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MAKING A SPLASHFall 2010

Issue I

Waterloo’s co-op students aren’t afraid to get their feet wet

Inside SCo-op

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INSIDE sCO-OP:

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The Inside sCo-op is a bi-monthly student e-publication released through Co-operative Education & Career Services at the University of Waterloo

CREDITS:Editor: Deidra UrbonasStaff Editor: Olaf Naese, Communications & Public Relations Administrator, CECSPhotos: Jacqueline To, Rita Ramakrishnan, JS Rancourt and Prem Kalevar

CONTENTS

CO-OP IS FOR ARTISTS TOO!

READY TO SET SAIL

A LEAP OF FAITH

THE GLASS IS HALF FULL

STEER YOUR OWN SHIP

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3 Read how Jacqueline To, a Fine Arts major, has been able to thrive in the co-op program by find-ing relevant jobs and developing new skills.

After six co-op terms, Rita Ramakrishnan is ready to graduate. Learn about her experience, what she has learned, and what advice she has for you.

Learn how JS Rancourt and Prem Kalevar have turned a business idea into a thriving start-up comany that has lots to offer co-op students!

Denise Bacon, a field co-ordinator, and Diane McK-elvie, a co-op advisor, provide advice and helpful tips for those in stressful co-op situations.

Use your co-op jobs as opportunities to take chanc-es and try new things! You’ll be sure to learn many things along the way, including a lot about yourself!

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EDITOR

Deidra UrbonasMedia & Publications Associate, CECS3A Speech Communication

Have a suggestion for the next Inside sCo-op? Think you have a sCo-op worthy co-op experience?

E-mail olaf@uwaterloo.ca now! We’d love to hear your ideas!

CECS REMINDERS...

Hello fellow co-op students!

If you’ve ever skipped rocks (or failed at skipping rocks and just ended up throwing them in the water), you probably noticed how one pebble can cause a disturbance in the water – ripples. Similarly, Waterloo’s co-op students go into new work terms with full force and hope to make an impact.

Whether we realize it or not, we do make an impact when we are on work terms. Once we get our feet wet, we start building on our successes, gain confidence, and can make a big difference – sort of like how one ripple creates another in the water. This edition of the Inside sCo-op is dedicated to showcasing how Waterloo’s co-op students are making a splash in their co-op endeavours.

Read about Jacqueline To, a Fine Arts student, and how co-op has been meaningful for her. With the skills she’s developed, and the relevant jobs she’s had, co-op clearly has a place for artists too. You won’t want to miss reading about Rita Ramakrishnan, who’s just about to wrap up her studies and graduate. After six work terms, Rita has learned a lot and shares that insight with you. Be sure to check out the article about JS Rancourt and Prem Kalevar, two fourth year Engineering students who have evolved a unique idea into a promising start-up business. This story shows how the two friends have been making waves in the University, and also in the business world.

CECS’s own Denise Bacon and Diane McKelvie also provide some advice and tips for you so you can see that in virtually any co-op scenario, the glass is half full.

Co-op allows you to take charge and steer your own ship, so set those sails and take advantage of the adventure!

Enjoy,

Deidra

For Students on Co-op For Students in the Interview Cycle

Speak OutIf you are uncomfortable to speak with your manager about any work place problem, speak with your Co-op Field Co-ordinator as soon as possible. Your Field Co-ordinator will be able to help you. Counselling Services at Waterloo is also available.

Get InformedSeptember is a busy time for Employer Information Sessions. These sessins are great to attend because they provide detailed information about companies annd serve as an opportunity for networking. Click here to see the complete calendar.

Stay in the Loop Be sure to know exactly how the ranking and match process works. Also refresh your memory on the sign-ing off policy, and what to do in case of a missed in-terview. Read Section 4 of the Co-op Student Manual and you’ll be up to speed.

Get CrackingBy now you should have logged on to ANGEL and familiarized yourself with the materials for your PD course. It is important to stay up to date and com-plete all assignments to get a credit for the course.

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Upon her arrival at the University of Waterloo, Jaqueline To wasn’t sure if co-op had a place for her. Now a third year student, Jaqueline has figured out how to market her Fine Arts major as a selling point in the interview process.

CO-OP IS FOR ARTISTS TOO!By Deidra Urbonas

Jacqueline To, an Arts and Business student, started off her co-op career with hesitations, much like you

might have. However, Jacqueline wasn’t concerned about interviews or moving to a new city. Instead, she was anxious about the types of jobs that she might get.

It seemed to Jacqueline that most jobs offered wouldn’t pertain to her Fine Arts major. Would there be room for a modern-day artist in today’s business world? She ultimately decided it was worth a try. “The oppor-tunity to be in co-op was available,” she says, “So why not take a chance?”

Jacqueline is now on her third co-op term, and is work-ing as an interactive designer in the Marketing depart-ment of the Bank of Montreal (BMO). With another two successful work terms also under her belt, she seems to be doing just fine in the co-op program.

But how did she get this far?

CREATING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

“The majority of Fine Arts courses involve learning skills such as painting or sculpture,” she says, which most often don’t directly relate to jobs in business. “To diver-sify my skill set, I took electronic imaging and Digital Arts Communication (DAC) courses,” she explains. The courses in the DAC program, which vary from videogra-phy to game design, taught Jacqueline how she could transfer her Fine Arts skills to an electronic platform.

Learning these new skills has been exciting for Jacqueline, as she dis-covered how to apply her knowledge of Fine Arts to business. Jacqueline made her Fine Arts skills transferable by learning about graphic design, and was therefore able to market her Fine Arts major as a definite asset in interviews.

(FINE) ARTS AND BUSINESS

Jacqueline enjoys her job at BMO because it allows her to explore various graphic design elements. She’s worked on websites, banners, and advertisements for

the nine lines of BMO’s business, including bmo.com, Nes-bitt Burns, and BMO Capital Markets.

She finds graphic design an appealing job because it involves so much more than just designing. “A designer must be able to figure out their audience and their per-ception of the design,” she says. “They need to be able to predict how their design can provoke the consumer to feel an emotion or carry out an action, so psychology and marketing are also involved.”

A DIFFERENT METHOD OF LEARNING

Looking back, Jacqueline has no regrets about joining the co-op program. It has allowed her to experience continuous learning and make connections between her studies and the world of business. “My Fine Arts courses taught me a lot about arts and creativity, but working in a business environment allowed me to apply my knowl-edge from Fine Arts courses into daily tasks,” she says.

Jacqueline now has confidence she will find relevant jobs for her remaining co-op work terms, and also after gradu-ation. “Co-op expanded my perspective of Fine Arts and its contribution in the work environment,” she says. “Almost everything involves art and design, from product packaging to advertisements. How a company portrays itself visually is equally as important as how a company carries out its business.” She also mentions that there are many career paths to choose from besides design, such as marketing, animation, illustration, or photography.

“When I began studying Fine Arts I was not sure what job I could pursue in the future,” Jacqueline shared. With a potential career of art director at a fashion, music or travel magazine in mind, it seems that co-op has helped Jacqueline determine where she can utilize her skills and make a difference. Without a doubt, Jacqueline proved even artists can thrive in Waterloo co-op.

Jacqueline has her face casted for a friend’s art

project

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READY TO SET SAIL

I WOULDN’T BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY

WITHOUT CO-OP

While you may know that co-op can help you learn how to use different computer programs, create business proposals and give effective presentations, you may not realize co-op can also help you learn a lot about YOU, something that will come in handy not only when you are ready to graduate – but also throughout life.

Rita Ramakrishnan, a 4B Speech Communication student, is about to gradu-ate. She has completed six work terms and is wrapping up her undergraduate

studies, and is now thinking about full-time work. After working for Health Canada, Oculus Info Inc., and Research In Motion for her work terms, Rita has been able to determine what industries she’s interested in, what to look for in an employer, and has gained an understanding of what she’s passionate about.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without co-op,” says Rita.

By Deidra Urbonas

AN ENHANCED LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Rita has learned the importance of finding an or-ganization that she has a good ‘fit’ with - meaning that her values and interests align with the culture of the organization. “This is something completely integral to the success of any employee,” she says. “When you are aligned with that culture, and when you really feel welcomed and valued, that’s when you try your hardest, and that’s when I found that I excelled.”

Rita says her co-op experiences have helped her in other areas of life too – like making material she learns in her classes more meaningful. “Even dur-ing a work term you are a student among a group of professionals,” she says. “Any work experience is also a great learning experience.” She believes that co-op enhances and expands your learning. “Doing the hands-on work and getting those experiences will help you better understand and make better use of what you learn in textbooks and in class.”

READY FOR THE JOB MARKET

When asked what the most rewarding part about co-op has been for her, Rita says it is the combina-tion of building a strong network, gaining self-confi-dence, and learning how to be assertive. Rita began university as a shy Legal Studies student who struggled with anxiety, but she knew she wanted to work on her communication skills. Co-op helped her do just that.

Now a lively Speech Communication student, Rita says “Co-op has erased the anxiety and nervous-ness I once had because it helped me realize I am a strong communicator.” She says co-op helped her develop skills because it allowed her to identify areas for improvement and build on them.

Rita has received job offers for permanent posi-tions from employers she has worked for on co-op

work terms, and also employers whom she hasn’t worked for previously. She attributes these offers to her hard work and dedication to building a strong network of contacts. “Being in co-op is not going to guarantee you a job when you graduate, but co-op gives you the confidence and the know-how to move about the market,” she says. “The market is changing, and you need to be willing and able to change alongside it. Co-op gives you the practice you need so that when you enter the job market you are ready.”

FULL STEAM AHEAD Co-op allowed Rita to learn about all the possibilities and opportunities for fulltime work. “I didn’t come out of this experience thinking that I wanted to follow one particular profession,” she says. “I came out of co-op knowing what I like and don’t like. It helped me determine that I want a job where I can interact with people, constantly build my knowledge base, and use rhetoric and persuasion.”

“Co-op was great because it allowed me to figure out the directions I want to go in,” she explains. “It served as an opportunity for me to branch out and try different and new opportunities. The best opportunities I had were ones that weren’t obvious, and ones I didn’t think would be rewarding, but they turned out to be.” Rita recommends that co-op students be willing to take opportunities as they come, and be willing to look in unexpected places.

It seems that co-op has aided Rita in choosing a direction in life. Most importantly, co-op has helped Rita find a sense of adventure and excitement about her life and where it will take her. “Overall the experience of working that I have gained from the co-op program has given me a sense of excitement for entering the job market, and it’s that excite-ment that Waterloo’s co-op program has really given me.”

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OF FAITHL E A P

All it takes is one idea - it doesn’t matter how big or small. Prem and JS, two fourth year Engineering students, had a unique idea of their own and haven’t slowed down since.

Prem Kalevar and JS Rancourt, both fourth year Engineering students, are collaborating on what started out as an innovative concept and

has transformed into a successful and growing business endeavour. Enter ResumeCards Inc, a unique take on revolutionizing the standard business card.

Prem and JS each have completed four co-op terms, but decided to do things a little bit different for their final work term. Not only have they teamed up with Economics Professor Geoff Malleck, they have also gained the support of President David Johnston, and have managed to hire their own co-op student too!

So what sparked the idea?

ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINEERS

JS and Prem were getting ready to attend a business conference and thought it was about time they got new business cards, but they were frustrated by the limitations of traditional sized and formatted cards. They wanted to include so much more information about themselves on a card – more than the typical business card would allow. They thought, “What about some type of resume card, with everything on it?”

“Our entrepreneurial brains started rolling,” JS says. “The conversation then flooded back and forth at an incredible rate, as we started throwing ideas, tag lines and sales pitches at each other around the idea of offering Resu-meCards to students.”

It was at that moment JS and Prem knew they had a solid idea and promis-ing business proposition.

WHAT IS A RESUMECARD?

“ResumeCards are enhanced business cards targeted at helping university students network more effectively and distinguish themselves when seek-ing employment,” says Prem. “ResumeCards are fold-out business cards with résumé and work experience highlights.” Additionally, each Resu-meCard includes a website address linking to the student’s Online Profile (which is included in the cost of the cards). This profile can be used to fea-ture a cover letter, résumé, transcript, work samples and more. (Interested in finding out more? Visit www.ResumeCards.ca).

One can obviously see the benefits of these business cards. They allow for more information to be presented, more customization, and will leave a greater impression when left with a business contact. With the addition of the Online Profile, any student using ResumeCards will be leaving a distinct and memorable impression. After all, ResumeCards truly embody Water-loo’s characteristics of being innovative, unconventional and creative. Why not be a part of that too?

JS Rancourt

Prem Kalevar

The “Sales, Public Relations and Business Development guy”

4A Mechanical Engineering

The “Business Development, Project Management and

Operations guy”

4A Mechatronics Engineering, Management Science option

By Deidra Urbonas

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FROM IDEA TO START-UP

Prem and JS are entrepreneurs at heart, and were therefore excited about their new business idea – but they were also aware of the hard work it would entail. JS met with David Johnston, in what he describes as Waterloo’s Oval Of-fice, and proposed the idea of ResumeCards. President Johnston was supportive of the endeavour, and encouraged the idea of ResumeCards because he feels it is important for Waterloo students to have access to such an effective and innovative networking tool.

To kick start the development of ResumeCards, JS and Prem ‘socialized’ their business idea by approaching stu-dents, friends, and professors (such as Larry Smith and Geoff Malleck) to see if there was a need for their product. When they felt as though they had passed the socialization stage, they moved the idea forward. They met with a series of recruiters from many large organizations including Deloitte, TD, KPMG, and RIM – and received overwhelm-ingly positive feedback. After meeting with both Peggy Jarvie (Executive Director of CECS) and Meg Beckel (VP External Relations), JS and Prem had a green light and ResumeCards went from an idea to a start-up.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL CO-OP JOB

Prem is using this experience for an E co-op (Enterprise Co-op Initiative) made possible through CBET. By creating and running ResumeCards, Prem is able to use this experience as a work term, and earn a co-op credit for it. In ad-dition to being co-op students themselves, Prem and JS have hired their own co-op student for the business! They have been thrilled by the performance of their co-op student, and hope to hire more in the future. “We continuously see Waterloo co-op as a great talent pool,” says Prem. “We will continue to have job postings looking for students who are the right fit for our team.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

ResumeCards will be launching at uWaterloo in January 2011. Prem and JS would like to expand ResumeCards and develop partnerships with every university in Canada and maybe even the US. “Our goal is to keep this company a ‘for students by students’ business, and make sure that ResumeCards keeps running successfully into the future,” says JS.

“We are very excited about bringing this networking tool to Waterloo students,” says JS. “We both strongly believe in the importance of networking, and we think that combining this tool with the talent found here at Waterloo could really help students create opportunities.”

With the exciting anticipation of ResumeCards, one can only imagine what else Prem and JS have in mind, and what we can expect to see from them in the future. Clearly, their leap of faith has paid off, and they will be making waves in the business world for years to come.

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Students can customize their cards using the online design platform and

tailor their cards based on their

faculty and pro-gram.

Check it out!

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THE GLASS IS HALF FULLBy Deidra Urbonas

Limited interviews, few job offers, and job cancellations – many of us have been here and experienced these things.

A lot of students also encounter frustrations while on the job, like not enough work to do, low interest in work, and not feeling valued by colleagues. It can be a tough time and a stressful situ-ation to endure.

Denise Bacon, a Field Co-ordinator with Co-operative Educa-tion, and Diane McKelvie, a Co-op Advisor, share some advice on what to do if you’re facing some of these frustrations.

TALKING ABOUT IT CAN OPEN NEW DOORS

“I suggest meeting face to face with the student,” says Diane. “By having a discussion, many things come to surface – like the student’s personal situation. This will determine where we go with the conversation and what options are available.” Diane says co-op advisors, during this meeting, could review the student’s résumé and identify areas for improvement. “After making some small changes, students can really begin to see results,” she says. “We can talk about strategies stu-dents can use to be more prepared for interviews too.”

The great thing about meeting with a co-op advisor is that students get advice tailored to them and their unique situation. “When getting to know a student, and learning where they wish to work and the type of work they are looking for, we are in a position to give relevant suggestions,” says Diane.

Diane also stresses that by just participating in the interview process, students are benefiting. “When you talk to the student about how the interview process alone teaches them valuable transferable skills, it gives them a new perspective.”

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR DESTINY

“Not being busy is one of the most challenging situ-ations at work,” says Denise. “Furthermore, when not doing anything, you cannot showcase how brilliant you are. The key is to turn around this situation and create opportunities.”

So what can students do? Denise suggests that stu-dents ask for work from other colleagues, or even job

shadow some people. There are great benefits in doing this. “People in the organization get to know you as a can-do, go-getter with a positive attitude,” she says. “You will create new relationships outside of your own group and may get new, interesting work which devel-ops new skills.”

Denise also recommends that you always use your time to add value, whether it be taking on new projects, providing suggestions for improving work processes, or job shadowing. This will allow your manager to see that you attach value to time and use it effectively.

You might be in a situation where you don’t feel re-spected by your supervisor or team members. This feeling can lead to a sense of alienation and dread of going into work. “If you are experiencing this, remem-ber that you can only control how you respond to the situation,” says Denise. “You have little control over other people, but full control over yourself. How you respond is up to you.”

It is also important to remain professional and portray a positive attitude. “It’s easy to be on top of your game when things are going well,” says Denise. “But it’s when times get tough that true character is developed and displayed.”

On the other hand, some students may be feeling the stress of too much work on their co-op jobs. “You are a co-op student, not the CEO of the company, so you don’t need to take on undue stress on the job,” says Denise. “If you feel overburdened with work, it’s im-portant you speak with your supervisor.” After all, if you don’t communicate these things, people might not know how you are feeling. continued on page 8 >>

IT’S WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH THAT TRUE CHARACTER IS DEVELOPED AND DISPLAYED

DeniseDiane

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HAVE YOU HEARD?

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

Diane recommends that students strive to look for the positives in a situation, even when they aren’t obvious. “I always try to help students see that any experience can have a positive learning outcome,” she says. Diane encour-ages students to take time for reflection so they can think about what new knowledge they can take away from a job, even if the job itself wasn’t enjoyable.

Denise agrees with Diane. “The task or assigned work a student has may be the smallest part of their learning expe-rience,” she says. “There is a lot of learning to be had in the work environment which will develop valuable, trans-ferrable professional skills.” Denise adds: “Students can view any work term as a ‘resume builder’ because worthy skills and experiences can be acquired – all of which will be valued by and transferrable to another employer.”

Diane encourages students to meet with their co-op advisor on a regular basis. “Our goal is to suggest options to students and help resolve issues before they become unmanageable,” she says. Field co-ordinators are also avail-able for students already on the job. “We can help students deal with any issues in the workplace,” says Denise.

WHY IS THE GLASS HALF FULL?

“Liking a job or career experienced through a co-op job is just as valuable as learning that you don’t like that job or career,” says Denise. “If a student views the co-op experience as an opportunity to explore and learn, then whether the experience is good or bad, it becomes a very valuable experience.”

“Think of the work term as an opportunity to learn and develop as many skills as possible,” says Denise. “Every experience builds your character and prepares you better for the next step.” Diane agrees that you should always strive for a positive outcome. “Although some days it’s harder to see,” says Diane, “There truly is a silver lining in every cloud.”

ARE YOU THE NEXT STUDENT OF THE YEAR?

One student from each faculty will recieve the distinction of Co-op Student of the Year. The winners will be students who best demonstrate the following achievements:

- Recieve an “Outstanding” evaluation during 2010- 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.

2009 Co-op Student of the Year winners From left: Tewodros Mamo, Lauren Theobalds,

Roseanna Presutti, Stephanie Dobson. Not present: Siaw Yun Poi, Sameer Shah

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Why the name change? Kerry Mahoney, Director of the Centre for Career Action, notes that the new name is in keeping with the expectations of the modern labour market: “Today’s students need to research po-tential employers, proactively build their network, and use strategies for the hidden job market.” For co-op students, Kerry notes, “we offer so much more than job search strategies. Co-op students can start think-ing about how to transition from their co-op experiences to their future career or educational path. Any given student might explore career options, search for a job, or pursue graduate school or professional school. We work with students to develop tactics for all of those.”

To start taking your next step, visit the Centre for Career Action in the Tatham Centre, look for the Centre on Facebook and Twitter, register for workshops and appointments, and participate in the Centre’s upcoming “True Career Crimes” YouTube contest, featuring uWaterloo celebrities.

Change is afoot in the Tatham Centre. Career Services has changed its name to the Centre for Career Action.

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OWN SHIP

By Deidra Urbonas

With a potential of six work terms to complete, each four months in duration, co-op students have the opportunity to gain two years of professional work experience. Work terms are the ideal time to try different jobs in unique industries, and they provide you with key career-related decsion making knowledge - before graduation.

“Except for choosing a moral framework and a spouse, no decision is more important to your well being than

deciding on your life’s work.” – Larry Smith

With the above quotation, Professor Larry Smith provides insight that many students here at the

University of Waterloo should appreciate. Although we don’t all know today what we’re going to do tomorrow (or after graduation), we need to give it serious thought - ahead of time.

It makes sense to choose a line of work that you can ‘live with,’ because most likely, you’re going to be work-ing for a long time. Maybe it’s not what we want to hear or think about – but it’s true. The time will come when we have to decide what we are going to do with the rest of our lives.

For a lot of students, the decision is made like a shot in the dark. We see doctors and lawyers on televi-sion, and make our decision based on Hollywood hyperboles. Or we choose to pursue a job we know nothing about. Both decisions are equally as bad. But can those who make them really be blamed? After all, it’s all they know.

Here’s when the renowned “Waterloo co-op advan-tage” comes into play. Instead of just making an educated guess upon our graduation as to what ca-reer path we should take, co-op students get to do a test run first. A trial-and-error, if you will. It’s called co-operative education.

Dr. House, from Fox’s hit TV series, House

Co-op is the time to take chances and try a variety of industries and jobs. With a potential of four to six work terms (based on your faculty), there are plenty of opportunities to find out more about your job pref-erences. You’re bound to find jobs you might not like, and that’s okay, because it is these experiences that allow you to learn more about yourself, and what jobs don’t suit you.

However, you may find a job that you become pas-sionate about. It may not be the job you planned on or anticipated. It might come as a complete surprise. The important thing is that co-op helps alleviate some of the guesswork our non co-op counterparts have to endure.

I’m not trying to preach here. Rather, I’m trying to en-courage you to take chances and risks when it comes to choosing co-op jobs. With each work term being only four months, what have you really got to lose? Your dream job is waiting for you to find it! To con-clude, I find it fitting to finish this article how I started it, with a quote from Larry Smith:

You find your dreams; your dreams do not find you.

- Larry Smith

Career Corner