Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Freshman Coop Advice


The fall term is coming to an end and finally there will be time to relax and not have to worry about school work.  After each term is over I like to look back and reflect on everything that went on during the past 10 weeks.  With interviews for my second coop going on I have been thinking about different things that I would have done during my freshman year to make my finding a coop much easier.  I have come up with three tips that will make your first coop experience much easier.  

My first tip is to take advantage of time off and do something productive to better your career.  I know most of you after your stressful first year want to relax all summer and enjoy yourself but this is the perfect time to try to find a summer internship and gain experience.  This is really helpful for students that do not have any experience in sports on their resume.  You will be able to gain a few months experience and have an advantage against some of your fellow classmates for coops.

My second tip is when the coop process starts do not forget to search outside of the Drexel system.  Many people want to go after coops with the Eagles and other big organizations that are listed on the Drexel website.  Many of the upper classman are going to go after these jobs most of which will probably have more experience than you.  So by going outside of the system you will not have to compete against your classmates for the position you want.  Another reason to go out and find something different is that the Drexel directory is very limited in options so you need to find other alternatives.  

My final tip that I am sure you have been told and will be continued to be told every year you are at Drexel is to network.  Meet as many people as possible and keep in touch with them.  They can help you later when looking for a job.  When a guest speaker comes in and talks to your class add them on Linkedin and thank them for the presentation.  The speaker will appreciate this and now you have made a contact that you can use.  Also make sure to keep in touch with former professors because they will help you out more if they can remember who you are and if you have a personal connection with them.

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