Current Co-op Students

Services

The Co-op Office is pleased to offer a variety of services. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Guidance & coaching before and during your work placement to support your Co-op process and learning experience.
• Biztec, an annual meet-and-greet event where you can connect with prospective employers from diverse industries. It’s a great opportunity to make valuable connections and learn about exciting career prospects.
• Midterm group meeting to touch-base with fellow Co-op students and share observations, challenges & successes.
• In partnership with CATS, job search strategies and review sessions such as:
  • Co-op CV Review
  • Co-op Cover-Letter Review
  • Mock Interviews

These subjects are also part of the BMG191 curriculum, as well as many more.

Work Term Sequence

The charts below indicate the usual sequence for Bishop’s University Co-op students; however, work terms and academic terms may be completed during any semester with consent from the Co-op Office.

To Graduate with Co-op Designation:

Internships:

Criteria

The duration of most work terms typically spans 12 to 16 weeks, with a minimum requirement of 420 total hours. Alternatively, work terms that consist of 15-20 hours per week are also accepted, provided the overall minimum of 420 hours is met.

All internships must:

• Be remunerated.
• Be in your field of study and build upon your previous experience and push you further, even when staying within the same company.
• Not be supervised by a family member.

Once an internship placement has been found, the complete job description must be sent to the Co-op Coordinator for approval. It is then forwarded to the Records Office for registration in BMG or CS 391, 392 or 393. Course fees apply.

All forms and work required for this course (contract, objectives, evaluations, guidelines for final reflective portfolio, etc) will be found on the Co-op Moodle page.

Job Search

Co-op students find work placements in one of the three following ways:

Personal Job Search

In addition to applying for job postings through the Co-op Office, all students are encouraged to also conduct a personal job search. Personal job searches encourage you to be resourceful and use your personal networks. The job search process is one that has very important implications for your future career, so now is the time to start practicing! Don’t worry, the Co-op Office will be there to support you and give you tips along the way!

Entrepreneurial Work Term

An entrepreneurial work term may be developed by the student. In this case, the student starts his/her own business. Probably the most complex placement, evaluation is based on the success of launching and maintaining the business for the duration of the work placement. The student will be responsible for finding a mentor in their particular field and will receive additional support from the Co-op Office if needed.

International Work Terms

There are many exciting opportunities for Co-op students, including the opportunity to work abroad. If you do not possess a passport or your home country does not have an agreement with your desired work destination, you should start preparing all relevant paperwork as soon as possible.

The best place to find up-to-date information about getting a work permit or visa (which one to get and how long the process takes) is to go straight to the source which is the local Embassy, or that country’s Consulate.

In any case, please advise the Co-op Advisor of your desire to work abroad to get assistance and make sure your job placement is approved and aligned with the Co-op spirit.

Project Visa is a great resource to find the nearest Embassy of the country you are interested in.