Should you stay or should you go?

Melissa Nodding  //  November 23, 2012

It’s not easy deciding to accept an offer to return to the same workplace for a second co-op work term. The co-operative education program is designed to give students the opportunity to experience different workplaces before entering the workforce after graduation. Co-op allows students to experiment and figure out which jobs are most suitable for them. Often when co-op students are presented with the option to return to an organization for a second work term they are torn and start considering the pros and cons. They wonder, “What can I gain from returning to work for this organization?” or, “Is it better to try something new?”

I sat down with a co-op student who stayed with the same organization for all three work terms, and another student who had three different co-op placement experiences.

For Kristina Bland, when considering whether to accept a re-hire or not, the answer was an absolute “Yes.” Working for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Fort McMurray, AB, Kristina says that she had the opportunity to grow on many levels each time she returned.

“When I got back [for my second work term] I told my boss I wanted to work on my writing and he pushed me every single day. They made it a priority to ensure my skill set was growing.” Kristina says.

Kristina says that you have to consider whether or not the organization will give you the opportunity to take on more work, become a leader or try something completely out of your comfort zone. This is what co-op is for – opening your eyes to the endless possibilities and experiences ahead.

When Kristina first started at the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo she did external communications such as media advisories, news releases and planning events. When she returned for her second co-op work term, she did internal communications including newsletters, drafting of internal emails and working on various internal projects. Kristina is currently in her third work term with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and says she’s taken on more of a leadership role and has been heading all the projects she’s working on. Although Kristina stayed with the same organization for all three of her co-op work terms, she was able to get out of her experience exactly what she wanted. She was able to develop new skills every co-op term and use skills she had already developed in previous work terms. Each time she returned she was able to gain more and more responsibility.

The trust students are allotted is a significant pro when returning to the same organization for more than one co-op work term. Kristina’s employer gave her more responsibility as she had gained their trust and was able to grow into a leadership role by the time she hit her third work term. This isn’t always going to happen, but if students are clear with employers about what they’d like to work on, it can turn out to be a great experience for everyone. There was no downside for Kristina in returning to her co-op position, but when accepting a re-hire, students should keep in mind that they are returning to the same environment. Staying with the same employer does not provide students with the opportunity to work in different work settings and often this can be how an individual decides which sector suits them best and where they might flourish.  Students should do what they feel is right for them; in Kristina’s case, returning to the Municipality of Wood Buffalo for all three co-op work terms was the right thing for her.

Working for three different organizations over a work terms is a fantastic way to experience different environments and various kinds of tasks for a shorter period of time. Clara Clorey is in her third co-op work term and currently working for Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia.

“It’s only for four months” she says, “you can do anything for four months.”

Clara’s first work term was working for Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency (ACOA) where she learned a lot about external communications. Since ACOA is a federal agency that provides funds to communities and groups, Clara communicated regularly with external clients, worked closely with the media and wrote speeches. She was constantly working in a team environment. For her second work term, Clara accepted a job offer with Johnson Insurance in St. Johns, NL. Clara had a much different experience there. She was working independently and her employer gave her the task of writing articles for the Intranet and planning internal employee events. Her position at Johnson required her to interview people and generate stories that would be of interest to internal stakeholders. These stories were a way of letting employees know what’s going on within the organization, and what kind of staff events were coming up. Clara’s current work term is with Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia, which is a non-profit organization. Here, she is doing everything from giving presentations to grade school students, to working on special projects, to running social media outlets for Junior Achievement.

For Clara, these three different experiences were exactly what she wanted. It gave her the opportunity to decide which sectors she liked most, what environment she most excelled in and really figure out who she is as a person. It gave her the opportunity to travel and live in new places, meet new people and make important connections. Like Clara said, you only have to do it for four months; you can do anything or live anywhere for four months.

The disadvantages to completing three different co-op work terms would be the inability to gain the level of trust and responsibility that comes with time. Students have to take into consideration that they will have to adjust to different office environments and learn the cultures of different organizations. It may take a while to get settled in, to work with a new team, and to produce higher quality work in an unfamiliar environment. Students should consider what’s best for them. If given the opportunity to potentially accept a re-hire, go through the steps that Kristina outlined. Figure out if the organization can offer what’s necessary to reach full potential and develop desired skills during co-op experiences. Choosing to take three different co-op’s will expose students to different areas of public relations (private, public and not-for profit). This will be beneficial after  graduation and during job searches. Students will know exactly what sector they like, what kind of environment they can flourish in and they will have a wealth of diverse skills to rely on.

Both options offer different things to different people. It is up to the student to decide what they will get out of the co-op experience and how they are going to do that. Take full advantage of trying new things, break out of comfort zones and, whether accepting a re-hire or simply testing out the waters in different sectors, students will come out with experience that could help land a dream job later on.

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A transfer student from Memorial University in St. John’s, NL, Melissa is currently in her second year of studies in the BPR program. Hailing from Lunenburg, NS, she missed home and decided to pack up and head to Halifax. Currently working as the Co-op Student Assistant in the Cooperative Education Office, Melissa is settling into Mount life and looks forward to the next 2 years of the BPR program.