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Tips and Advice

  • Work term advice
  • Gernal advice


    • Work term advice

    Now that you got the job, how do you handle your first work term? After the initial excitement has worn off and exams are over, you might start panicking about what to do. Check out the following tips, and relax because there’s nothing to worry about.

  • If you don’t live in the area where your placement is, be sure to check the route so you won’t be late on the first day.
  • Make sure you know where to go and whom to meet, so you don’t get yourself lost somewhere in the company.
  • Call/Email ahead of time to confirm what time to be at work the first day. Not only does it show that you are responsible, it will also remind the boss to prepare for your arrival.
  • Dress nicely and show up early the first day on the job. Bring a clipboard and a pen. First impressions do count so make sure you’re ready.
  • While it is good to show your supervisor that you are hard-working, take some time out from time to time to interact and socialize with your co-workers.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for more work.

    • General Advice

  • Typically, less people apply to jobs outside of the city of Toronto as opposed to within the city, so your chances are higher the further you apply.
  • Try to apply to co-op jobs outside of the ones posted at UW. You can register for monster.ca or workopolis.com or other free job search websites to improve your chances of finding a job for the next work term.
  • Try to prepare for an interview the night before by doing a little research into the company, reviewing your resume and any technical skills (e.g. C++, VHDL, digital circuits, etc.) that they are looking for. There’s a good chance that they will ask you some technical questions. (Interview skills)Be prepared to answer questions which they give you a situation/problem to solve. Think thoroughly before answering because the way you handle a situation affects their decision. Do not hesitate to ask for mayble ½ minutes to think about the problem (Interview skills)
  • Show up fifteen to twenty minutes earlier for your interview, in case they’re running ahead of schedule. It reflects nicely on you since you are prepared ahead of time.
  • Try to think of some questions to ask the interviewer, like “What are some examples of projects that previous co-op students have worked on?”, or “What is the dress code in the office?” or “What kind of skills will I be learning?”. It is up to you whether to ask the interviewer about the pay rate.
  • Do not feel discouraged if an interview was dreadful, especially ones that focus mainly on technical questions. Most employers are not looking to see if you answered correctly, but the thinking process of how you arrived at your answer. There is still a chance that you will get the job.
  • On ranking day, be sure to visit the field coordinator of the job you are most interested in. They can offer you insight into how previous co-op students have felt about the job and they can advise you in your choices of ranking.
  • Try not to leave your work report until the last moment. Talk to your supervisor about suggestions for a topic in the third or fourth month of the work term and then get started. It will be quite stressful to try and write it the first week back.