifying their skills, writing resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, networking, and more.
The department is also staffed by co-op consultants, who hold mock interviews, resume writing workshops, co-op orientations, and more. These consultants are all available to meet one-on-one with students to prepare them for their co-op positions, a feature that Souaid took full advantage of.
“[Souaid] was a model co-op student,” says Janick Lobb, a consultant in the Algonquin College co-op department. “She came to workshops and worked with us to get her resume and cover letter ready for job applications. It’s one of the reasons she got such a great co-op position.”
Identify Your Skills
We’ve talked before on the blog about the importance of knowing what your skills are. Once you have those skills identified, it’s equally important to exercise them.
Souaid did exactly that. Prior to her co-op term, she worked on brushing up her web development skills. This provided great background for when Souaid started building the new CENGN site.
Knowing what your skills are helps you prepare for the hiring process, as you’ll know what skills you have that employers want. Once you’re in your co-op position, you’ll also have a better idea at what kind of work you can excel at, and what work will provide you with an excellent learning experience.
By knowing your skills and continuously working to keep them sharp, you’ll set yourself up for success in any work environment.
Souaid and her colleagues at work.
Have the Right Attitude
Co-op is a unique opportunity to experience the work life while still being in a learning space. By keeping in mind that every day at work is a learning experience, you’ll stand to gain a ton of benefits during your term.
There will be challenges, and you will have a lot to absorb.
“There was a lot of learning I had to do while developing the website,” says Souaid of her time with CENGN. Souaid’s work at her co-op position gave her the chance to learn all the aspects of building a large-scale website from the scratch.
This is the value of co-op. You get to learn while doing awesome, large-scale projects that hone your skills and develop your workplace experience.
And what advice does Souaid have for prospective co-op students?
“I would recommend that future co-op students come in with an open mind and do a placement that they enjoy,” she says. It’s excellent advice for anyone.
Are you interested in taking a co-op course at Algonquin College? Are you an employer looking to hire an Algonquin co-op student? Get in touch with us! Visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623.
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