Blog

Best of the Co-op Blog: A Year-End Roundup

We have come to the end of 2017, and the end of the fall semester. It’s been a full year of blogging for us here in the Co-op Department—in fact, we’ve written somewhere around 84 posts since January, which work out to something like 67,000 words this year!

With all those posts flying around, picking out the best ones to help you with your co-op experience can be tricky. So, to help you find the information you need to make the most of the next semester, may we present (in no particular order) our top 5 posts from 2017.

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How to Network (Without Going to Networking Events)

You’ve probably heard by now that the very best way to find job opportunities is through networking. In fact, it’s estimated that 70 percent of jobs are found by networking, as opposed to using online job boards. What does that mean for you?

It means that taking steps to grow your personal network is the best way to find awesome co-op opportunities, and that doing so will give you so many more opportunities once you graduate. Your network is the single best resource you have for job hunting. So how do you grow it?

Traditionally, articles like this will recommend that you attend networking events. These can be super valuable: you get to meet all kinds of people in your industry as you mingle over hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. You can make some awesome connections this way.

But for some people, networking events are the opposite of fun or useful. Depending on your personality, they may not be the best environment for you to shine and meet awesome people. And that’s why this post exists: to show you other actionable, useful ways to grow your network.

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The Top Resume Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

As a co-op student at Algonquin College, you’ll be asked to create a co-op-specific resume before beginning your job hunt. Because the Co-op Department spends a lot of time talking with employers about the things they look for on co-op resumes, we’ve been able to identify the best way to layout your resume for success (you can find the guidelines for this in your Coop1000 modules on Blackboard).

Because we review all your resumes before okaying you to look at jobs, we see a lot of the same mistakes made over and over. And in the interest of helping you build the best resume you can, we’re sharing those top mistakes—and how you can fix them. Read on!

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The Reasons Why Co-op is Awesome for Employers

As an employer, you may not be sure about the co-op process. Is it beneficial? Is it time-consuming? What are the advantages of bringing students on board at your organization?

Here’s the thing—co-op students bring a ton of benefits to the organizations they work for. These benefits go way beyond just fulfilling the role they’re assigned. Co-op students are proven to have positive last impact at their placements, and that means they can help you grow your organization.

What does that positive impact look like? Why are co-op students so awesome for employers? Read on for more.

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How to Stay Healthy at Work This Winter

It’s chilly outside, the holidays are approaching, and life is super busy—that’s right, it’s winter again! For those of us who work in offices, winter comes with its own set of unique challenges and difficulties. When you spend winter working in an office, it can sometimes start to feel like everyone around you is sick, and you haven’t seen the sun in a month. In that kind of environment, it’s really easy to forget to take special steps to stay healthy during the coldest part of the year.

Luckily, there are some very easy steps you can take during the winter to make sure you stay healthy, strong, and motivated through the whole season.

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