What are Co-ops?
Hello Everyone!
Hope you are all back in the groove of A-term and pumped up for the career fair. As you search for your next job opportunity at the upcoming career fair, I wanted to bring your attention towards co-op opportunities, which can help you, advance your skills and apply your knowledge!
Co-ops are full time employment with a company for 4-8 months. Most students spend their summer along with some academic terms as part of their co-op. It is a great way to earn valuable work experience and earn some money as well. To start off your search you can start in Handshake, however make sure to include internships in your search as well as many companies cross-list internships/Co-ops. If you are not sure whether a company hires Co-ops, send them an email and confirm!
Kazim Shaikh, the Co-op ambassador at the Career Development Center completed his Co-op at Synopsys as a Digital Design Intern. According to him, due to his Co-op program, he was given a training of 1 month which gave him time to adjust to a new environment and made him proficient in his skills. His peers were able to trust his abilities and allowed him to lead conference calls with the Indian Branch. Due to the 6 month duration of his work at Synopsys, he was able to complete the same tasks as assigned to full time team members. This is different from a traditional 3 summer internship which allows less time for training and less intensive projects.
It is important to plan your schedule if you plan to complete a Co-op. It is ideal to complete a Co-op program after your sophomore year and before the end of your junior year. If a first year student or senior is interested in doing Co-op they need to work with their faculty advisor and the Office of Academic Advising to determine if a Co-op is a feasible option. Seniors must have undergraduate classes to take upon returning from their Co-op.
If you need more information about Co-ops, feel free to email coop@wpi.edu. Have a great career fair and good luck with the job applications.
-Ali
