Co-op
Some insights into our experience applying for internships for our first coop term
Making Use of WaterlooWorks
Most of us ended up using WaterlooWorks at some point in the application process, 95% of us submitted at least 1 application on there!
Number of respondents: 61
Number of Job Applications Submitted
As much as WaterlooWorks stresses us out, it sure did push us to submit applications with us submitting 6 times more applications on WaterlooWorks compared to externally.
Number of respondents: 59
Number of respondents: 60
WaterlooWorks Interviews vs Matched Process
About 60% of the class got at least 3 interviews through WaterlooWorks but it was challenging with about 1/6th of the class not getting ranked at all this term.
Number of respondents: 60
Number of respondents: 60
How and When Did We Get Employed?
60% of us got our jobs through WaterlooWorks. Over half of us even got a job before the end of cycle 2! Pretty impressive for a first internship.
Number of respondents: 58
Number of respondents: 58
Dream field and the Fields We Ended Up In
Not all dreams become reality right off the bat, most of us were hoping to get roles in software but ended up in other.... but it's ok the designers and mechanicals ended up right where they wanted to be.
Number of respondents: 54
How was the cash flow in our first internships
Over half the respondents were in the $20-$25 salary range, that should be enough to cover next terms tuition..... right? (yes, if you are good at saving)
Number of respondents: 53
Fully remote or Fully In person
Over half the respondents were located in the GTA living the city life. Looks like fully in-person was the most common model, shocking considering we were in a pandemic 2 years ago!
Number of respondents: 54
Number of respondents: 58
Coop Term Enjoyement
Every term has it's pros and cons but it looks like the pros have outweighed it's cons on this one!
Number of respondents: 58
Company Size
We had a wide range of company sizes but most common was 1000+ employee companies.
Number of respondents: 58
Anything you wish you knew before starting the co-op search?
Keep on top of your applications and co-op search, prioritize it (especially during earlier rounds).
Start applying before the term starts and pray. Also connections are super important so start asking family/friends about opportunities EARLY!!
A cold application is a dead application; just use your network and connections to get a warm introduction or referral. Every job receives hundreds of CVs, so it's hard to stand out unless someone you know personally vouches for you.
Have your resume done early and actually use all your application slots on WW
Coop has been lonely; and I wish I knew this prior to starting.
The importance of a portfolio/personal website.