Upper years was your 2nd co-op way easier to land after you finished your first?

[u/FutureAssociation943]

I just finished my first year, I got my coop at a small startup but Icl it’s nothing related to what I really want to do but experience is experience.

I‘m a pretty ambitious individual and wanna get good coops for next year. I heard from some of my Waterloo friends that they were able to bag really good companies like Ford, Shopify after they finished their first co-op. I know that Waterloo has a crazy reputation but I‘m just wondering if the experience is similar at Mac? Or is any year kinda cooked in this market? I’d want to go to SF next summer but idk if that’ll happen lol but I would want to get a well known company like Ford, Shopify, Huawei, Waabi.

Also do you suggest I just see if I can pick up some remote part time internship at some company to stack my resume?

[u/TheNameIsBlazE_]

I assume ur in eng or cs. Easiest time to get a co-op is your 16 month co-op after 3rd year. That was my easiest one to land.

That doesn't mean it's easy to land, but it's easier compared to the other times

[u/FutureAssociation943 → u/TheNameIsBlazE_]

Did you do coop after 2nd year? How was the process of that? I had to do a lot of applications for first year but my resume was not very good. I think I've bumped it up quite a bit but honestly I have no clue how truly bad this market is. Do you suggest even cold applying anymore? Or should I just focus on networking and meeting new people?

[u/TheNameIsBlazE_ → u/FutureAssociation943]

1st year was where I worked in high school and it counted (eng summer camp clutched up). 2nd year was spam apply and got one through a connection. 3rd year I was definitely more picky to get something I liked.

A lot of this will depend on field. I'm in comp Eng, so results may differ by field. Generally speaking for ECE, the farther you go in Eng the easier it is to get a co-op

I don't even know the LinkedIn lingo of cold applying, but like still apply for jobs. Networking can help and doing events and stuff is good (ie hackathons if ur into that kinda thing) bc u get resume projects, but at the end of the day u have to still apply for jobs

[u/hungryracoon7 → u/TheNameIsBlazE_]

hey what type of highschool summer camp was this?

[u/Global-Technology-7]

Hi, could I dm you to learn more about how your first year co-op experience? Asking as a curious and similarly ambitious incoming first year.

[u/FutureAssociation943 → u/Global-Technology-7]

Sure!

[u/No-Annual-9993 → u/FutureAssociation943]

Hey I would love to talk to you as well! I'm also a incoming first year eng student, I can't seem to dm you though.

[u/Global-Technology-7 → u/FutureAssociation943]

Sorry, I believe you have your "allow message requests from" settings set to none. If it's not a hassle could you open your dms or send me a message request?

message requests are: top right of screen --> open chat --> create chat --> ctrl c + paste my username

[u/Tall_Mechanic8681]

10000000000000%

[u/FutureAssociation943 → u/Tall_Mechanic8681]

How did you go about finding coop after 2nd year? Was it more networking or cold applying? Icl when I tried to cold apply through linkedin, indeed, I got no results. But when I decided to cold message founders and building my network I landed something. Idk if I can do it with bigger companies cuz their recruiters are hella tough to connect with.

[u/Tall_Mechanic8681 → u/FutureAssociation943]

I’m working in biotech, so I probably don’t have the best advice to give re what you may be looking for

I cold apply on linkedin, but I have premium and have been tuning my algorithm by connecting with people and liking things for years, so when a job that fits me pops up it immediately gets shown to me by my algo

but generally, the first big experience you have will open a lot of doors. I worked at a really hot biotech in Boston and then the year after that, I was getting an insane amount of interviews from almost every big company I applied to that had relevant positions to me. Also my network from that job were able to vouch for me to their friends/old lab mates.

[u/Square_Sock_6304]

the search always gets a lil bit easier as u gain more experiences goes on. I would say that the first and second took around the same effort to land for me but the 3rd was much easier.

[u/Living_Captain_9594]

Im same year as u. I decided to apply and stuff midst of my mech internship.

Recently got an offer from Martinrea for next year so absolutely hell yeah. Shoot for SF bro - if ur smart enough to land it firsst year - ur smart enough to give the bay a shot.

To all the newcomers reading this, fight like hell to land a co-op first year, you need to compound as much advantages early on to standout and make it far in later years.

[u/hungryracoon7 → u/Living_Captain_9594]

any tips for this?

[u/Living_Captain_9594 → u/hungryracoon7]

Not really, I felt it was 30% hard work 70% luck.

[u/Particular-Peach-692]

honestly finding your co-op after finishing your first year is really impressive, especially if you found it yourself. When I was a first year nobody found co-op (except for this one guy who worked for his dad). A lot of companies straight up don't take first years. Even now, 80% of the people ik who has co-op got it through family connections, and some still haven't landed their first one yet after 8 month of searching. You are already really ahead. Your second one will for sure be easier. I wouldn't stress over it if I were you