Noah Wright
BA Economics
When Noah began his co-op journey, he was unaware of the demands of the co-op program, making it a challenging search term. However, for his second term, Noah devised a strategic approach: he made better use of Arts Co-op’s resources and learned to manage his time more efficiently. With hard work and resilience, Noah landed his first co-op role as a Junior Economic Policy Analyst at Employment & Social Development Canada, and later, a co-op position with EY as a Strategy and Transactions Analyst. Noah excelled in both roles and was recognized by his supervisors.
In this Q&A, Noah reflects on how he transformed a difficult search term into a rewarding experience that laid the foundation for his future career.
Q:Reflecting on your first co-op job search, what were some challenges you encountered?
As a second-year student, I had applied and enrolled in the Arts Co-op program, and originally entered the program with the rather naive expectation that simply being a member and applying to postings would provide me with the interviews and work experience I was looking for. This belief of being able to coast through quickly unraveled when I did not receive a single invitation for an interview. Reflecting on that first term, it was clear that I did the minimum and did not set nearly enough time aside earlier in the term for meetings with my coordinator, revamping my resume and tailoring my cover letter.
Q: What strategies did you use to improve your job search experience the second time around?
The disappointment and reality check of my first failed search term taught me the first of many lessons: the importance of starting tasks, particularly those with no deadline in sight, as early as possible. I entered the following search term with a newly focused mentality that prioritized applications on par with my course load. Almost immediately, I reaped the benefits of this increased effort, landing an interview for an Economic Policy Analyst with the Government of Canada within the very first month of the search term.
Q: What advice do you have for students starting their co-op journeys?
My paramount piece of advice for incoming co-op students and those in their first search term is to prioritize setting time aside from your course load to genuinely focus on applications and your applicant profile. Students should aim to have their resume and cover letter fully polished (including externally reviewed by as many peers/mentors as possible) and should start applying well in advance of midterm season. It is a common mistake, and one I made myself, to continuously postpone the necessary co-op work and instead focus on the more immediate deadlines of academic courses.
Noah Wright
BA Economics
When Noah began his co-op journey, he was unaware of the demands of the co-op program, making it a challenging search term. However, for his second term, Noah devised a strategic approach: he made better use of Arts Co-op’s resources and learned to manage his time more efficiently. With hard work and resilience, Noah landed his first co-op role as a Junior Economic Policy Analyst at Employment & Social Development Canada, and later, a co-op position with EY as a Strategy and Transactions Analyst. Noah excelled in both roles and was recognized by his supervisors.
In this Q&A, Noah reflects on how he transformed a difficult search term into a rewarding experience that laid the foundation for his future career.
Q:Reflecting on your first co-op job search, what were some challenges you encountered?
As a second-year student, I had applied and enrolled in the Arts Co-op program, and originally entered the program with the rather naive expectation that simply being a member and applying to postings would provide me with the interviews and work experience I was looking for. This belief of being able to coast through quickly unraveled when I did not receive a single invitation for an interview. Reflecting on that first term, it was clear that I did the minimum and did not set nearly enough time aside earlier in the term for meetings with my coordinator, revamping my resume and tailoring my cover letter.
Q: What strategies did you use to improve your job search experience the second time around?
The disappointment and reality check of my first failed search term taught me the first of many lessons: the importance of starting tasks, particularly those with no deadline in sight, as early as possible. I entered the following search term with a newly focused mentality that prioritized applications on par with my course load. Almost immediately, I reaped the benefits of this increased effort, landing an interview for an Economic Policy Analyst with the Government of Canada within the very first month of the search term.
Q: What advice do you have for students starting their co-op journeys?
My paramount piece of advice for incoming co-op students and those in their first search term is to prioritize setting time aside from your course load to genuinely focus on applications and your applicant profile. Students should aim to have their resume and cover letter fully polished (including externally reviewed by as many peers/mentors as possible) and should start applying well in advance of midterm season. It is a common mistake, and one I made myself, to continuously postpone the necessary co-op work and instead focus on the more immediate deadlines of academic courses.