Getting paid to learn
This article was originally published in The Bridge, a publication for new Concordia students produced by the Counselling and Development. Be sure to check out the other articles in the 2012-13 issue.
Some have switched universities in order to participate in it. Many have changed academic programs so they can be part of it. For thousands of students at Concordia, it’s the spark of success for their academic and professional careers. Could co-op be the opportunity you’re looking for?
Matthew Battah, recent graduate with a BComm in Accountancy, thinks it should be. In addition to everything he learned while in class, Battah graduated with a year’s worth of work experience because he did his degree in the co-op work-study format.
“The reason I came into co-op was because I was tired of the ‘regular’ student job. I wanted to get my hands dirty with more relevant jobs,” he explains.
Co-op is a different way to complete a degree. More than 1,400 students in Concordia alternate their regular study terms with paid work terms of 12 to 16 weeks each September, January and May. Currently there are more than 30 programs at Concordia that are offered in the co-op format. Students in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science can also participate in a summer-only industrial experience program.
Challenging but rewarding
Co-op provides a great alternative but it has its challenges, too. Finding a first work term isn’t always easy. Even though Battah had completed more than the first year of his bachelor of commerce and his work term was scheduled for September, there was such competition and added stress that he thought about giving up before he found his first work term.
“My family encouraged me to stay in co-op,” he admits. “Although some classmates decided to drop it,” he goes on to explain, “I decided to tough it out.” And it proved well worthwhile.
Battah found an ingenious solution to his problem. He sold his part-time employer at Casansa Design on the idea of modifying his job and upgrading his tasks so his work at the company could become a co-op approved work term.
In addition to his bookkeeping tasks, Battah’s duties changed to reflect his accounting education and career goals, including his interest in marketing. This allowed him to work closely with and be mentored by the firm’s founder, who had a previous career as an operations executive. The work term was such a success that the employer continued to hire co-op students after Battah returned to class and then moved on to work with different companies during his remaining work terms.
His second work term was a bit of a surprise. “I wanted to have as many options open as possible, so I interviewed at what I thought was a call centre, only to realize it was a position as an internal auditor at Canada Revenue Agency. I took the opportunity and in the process zeroed in on specific areas that I enjoyed, namely public accountancy and tax.”
Unexpected benefits
In addition to improving his French on the job, Battah developed many of his soft skills through his work term experiences. “Co-op gives you exposure to a variety of work environments,” he says. “You learn to recognize the importance of workplace etiquette, networking, making introductions, interacting with different people and what’s appropriate in each office setting. But most importantly, co-op gives you confidence through experience as well as giving you a story to tell. You know what you like and dislike, and you know how to be yourself.”
These skills came to the forefront when Battah attended a job fair for accounting students. After meeting with many recruiters, he found himself chatting casually with one who asked where he saw himself within the firm. Battah replied, “Honestly, I don’t know if I want to be partner, it’s just too early to tell.” That simple phrase was evidence of his knowledge of himself and the reality of his future career.
Soon after, Battah was offered a work term with PricewaterhouseCoopers with the understanding there was full-time employment for him on graduation. But he didn’t stop there.
It was through co-op that Battah discovered a strong passion for business startups and entrepreneurship, so after graduating, Battah began an internet startup called Gradesurge. While building his business, he recognized how most of the tools he used — all the “street smarts,” as he calls them — he had learned through his co-op work terms. He believes co-op allowed him to better understand his own strengths and weaknesses and to recognize the importance of attention to detail. “It really is valuable experience. I took those lessons and I applied them in starting a business,” he says.
As a result of his own positive experience, Battah has become a firm believer in the co-op experience and he encourages other students to seize the opportunities that co-op offers to benefit fully from the value added through combining study and work.
“If there’s one piece of advice I would like to convey to students,” he says, “it is to not just cruise through their part-time jobs and work terms. Everyone can actively seek the skills and lessons that can only be learned in the workplace. And each workplace is different. In essence, you’re being paid to learn.”
Now, how great is that?
For more information on co-op education, visit the Institute for Co-operative Education site.
Related links:
• Institute for Co-operative Education
• Read the full issue of The Bridge