Top Sources for Finding a Co-op Job (Outside of HireAC)
Posted on Monday, November 9th, 2020
For an Algonquin College co-op student, HireAC is an excellent, effective, and key platform for job searches. However, the opportunities on HireAC are still limited, especially during the pandemic. For the students struggling to find co-op work placements, it’s insufficient to rely solely on HireAC. Other platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, the Government of Canada Summer Jobs, the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), and Outcome Campus Connect are excellent ways to apply and secure placements. The following tips introduce these platforms and provide instructions for students.
LinkedIn is a convenient platform for job searching and professional networks. Your LinkedIn profile shows your educational and professional experiences, connect you with industrial peers and potential employers, and help companies find you. Once you set up your LinkedIn profile, the platform will automatically recommend jobs for you based on your profile. Also, your connections on LinkedIn can offer you inspirations and opportunities. You can also search for companies you are interested in.
Indeed has abundant job listing resources worldwide. It aggregates job listings from thousands of recruitment websites and company webpages. Students can search for specific positions based on their needs, such as location, job title, salary range, etc. The website offers a comprehensive listing that shows all available results from specific keywords, levels of experiences, and industry field. Once you store your resume, it will become searchable for the hiring managers. You can also check out the reviews on the company web pages from Indeed.
The Canada Summer Jobs program is an excellent opportunity for youths between the ages of 15 and 30 who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons whom refugee protection has been conferred. This program provides full-time work experiences from May to August in Canada for a minimum of 6 weeks. Students looking for a Spring/Summer co-op can apply directly from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank website.
You are eligible to apply for the Federal Student Work Experience Program if you meet the following criteria: You are a full-time student. You are a returning full-time student. You meet the minimum age requirement in the province/territory of work. If you are an international student, you could also apply for this program. Visit the Government of Canada’s website to apply for FSWEP jobs. After you submit your application, your resume is placed in the Government of Canada’s student inventory. When there are job openings hiring managers will search through this inventory and if your application matches the manager’s search criteria, you may be contacted for a test and/or interview. Over 8000 students were hired through FSWEP from 2018-2019.
Outcome Campus Connect is an alternative source of job opportunities that you can view directly on HireAC. The College has partnered with the Outcome Campus Connect, a job posting service in collaboration with Magnet and Orbis, to assist the matching of working integrated learning experiences between students and employers. The job opportunities on Outcome Campus Connect are not vetted by the Co-op Department. So you’ll need to make sure that the jobs you applied to satisfy the criteria required for a valid co-op job (paid, full-time hours, and related to your program-of-study). You can access the job postings by logging on to HireAC, going to the ‘Co-op Job Postings’ page, and clicking the link ‘Outcome Campus Connect Opportunities’ at the bottom of the page.