New to the co-op program and getting ready to apply for your first round of placements? Or maybe you’re getting ready to apply for your second or third placements—whatever the case, the following tips and tricks are ones I’ve come up with, looking back on my three co-op experiences, to help new and current co-op students find success when starting the application process.
Phase 1: Choosing co-ops to apply for
Take a quality over quantity approach when applying for co-op placements
While it’s encouraged to apply for as many co-op job postings as possible, I’ve found that it only increases the already high stress level that accompanies this process. It’s especially stressful when you hear back from all that you’ve applied to, and now have to prepare for six interviews all in the span of three days. Apply to jobs that interest you, don’t just apply for the sake of applying.
Don’t be afraid to do your own job search
The Mount’s database for jobs is great, but the postings can sometimes be repetitive and limited depending on what industry you’re hoping to work in. Particularly as you apply for your second and third co-ops, you may be looking for a chance to explore a new path or work outside the Atlantic region. If this is the case, the best way to do this is through conducting your own job search.
Two of my three co-op placements have come out of conducting my own job search and reaching out to organizations that interested me. In doing this, I was shocked to discover how willing these organizations were to hire a co-op student and how beneficial the placements were.
Note: The co-op office is very encouraging and helpful when you go about conducting your own job search. They of course also need to approve the placement so it’s good practice to keep in touch with your co-op coordinator when starting your search.
Look for a variety of experiences
As much as you can, try and choose co-ops that offer different experiences. If your first co-op was all social media management, have your next one focus on public affairs or marketing, so you are able to be exposed to many facets of PR work.
Looking back, I was surprised with the type of work I ended up liking most, and areas I thought I’d like most ended up being my least favourite. Overall, I found that co-ops are great because they give you an opportunity to narrow down what you want out of your career, providing you with insights into the types of jobs you may want to apply for in the future.
Phase 2: Writing cover letters
Tailor yourself and your skills to the description provided in the organization’s job posting
This may sound obvious, but it can’t be stressed enough. Make sure you are highlighting why you are the right fit for the position. This is best done by looking through the co-op job posting and pull out the skills you have already and include these in your cover letter.
By doing this, you’re not only demonstrating why you’re the right fit for the position, but you’re also showing that you’ve read the posting and know what roles you’ll be expected to fulfill.
Don’t stress if your cover letter is more than one page
Contrary to what you’ll be told, employers do not ignore cover letters that exceed the one page ‘rule’, in fact all of my cover letters were about 1.25 to 1.5 pages and this never worked against me when it came to getting an interview.
Now, I’m not advocating for filling the letter with irrelevant info or to go on at length about yourself, but so long as you’re including key information (your skills, past work experiences, and your PR education experience) it’s okay if this info covers more than one page. Just be sure you didn’t repeat anything and everything you included is relevant to the organization you’re applying for.
Phase 3: The interview process
Come up with unique and thought-provoking questions
I’m guilty of not doing this with my first few co-op interviews for sure. I prepped answers to questions I thought they might ask me, but I did not put enough thought into what questions to ask them, and without fail, in every case the interviewer closed by asking if I had any questions for them.
After a few tries at this, I found that the best questions are ones that demonstrate you not only researched the organization you’re applying to, but also are up on news and trends surrounding their organization—all of which can be found through their website and giving their social media accounts a quick scan.
It’s also good to keep questions open-ended, so as to encourage a lengthier response and possibly spark further dialogue between you and the interviewer.
Ensure your internet connection is strong
There’s nothing more frustrating for an interviewer than having a constant lag or fuzzy picture while trying to conduct an interview and it can unintentionally leave a bad impression of the interview.
Quick tips for avoiding unexpected internet issues:
· Close off other apps on your laptop/desktop
· Restart your device before logging onto the interview platform
· If you’re somewhere rural, where the bandwidth does not compare to urban areas, shut off the wi-fi on other devices near you.
Log onto the interview platform beforehand to test it out
Log on early to the link, whether it’s Teams, Zoom, Webex or another platform, each can come with their own connection issues. It’s good practice to figure this out before your interview is about to begin.
I’ve run into issues where I go to connect five minutes before the interview and I’m confronted with needing to update the app, which could cause you to be late to the meeting—definitely not a good look.
So, there you have it—eight tips to make your co-op application process smoother, from a fourth year PR co-op student who’s been through the exciting (and stressful) experience a few times now.
These tips aside, the biggest piece of advice I have for new and current co-op students is to be willing and unafraid to step out of your comfort zone—both when applying for and accepting co-ops. Conduct your own job search, reach out to people in your network, and recognize what types of experiences you want to gain and connect with people to help make those wants a reality. In doing this, you’ll get the most out of your co-op experiences and set yourself up for future success.
Article By: Sophie Blondin
Editor, Symmetry Public Relations
