Inside sCo-op

Networking: Who’s Doing It & Why You Should Start

Time Crunch

at Queen’s Park

Home on the Range culture shock in

Texas

African Adventurechasing cheetahs

in Botswana Grad school, immediate real-world

impacts and a cultural

awakening...Co-op has it all!

What are the benefits of co-op?

Spring 2009 Issue II

Inside sCo-op

InsIde sCo-op Contents

Home on the Range...2A San Antonio work term opened JS Rancourt’s eyes to the cul-turally diverse world.

In Politics, The Clock is King...4David Isern’s co-op employment at Queen’s Park has an immedi-ate impact.

Life After Co-op: Turning Your Co-op Job into Full-Time Employment...5Advice from Christina Bouda, corporate recruiter for Conestoga Rovers and Associates, on how to get a permanent offer of em-ployment.

African Adventure...6A co-op adventure in Botswana led Nicole Giberson to Grad School in Namibia.

Boost Your Work Search Success: Network...8Career Services Supervisor Jayne Hayden explains why network-ing is important and how you can do it!

Co-op Students Working at the Tatham Centre...9Meet the students working at the heart of Co-op & Career Ser-vices.

Thinking About Internationalization?...9How co-op experience can help you get UW’s new Global Experi-ence Certificate.

The Inside sCo-op is an e-publication that is released bi-monthly by Co-operative Education and Career Services at the University of Waterloo.

InsIde sCo-op CreditsEditor Karina Graf

Staff Editor Olaf Naese, Communications & Public Relations, CECS

ContributorJayne Hayden, Career Services Supervisor, CECS

PhotosJS Rancourt, David Isern, Christina Bouda, Nicole Giberson & Olaf Naese

Special Thanks Sue Johnston & Jennifer Gaunt

5CRA hires both co-op and graduating students

TC Co-op Jobs9

Texas Culture Shock2

Botswana Adventure

6

Inside sCo-op

Miss Suzie had a steam boat. The steam boat had a bell. Miss Suzie went to heaven. The steam boat went to…

Hello Friends,

Remembering games like Miss Suzie’s clapping rhyme that occupied sunshine-filled days of past sum-mers seems like a far cry from my temperature-controlled (and perfectly lovely) current office. I’ve been fortunate to spend the past five summers in a bathing suit, sunglasses and SPF 30 – lifeguarding at outdoor pools – but have finally joined the ranks of the 9 to 5 working world.

Though we aren’t spending our days soaking up the sun, those of us who merely gaze at the fluffy white clouds and lush green grass through a pane of glass have a distinct advantage: employment.

As an MA student with only one eight-month co-op term I wanted to know: how can I get the most out of my co-op employment? In this issue, we highlight the benefits of co-op employment as noted by other students. You’ll read about a co-op work term in Africa that led Nicole Giberson back to Africa for graduate studies. You may also benefit from tips for garnering full-time employment while checking out our interview with Christina Bouda, an employer who often hires co-op students upon graduation. Finally, don’t miss the humorous story about the many cultural differences observed by JS Rancourt during his co-op employment in San Antonio, Texas.

Don’t spend your day dreaming of the beach, longing to teleport to a patio or wishing you were fish-ing. Make the most of your work term.

Happy Reading,

Karina

Karina Graf, Media & Publications Associate, CECS MA Candidate, English Rhetoric & Communication Design

Editor’s Note

Are you the next Student of the Year?

One student from each faculty will receive the distinction of Co-op Student of the Year. The winners will be students who best demonstrate the following achievements: - Receive an “Outstanding” evaluation during 2009 - Maintain an average of 75% or better - Take leadership roles on-campus, at work and in the community - Contribute to an employer - Contribute to co-op in some way

If you are interested in learning more or if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, click here: http://www.cecs.uwaterloo.ca/students/SOTYaward.php

Final application packages are due by December 11, 2009. We strongly encourage you to begin the application process now. You will avoid the last minute rush be-fore the December seasonal break, and your outstanding work term is still fresh in your mind – and your employer’s!

InsIde sCo-op2

2009 Co-op Student of the Year winners. Left to right (back row) Ray Cao, Elyot Grant (front row) Renee Smith, Amanda Hird, Safia Ladha, Dafne Gokcen.

JS Rancourt’s co-op experience in San Antonio, Texas was certainly an eye-opener! Working for an engineering firm, JS thought he would learn volumes. Surprisingly, the steepest learning curve encountered by the 3A Mechanical Engineering student was cultural. Although the working atmosphere was light-hearted and JS got along well with his co-workers, many of their beliefs were completely opposite to his. JS’s Texas anec-dotes illuminate some cultural differences he noticed in San Antonio.

Don’t Mess With Texas

“Don’t mess with Texas” started as an anti-littering campaign slogan in 1986. Nowadays it embodies the tough atti-tude of Texans. Flags, t-shirts, mugs and bumper stickers all proudly dis-play the motto. As JS drove into town he spotted flags sporting the phrase everywhere. “That’s the attitude,” says JS, “Don’t mess with Texas.”

Office Décor

Instead of the mountains of home dé-cor magazines found on grocery store shelves in Canada, in Texas you’ll find stacks of publications featuring the latest and greatest guns, hunting gear and fishing supplies.

Considering this reading material, it should come as no surprise that the office walls aren’t painted in the latest ‘boutique-hotel blue’ colour and there are no eco-chic bamboo floors. Instead, 10 deer heads – a reminder of one employee’s past hunting victories – proudly line the walls.

Conspiracy Theory

Drive a Prius, save the environment? Not according to JS’s truck fanatic co-workers. Many believe the environmental movement is bogus. JS reports that some San Antonians “believe that ‘green’ is a government

conspiracy designed to make people feel good - people think since they’ve shut their lights off and drive small cars they’re helping the world. It’s a way for government to make people feel better. Many people think it’s also a way for the government to gain power and control over people by taking their freedom away - their freedom to drive big trucks.”

Christmas Guns

“Two weeks after I got there, we’re talking about Christmas – this is in January. One employee says she

bought her son a gun for Christmas.

“I’m like, ‘Oh really? How old is he?’

“‘He’s six.’

“And I’m totally shocked.

“She’s taken aback at my sur-prise, and continues, ‘It’s his third gun. He had one when he was born and he had another when he was two and now he’s got a third and he’s six.’”

Captain Planet

Recycling didn’t appear to be a common practice in San Antonio. JS recalls, “The office did not recycle paper. When you print something wrong, even 100 pages, it goes into the garbage.”

JS had a recycling bin delivered to the office. He remembers, “The first month’s pick-up was jam-packed – you couldn’t lift it.”

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Even though his co-workers started to use the bin, JS says, “They made fun of me.” In fact, his co-workers even played a recycling prank that involved decorating the of-fice with paper. A video of his reaction became an office smash with employees and clients alike.

home on

An enlightening cultural adventure in the wild, wild west.

the range

3

JS eats a breakfast taco in his office.

InsIde sCo-op

After the recycling jokes subsided, JS found that his contribution made a difference. He says, “The bin’s still there. I called the office after my co-op term was completed and they still use it, so it helped a little bit. But I’m only talking about one little office.”

Obamonomics

As a joke, the JS’s co-workers hung a sign on the door that read, “Recycle. Obamonomics says so.”

Obamonomics: economic policies of President Obama’s administra-tion.

“Most don’t like Obama, in general,” says JS. “They love their country. And Obama is trying to change it. Right? Change. They hate the word ‘change.’ They’re like, ‘why? This is our country. If you’re not happy, go somewhere else.’”

Rush Limbaugh

“The big subject in Texas is Rush Limbaugh. The guys in the office plugged a radio in on my office desk. Every day at 11am they’d come turn on Limbaugh’s talk show for three hours. I loved it, because he is like Fox News [which is sometimes described as right-wing and Repub-lican-oriented] times ten. Listening to Rush Limbaugh for a couple of

months opened my eyes to what some Texans really think. He’s completely right-wing and he is not a fan of Obama. The people that are Republican, right-wing, they believe [everything he says] and they love listening to him.”

Come Back Now, Y’hear

Despite their differences, JS got along well with his co-workers. The of-fice atmosphere was continually filled with jokes and belly laughs. At the end of his co-op term, the San Antonio crew threw JS a goodbye party, with a card filled with jesting signatures reading, “Canada sucks” and “Come back now, y’hear” – all in good fun, of course.

As a souvenir of his time in San Antonio, the other employees gave JS a cowboy hat, bandanna, cap gun and, his personal favourite, a Fisher Price Paper Recycling Factory to commemorate his recycling crusade in the office. JS remembers receiving the gift, “Those guys laughed. I loved it.”

Finding Your Centre

Immersion in a cultural atmosphere opposite his norm has taught JS a life lesson that forced him to examine some of his long-held beliefs. He says, “It’s important to get both sides of the story. It’s like [every-one is] brainwashed. Everybody in Ontario is brainwashed, in a way, because they were raised [in a certain] way, and everyone in Texas is brainwashed in their way.”

“As an individual I think you have to grab all of the information and find your centre.”

A main benefit of his work term was that “The learning experience is huge,” says JS, “I learned so much about finding a balance and seeing the opposite, the complete opposite.”

He realized the way you approach someone with different beliefs is crucial. “You have to go there with an attitude of ‘I want to learn. I want to learn about your culture and beliefs. And then I might tell you why I disagree.’ It’s respect for where you are and the people with whom you are interacting.”

“That’s why I think travelling is important,” he says, “and I don’t mean going to Cuba for a week. I mean travelling and living somewhere is really important. I’m only talking about North America. I went only 2000 miles south and it’s just so different.”*Note to readers: This article recounts the differences between one par-ticular student’s impression of the contrast between his co-op experience in San Antonio and his life in Ontario. It does not represent the experi-ence of all students, the views of all San Antonio citizens, the views of the University of Waterloo, or the views of the publishers and editors of the Inside sCo-op at CECS.

“You have to go there with an attitude of ‘I want to learn. I want to learn about your culture and

beliefs. And then I might tell you why I disagree.’ It’s respect for where you are and the people

with whom you are interacting.”

Goodbye gifts from office friends included

a bandanna, cap gun and cowboy hat.

David Isern learned to keep a keen eye on the time while working three co-op terms inside the bustling offices at

the Ontario Legislative Building (aka Queen’s Park). His 13-hour days in-cluded a commute from Waterloo and many assignments that had to be com-pleted in only a few short hours or even minutes. At the centre of the legisla-tive action for Canada’s most populous province, David spent one term with the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and two with the Progressive Conservative Caucus. He applied to the original two-term job through JobMine and liked it so much he decided to stay for a third term, which he’s completing this sum-mer.

In his role as a Legislative Learner at the Legislative Assembly, the 4A Po-litical Science and History student was responsible for updating a database of venues for public consultations, co-ordinating venues, accommodation, ca-tering and transportation for MPP tours throughout Ontario and digitizing thou-sands of pages of Committee Minutes dating back to the early 1980s.

One job perk was travelling with the MPPs around Ontario. “I was able to talk one-on-one with MPPs from all parties during the long bus rides we took,” says David, “which provided a wealth of information about political processes as well as insight to the day-to-day life of an MPP.

As a Legislative Learner and Research Intern with PC Caucus Services, David found the pace exhilarating. He says, “Deadlines are usually in terms of hours and minutes; long-term projects are a couple days, at most, with most other matters having to be resolved in a few hours and the most pressing ones in minutes.”

David aspires to become a lawyer, and his PC research has solidified his future plan. “Perhaps the single most enjoyable aspect of my work here is the constant research in policy, particularly the legal aspects sur-rounding Bills being debated in the House,” he says, “I’ve always had

an interest in law and this work experience has confirmed my desire to pursue law as a career.”

During his Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 work terms, David was thrust into the ongoing economic Armageddon. He says PC Caucus Services were “closely monitoring the financial meltdown, particularly its effect on Ontario families and provincial industry. To witness such events from the provincial seat of power, like seeing Ontario’s Minister of Finance announce a projected deficit of $500 million for the fiscal year 2008-09 in late October and the responses from all three parties, was a truly unique experience.”

“Another great experience was witnessing the Tibetan protests on Queen’s Park in 2008 as well as the recent Tamil protests,” he recalls, “It is both an invigorating and humbling feeling to cross police lines and protestors.”

David often saw his suggestions put into action immediately. He says, “One interesting benefit of working in research is that I’m able to voice recommendations on the issues I’m investigating. The most gratifying aspect of this is when your recommendations are accepted and used by Members during their remarks.”

The scope of his work has been awe-inspiring. David says, “This is a place where challenges are faced and bested, where decisions can truly make a difference in the lives of thousands.”

In Politics, The Clock is King

David Isern stands in front of the Ontario Legislative Building

6:00 a.m. Leave Waterloo house6:35 Bus exits Kitchener station8:30 arrive in Toronto8:45 respond to email received overnight9:00 work on a long-term research investigation9:30 reply to emails requesting background info, press releases and quotes to be used by MPPs during Question Period (QP)10:30 QP begins. David returns to his research projects.11:30 waiting outside the Chamber to help record the media scrums after QP12:00 p.m. Lunch1:00 The rest of the afternoon is spent: -prepping for the following day by investigating issues that arose during QP and scrums -continuing long-term research -responding to any correspondence or calls from stakeholders or constituents that were forwarded from MPPs -preparing briefs on Bills before the House 5:30 bus leaves Toronto8:00 return to Waterloo home

David’s Typical Dayat PC Caucus Research

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Set of offices and branches responsible for the everyday running of the Legislature. Some of its services include the Com-mittees Branch, Hansard (a verbatim recording service), Legislative Security and Human Resources.

Ontario Progressive Conservative Caucus: Presently Her Majesty’s Official Opposition in Ontario. They provide the necessary checks and balances on the governing party and help ensure good governance in the province.

5InsIde sCo-op

What makes a student stand out positively during a co-op term?

“We’re looking for students who aren’t necessarily sitting around wait-ing for work to come to them – that type of attitude that says ‘what can I learn, what can I get out there, what can I add to my range of ex-perience?’ Students who want to increase their opportunities – those who go out and find work, talk to other mentors and get involved. Those are the students we want to bring back.

“I also like to see students get involved on a social level. CRA has lots of community and company events throughout the year. I find that those students who get involved and come to some of these social events tend to be the ones who network really well throughout the company. They tend to be the ones who stay on, longer term, because they’ve built those connections. ”

After co-op students have finished a work term, is there anything they can do to increase their chances of receiving an offer for future employment?“To stay connected, follow up with an email. I usually tell them, ‘If you’ve got any questions, email me. If you want to stay connected, if you want to come back, email me.’ And that’s usually just something very simple. I want returning students, term after term after term. We tell them, ‘If you come back to CRA your experience will be broader because you’ll get a deeper range of experiences. We’ll pay for further training so that you can have a more intense experience, we’ll send you to different parts of the company, different provinces or even a different country so that you get that experience in a different area altogether.’ ”

Why might you offer a co-op student full-time employment upon graduation?

“I tell students during co-op interviews I’m already considering them for a full-time employment opportunity. One reason is there’s always a really steep learning curve for a new graduate to come into a firm like

this. Any time I can hire a co-op student who’s comfortable with consulting – usu-ally through previous experience – is an advantage for us because the acclimatiza-tion is a lot easier on the student and the learning curve is less steep. It’s a benefit to both the student and to the company to get connected more smoothly. They under-stand the way the company works, they’re comfortable with consulting and the core values of the company, and they want to return because they like the company, they like the things we do here, and they’re coming back to take part in more and stay connected with the company’s value struc-ture. It’s just a good fit all-around.”

Is there anything else students should know?

“Loyalty is a big part of our company’s culture – being loyal to the firm, being loyal to yourself and your mentor. Any time I see a student who wants to return is a really great thing. It’s a compliment to the company that they want to continue to build on their experience and it’s a compli-ment to the student that they’ve got a loyal personality and they want to expand on what they’ve already got. For us it’s a win-win situation when a student wants to return to CRA and we make every effort possible to offer a returning student a more advanced and broader experience.”

Life After Co-opTurning Your Co-op Job into Full-Time Employment

In the photo: UW co-op student Jenna Pavlik with full-time employee Steve Whillier at CRA.

6InsIde sCo-op

W ith over 2,900 employees working in more than 90 offices spanning three conti-nents, it’s satisfying to note the integral role that UW students play within envi-ronmental consulting firm Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA). Founded by two former University of Waterloo students, CRA values its close relationship

with UW. It hires numerous graduates, as well as approximately 70 talented co-op students a year, primarily from the related disciplines of engineering, computer science and math. CRA provides engineering, environmental, construction and IT services to clients worldwide, work-ing on such projects as environmental site investigation, Brownfield redevelopment and con-struction of water and wastewater treatment plants.

UW students at CRA: Jenna Pavlik, Sarah Legg, Olivia McGuire, Kinnar Bhatt, Mark Nussli, Alexandra Lenarduzzi, Sylvie Spraak-man and Kwok Ting (Hammond)

Christina Bouda, a corporate recruiter for CRA, explains how students can turn a co-op term into a full-time job opportunity.

Science and Business student Nicole Giberson initially chose to attend UW based on two main criteria: her place on the woman’s varsity volleyball team and the influence of her favou-

rite cheering squad, Mom and Dad. Without a decisive future plan, the biology major used her co-op opportunity to find rewarding, out-of-the-ordinary employment. Buried among other offerings on JobMine was a position at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in Botswana, Africa.

With adventure on the brain, Nicole left the rolling hills of southwestern Ontario for the acacia trees and grassy knolls of Botswana. Many animal species call the reserve home, some of them indangered, including nine white rhinoceros and two orphaned cheetah brothers. Nicole thrived in Mo-kolodi’s team atmosphere, spending her days taking nature treks with kids, ATVing in the bush and feeding animals.

AfricaN AdventureA co-op term in Africa left Nicole Giberson enchanted. Her newfound

love of Africa led to an out-of-the-ordinary graduate school choice.

The outdoor work at Mokolodi was a perfect fit for Nicole. She says, “You know your job is good when it is the best part of the week and you can’t wait to go to work every day.”

In Botswana, Nicole’s days were packed with rewarding hands-on experiences such as cheetah feedings. Her super-visor encouraged fun and unique encounters. “He went out of his way to allow me to do so many cool things,” she says, “like to sit in on a wildebeest autopsy and to go into town when we got a call that there was a boomslang (a green momba – one of the most poisonous snakes in the world) in someone’s house.”

For many of us, living on a new continent and playing with animals in the forest all day would be a daunting challenge, but not for Nicole, who loved every minute. However, there were scary moments, even for her. “You are never truly safe here – ever,” says Nicole, “The most common time to get robbed is in the early afternoon on a Sunday in front of your house.” One of her friends experienced the terror firsthand, noticing men standing at each of the four windows in her living room. Although the police were

Nicole feeds Duma, an endangered

cheetah that was rescued by

Mokolodi’s staff after her mother was hit

by a car. Duma is the “spokescat”

for Cheetah Conservation Botswana, an

organization that educates people

about cheetah conservation.

7InsIde sCo-op

called, there were few, if any, repercussions for the rob-bers. “It is incredibly dangerous here.”

Inequality is also widespread. “The biggest difference I noticed, especially in the workplace,” says Nicole, “is that men are regarded as superior to women.” Being from Can-ada, Nicole found it challenging to deal with the discrimi-nation. In the end, she adds, “I had to compromise a bit and the men I worked with had to compromise a bit as well.”

Despite the trials, Nicole had an enjoyable African experi-ence. “When I was in Botswana I totally fell in love with

the country. I loved the lifestyle, the people and the place. It’s an incredible place with a sort of magic about it. Also, the work I was doing was amazing.”

In fact, the experience was so rewarding that it set the course for Nicole’s future. “I had been waiting for that ‘light bulb’ moment some people talk about. After leaving Botswana I knew I had that ‘light bulb moment’ but I had no idea how to make this dream materialize.” Nicole was passionate about working directly with the natural envi-ronment, similar to her employment at Mokolodi.

Dreaming of the sandy plains of Africa, Nicole returned to the textbooks and modern architecture of UW. She fin-

ished her degree four months ahead of schedule, in De-cember 2008, and returned to Africa – this time to Na-mibia, a country directly west of Botswana – for graduate studies, which began in February 2009. She is now work-ing to complete her Master’s of Biodiversity Research and Management, a joint degree from the University of Na-mibia and the University of Humbolt in Berlin, Germany.

Studies at UNam are sometimes frustrating. It isn’t un-usual for the lecturer to arrive 30 minutes late for class or interrupt the lecture to answer a cell phone call. No matter how hard she tries to pay them, Nicole hasn’t yet shelled

out a cent for her education – the attitude regarding most everything is “Don’t worry.” However, the classes are stimulating and the people are mostly kind and gener-

ous. When Nicole arrived without a place to stay, a class-mate offered temporary lodging.

The rewards stemming from her co-op employment in Africa are more numerous than the spots on all the chee-tahs she fed in Botswana. “I would like to issue an official warning to anyone thinking of coming to Africa,” says Ni-cole, “It gets into your blood and you will fall in love with it. There is something about this place that is addicting. Once you are able to taste it you cannot stay away for long. There is a spirit here that is like nowhere else I have ever been in the world.”

“When I was in Botswana I totally fell in love with the country. It’s an incredible place with a sort of magic about it.”

Clockwise from upper left: an endangered

white rhino at Mokolodi; Nicole and her UNam classmates

on a biogeography field trip surveying

vegetation change; specimens of all the

venomous snakes of Namibia; chame-

leon in the desert; UNam campus; local students on a game

drive at Mokolodi.

8

Did you know? The endangered white rhinoceros is a herbivore that mainly eats grass. Adults weigh 3,168 to 7,920 lbs, or 1,440 to 3,600 kg.

Have a

comment or

suggestion for the next Inside

sCo-op edition? Email

olaf@uwaterloo.ca now!

We’d love to hear your ideas!

InsIde sCo-op

Remember, networking can happen anywhere. Take advantage of chance meetings, be they on the bus or at the fitness club. Success stories abound of co-op students finding work term jobs through such sources as their chiropractor, a cab driver, a family friend or former neighbour. Consider everyone a potential source.

Beyond finding contacts for an immediate job search, effective networks take time to build and maintain. First, make the most of your co-op work terms. Build relationships with the ‘regular’ staff and find out more about the company, its people and other possible areas in which you might like to work. By tactfully asking the right questions of the right people, you may gain some valuable contacts. You may also develop a mentoring relationship with someone who can play a big role in your future. Think beyond just doing your work term assignment.

As well, attend campus employer information sessions and receptions. These are networking gold mines that provide you with the opportunity to socialize with recruiters. Plan to arrive a little early – you may just have the recruiters all to yourself before the other students show up.

Don’t forget career and job fairs. These are excellent opportunities to network with potential future employers – provided you prepare properly for them.

When introducing yourself to recruiters, step up to the person, shake their hand firmly, look them in the eye and state your name clearly. Tell them a little about yourself and your goals, and then ask intelligent questions about the company which show that you have done your research. Also ask them what they are looking for in their hires, what type of projects you would do, etc.

One of university’s best kept secrets is the low student membership rate offered by many professional associations. Membership enables

Boost Your Work Search Success: Network!

With warnings of an economy spiraling towards destruc-tion and a nano-sized job market seemingly only located through a microscope, survival (and success) comes to those who network! Fortunately, networking is often easi-

er in university than it will be in the ‘professional’ world. But what is it exactly and how DO you do it?

At its most basic level, networking is making contacts to gather infor-mation, advice and referrals. More accurately, it is a life-long process of actively building relationships. It is NOT ‘using’ people to get what you want. Networking is a skill that can be developed - and it doesn’t have to be a scary process.

Before you begin, be clear about your objective. What is your goal? What type of work are you seek-ing? Be specific. You should also prepare and rehearse 30 – 60 sec-ond “infomercial” about yourself and what you are seeking. Now you are ready to practice!

Make a list of all the people you know and approach them to find out who they might know in your area of interest. Don’t overlook anyone – you never really know who they might know and who that person might know, and so on… When you are referred to someone unfamiliar, ask if you can use your contact’s name, then call the person to whom you have been referred to set up a networking in-terview. You can also set up such a meeting with people to whom you

have not been referred, but whom you have identified as key prospects. Approach people with the attitude that their experience is valuable to you and you would like to learn more about what they do. Most people will be willing to help. Be patient: eventually you will be connected to a person who actually has the power to hire you.

Jayne Hayden, Career Services Supervisor

It’s estimated that most people have between 200 and 700 people in their network. Don’t forget... • Parents• Friends• Relatives• Neighbours• Studentpeers• Acquaintances (sports, clubs, social activities)• Alumni• Professorsand Teachers• Co-workers• Formeremployers• Businesscontacts (hairdresser, insurance agent, financial planner)• Professionals (doctor, lawyer, dentist, etc.)• Members/clergy at places of worship

Networking is a two-way street: people are more willing to help if you appear

genuinely interested and appreciative. Show them that you are just as valuable

to them as they are to you.

9InsIde sCo-op

students to expand their network with valuable new contacts. Besides attending meetings and conferences offered by the association, volunteer for projects or committee work to demonstrate your initiative, skills and knowledge – and impress!

Speaking of volunteering, don’t overlook this opportunity to meet peo-ple, build your network and to gain additional experience and skills. Consider offering your services to any of the large number of organi-zations on campus and in the community. Remember, employers in all fields look favourably on candidates who have a strong sense of com-munity involvement.

To be an effective networker, you must realize that networking is a two-way street: people are more willing to help if you appear genuinely

interested and appreciative. Make sure to follow up with a ‘thank you’ and attempt to reciprocate in some way. Show them that you are just as valuable to them as they are to you. For example, I recently helped a student with their career decision making and, in the conversation fol-lowing, happened to mention I was looking for vacation accommoda-tions. The next day, the student emailed me with some suggestions for accommodations that I might like. This is reciprocating!

Remember, networking is not who you know, but who knows you and what you can do. If someone doesn’t know you, it’s difficult for them to recommend you for an opportunity. Make sure your network is working for you!

Co-op Students

Working @ the Tatham

Centre Back row (left to right): Kyle Johnston PD Tutor, Phil McAuley Web Developer, Amanda Leigh PD Tutor. Middle row: Melissa Pound PD Tutor, Karina Graf Media & Publications Associate, Allison Irwin PD Tu-tor, Vivien Luk Math/CA Advisor Assistant, Lisa Mu Customer Relations/Special Project Associate, Derek Antwi Student & Faculty Relations Assistant, Nicholas Neale PD Tutor, Jeff Hughes PD Tutor, Thenusan Selvarajah Technical Support Representative. Front row: Amy Ernest PD Tutor, Kelly Heymann Employer Services Advisor, Muriel Youngs WatCACE Research Intern, Alison Lang Marketing Assistant.

UW co-op students now have the opportunity to add a Glob-al Experience Certificate (GEC) to their undergraduate de-gree, an extra line on the transcript that’s expected to appeal strongly to multinational companies and other employers with international connections.

Certificate requirements include two first year sequential modern language courses and one approved global studies

Thinking About Internationalization?course, a cross-cultural volunteer experience and an inter- national experience. Co-op work terms outside Canada and the US qualify for the international experience component of the GEC.

More information is available on the Waterloo International Website:http://international.uwaterloo.ca/certificate/index.html.

10InsIde sCo-op

For more career related tips and advice, visit www.careerservices.uwaterloo.ca