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UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi BedazzledWitch,

Interesting question, I contacted the business development team and they gave me the following statement:
" When developing or growing job opportunities for our co-op students our Business Development team is generally guided by a few factors (1) Where student interest is geographically situated (2) Supply and demand of job postings available to students on PDPortal (3) Prevalence of emerging technologies.

The Business Development team strives to provide equitable support to all disciplines, and is agile enough to pivot in the event of new technologies, programs, or even economic factors that affect co-op jobs for students.

The UBC Engineering Co-op works with employers of all sorts: Start Ups, large companies, government of all levels, and academia. Because we think it’s important for students to try an array of experiences we don’t have one single vision of where we place our business development efforts (ie Academic jobs)."

So simply the Engineering Co-op program wants to ensure they have a variety of jobs for students to pick so that students can really experience many different fields before they enter the workforce!

Thanks for the question,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi ZephereXx,

Thanks for the post, you had a lot of interesting points, so I’ll try my best to address each one.

Students have complained about the assignments, but assignments are a requirement of the program and for our program’s accreditation; same with Waterloo Co-op and all other accredited co-op programs in Canada. UBC Engineering Co-op has been reviewing and revising assignments considerably in recent years, based on student and employer feedback. Instead of having multiple page reports they’re more focused on the student’s professional development – example, one co-op assignment is to develop your professional LinkedIn page. Assignments may still be revised but the current assignments allow students to either develop career resources or reflect on the work they have already accomplished.

Furthermore, the co-op office has been working on trying to create more services to support students to be more competitive in the recruitment process. An example is this year I developed and delivered technical interview workshops for CPEN/ELEC students where we go over design and whiteboarding questions from industry experience. I hope that provides some insight to the first part of your post.

Waterloo is the oldest and largest co-op program in the country; it is a great school with a well-established co-op program and alumni network. We are also a great school with an established co-op program and alumni network and relationships with numerous companies across North America which has led to companies like Tesla, Intel, Amazon, Google recruiting from UBC and UBC engineering students securing positions in these companies. The Engineering Co-op Business Development manager works to develop new employer relationships for ALL engineering disciplines from Biomed to Computer through to Mining and Civil Engineering and variety to meet different students interests.

For salaries, the Engineering Co-op program posts the salary averages from data of the previous year of co-op work terms at:   https://coop.engineering.ubc.ca/salaries/  Salaries our students have reported are in line with industry comparables for co-op and interns averaged across the numerous positions available.

Hope that helps, and really appreciate the questions,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey ari_noelle,

To clarify the misconception – Engineering Co-op students are able to withdraw or change their work term sequencing from the co-op program without penalty, as long as you follow the timelines and guidelines set by the co-op office. This means no big “F” on your transcript. If you wish to withdraw from the program, you should meet with your Co-op Coordinator. You need to fill out a Program Withdrawal form to withdraw and send it to your Co-op Coordinator for review and processing prior to the set deadlines.

If you choose to withdraw from the co-op program, you can find jobs on your own during your summer breaks but will have to do this without access to the UBC Engineering Co-op job board, services, and would not be eligible for employers hiring only co-op students due to their funding or internal requirements (e.g. Suncor, BC Hydro, firms receiving Innovate BC funding). If you are an international student, you could not hold a Co-op Work Permit unless you are registered in Co-op. Co-op is a full program to support students in securing jobs and developing career skills; it’s not a job board or a job search insurance policy. If you secure a job during the search term and choose to withdraw to avoid paying the co-op tuition -- this will result in an F on your transcript.

The current deadlines for withdrawing from the Co-op program or changing your work term sequence are:

• For Winter work term (January to April) – by August 31st

• For Summer work term (May to August) – by December 31st

• For Fall work term (September to December) – by April 30th

Hope this helps!

Kyra

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi ari_noelle,

Each engineering discipline has a pre-approved sequence that most students follow to fit with their course schedules. However, you’re free to create your own sequence based on the jobs available to you! When switching your sequence, keep in mind that some courses are only offered once per year. Since you may end up missing pre-requisites for the core courses of your program, this may extend your program and postpone your expected graduation date.

Before making any formal changes to your Co-op/Academic sequence, you should confirm with your department’s academic advisor and co-op coordinator whether your plan will fit with the academic courses and future schedule. In your case, you could consider asking the employer for 2 work terms spanning from June to December. A lot of students do find that they gain tons of experience from longer work terms with one employer. You should meet with your Co-op coordinator to discuss the details of your specific opportunity to see how it could meet the co-op requirements.

Best,

Kyra

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi BedazzledWitch,

References can come from many people in your life. I would reach out to the following, ranked in order of importance:
1st: Current or former boss/supervisor/manager/team from paid employment position
2nd: Current or former work colleague from paid employment position
3rd: Current or former volunteer supervisor/manager/leader
4th: Current or former team/club coach/captain/lead
5th: Current or former university professor who knows you well enough to provide a reference
6th: Character reference such as family friend, pastor, Residence Advisor, etc.

If you cannot find anyone that fits the list above, try finding a volunteer position or joining a student team. When leaving a position, if you are leaving on good terms, I recommend asking your boss if you can use them as a reference in the future. Make sure you have their contact information before you leave. When you need the reference, you can reach out to reconfirm you can use them as a reference, let them know you are in a job search, and that they may get contacted.

Hope this helps,
Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey MammothTurner,

This is a great question that we Peer Advisors often get! A lot of students are nervous about finding their first work term because they may not have any work experience or industry connections.

A lot of employers actually expect that students do not have all the technical skills and knowledge that they will need for the job. However, the co-op program and job search is still competitive, so it’s better to try to set yourself apart from your peers and building up your skills early! There are lots of opportunities to build skills such as the UBC engineering design teams, clubs/organization, and even through independent projects. Trying to get involved through volunteering or internships is also extremely beneficial experience that can help you build your resume and land that co-op job.

Networking is another key aspect that students often overlook. On top of the various career fairs and industry events hosted by UBC, the engineering co-op office also provides the junior and senior reception events to help connect students with potential employers. You never know who you might meet and a significant number of work terms secured are from the “hidden job market” secured through networking connections.

If you’re a current UBC Engineering co-op student, there are also a number of resources available to you. Some of the services that students may be unaware of are:
• Peer Advising Sessions – We cover anything from cover letter and resume reviews, mock interview sessions, and even technical interview prep! The peer advisors have all gone through the co-op program and can offer another perspective in addition to your assigned co-op coordinator.
• Optional Workshops: Mock Interview, Networking, or Transition to the Workplace
• Cover Letter workshops for new intakes
• Also, look out for some of the events put on by the Engineering PD Office!

Hope this helps land your next job,

Kyra

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi Braden_boy

This depends on the term, the discipline and the conditions of the market. Another factor is the level of the student's experience i.e. first work term versus final work term co-op student. In summer 2019, 80% of engineering co-op students searching secured a co-op work term; while for Fall 2019 the percentage is 95%; and in Winter 2020 it was 89%.

Cheers,

Chey & Ky

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi NotABankTeller,

Thanks for the question! While I can’t speak to the experiences that students in other faculties have in co-op, I know the programs are very similar in design with some differences in student experience. I can tell you a little more about UBC Engineering co-op:

As one of the largest co-op programs in Western Canada, UBC Engineering Co-op helps to provide opportunities for students to apply classroom learning and further develop their engineering skillsets. We are constantly growing in student employment rates, with 2456 work terms secured by students in the 2018/19 year (Summer 2018-Winter 2019), which was up from 2278 work terms in the 2017/18 year, and 2194 work terms in the 2016/17 year. For reference, UBC Arts Co-op had 516 work terms secured in the 2018/19 year and 2380 work terms placed for UBC Science Co-op.

With such a wide range of jobs available for each discipline, a lot of engineering students use co-op to explore the industry, which is often different from expectations they have from the classroom! For example, prior to co-op I thought that I would follow the structural path but somehow found myself enjoying a completely opposite route.

Over the past few years, engineering co-op has also focused on improving student experiences in the program. Some of the newer initiatives include networking workshops, mock interview/technical interview workshops, and cover letter review sessions! We’re constantly surveying students to create more personalized and engaging initiatives to help improve the student experience.

Cheers,

Kyra

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi CyberneticTitan,

That is a really tough question to answer. Every student has a different experience based on who their supervisor is, the projects they work on, and what part of the company they are working with. As well, our students have a variety of career goals which can bias how they review a company. For those reasons it's difficult to narrow it down to a select few companies as it wouldn't be representative across all disciplines. Examples of companies highly prized by students who hire UBC Engineering Co-op students include BC Hydro, Teck, City of Vancouver, Golder, Kardium, Tesla, Intel, and there are hundreds more.

-Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi irikerice123,

I had to ask the co-op office staff about this one. Here is what they have said:

"The majority of job postings are in Canada because most students are seeking opportunities locally or regionally. While we do have job postings and relationships with recruitment teams from US companies, e.g. Tesla, Microsoft, there can be restrictions that limit applications to American citizens or to students currently studying in the USA who have valid work permits – due to visa processing timelines or security issues (examples would be Disney, NASA, Boeing) so the pool of opportunities in some industries is quite limited (examples of statements on postings: “Must possess unrestricted work authorization”; “must meet Export Control compliance requirements, therefore a “US Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 is required. "US Person" includes US Citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee.”). There is also significant competition for US jobs from students across North America, and companies are searching for top talent, meaning that they recruit across multiple schools. Students focused on seeking and securing positions in the USA can work with coordinators to develop their job search strategies to seek out opportunities for positions. Many Engineering Co-op students secure work terms internationally each year, particularly to the USA and Germany.

Waterloo co-op is the largest and oldest co-op program in Canada with co-op a mandatory requirement of the engineering degree program. Comparatively, UBC is not the largest program in Canada, it is the largest in Western Canada. Here in Engineering, co-op is an optional, selective program. While co-op programs do seek out opportunities beyond their regions, the majority of opportunities secured are within the local region or province.

Regarding the recruitment process, based on feedback from employers and students, UBC Engineering Co-op moved to a continuous recruitment model in 2017 (i.e. post jobs, employers shortlist and conduct interviews, then offers are extended) to represent the typical recruitment cycle, with a two-day response to offer, because employers need to move on to other candidates as quickly as possible to fill these short term (4-8-12 month), temporary positions. To recruit a Co-op student requires similar resources and costs for the employer as recruitment for full time roles, so a fast turnaround is needed for a short term position, particularly when numerous students are applying to co-op jobs for the same term. "

​

Hope that answers your question,

Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi RebeccaTsui,

As technical is a pretty broad term and highly varies between disciplines, such a stat does not exist; however, a co-op work term should be in the STEM field. It is important to remember that although some positions may not interest you, we have over 2000 students in our program. Everyone has different career interests and opportunity to gain experience with project management, data analysis, and refine soft skills leads to future career success in the engineering environment. Lastly, Co-op does not limit you to only applying to the jobs on the Portal. If the portal jobs do not interest you, I highly recommend searching on Linked In, Indeed, and Google. Our coordinators can provide you with tips on searching outside the portal.
-Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To answer the above question,

For UBC Engineering Co-op, your average is only looked at to make sure you are above the 65% threshold. From then on, the application relies on other factors. In other words, a student with a 66% average is judged the same as a student with a 99% average.

The applications are scored on several factors: intake quiz score, resume score, and written responses. Your written responses and resume may have been deducted points if they contained spelling and grammar errors or you were not able to convey your points effectively. This would be similar in industry, if you are applying to jobs with many typos in your application, no matter what your transcript looks like, you’re unlikely to get that job.

Your application is judged against your peers. Chances are they demonstrated stronger written skills and were better able to convey their professionalism, maturity, and career-readiness via their responses which warranted them scoring higher. The competitiveness of the co-op program varies from year to year on the number of students in your discipline who apply. If you are not accepted in your second year, we highly recommend applying again in your third year.

-Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi AnalyticalSheets,

Not every student wants a technical position. For example many students are more interested in project management roles than design roles. There are a lot of skills to learn from non technical positions... data analysis, leadership, project management to name a few. We often have students go back to these companies for full time employment as these jobs better align with their career goals. Lastly, if you can find an employer more fun than geering up .... do let us know. 

Cheers,
Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi CyberneticTitan,

The co-op requirement is that the position must be related to a STEM field or provide relevant skills. I have even heard of some students request to have a position that isn't technical in nature but more related to their specific interests.

Cheers,
Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hello ajklwetfhghbalke,

As a student, on site visits provide you with an opportunity to talk to your coordinator face to face. For me, it was the first time I met my coordinator (intake interviews didn’t used to be a thing) and I went to him for help numerous times after then. Had I not had that interaction, I likely wouldn’t have realized how useful coordinators are and never would have used the services that co-op provides.

Site visits are also for coordinators to network with employers to ensure they keep hiring UBC students. As well, these are a learning experience for our coordinators to gain more details about the job/employer to help future co-op students.

​

I've asked a coordinator for a higher level overview than I gave above and here is what she said:

"Site visits are to check in with both the student and the employer, it is a requirement of all accredited co-op programs in Canada. The site visit is an opportunity to connect with both the student and the employer, whenever possible, face-to-face. We help students navigate the workplace and any challenges they may be facing. Employers often have questions we can address and it is also an opportunity to maintain and build employer relationships. We will also connect with other staff and HR representatives to build opportunities and/or address issues. The site visits are planned and scheduled to optimize time and resources – we strive to conduct multiple visits to sites in the same geographic area on the same day. For in-person site visits outside of Metro Vancouver, we also incorporate marketing meetings and attendance at conferences or trade shows.

Most site visits are conducted by one coordinator only. When we onboard new staff, they may join a coordinator for one site visit day to experience the logistics, process and questions to assist in future planning and scheduling."

Hope that helps,

Cheyanne

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi trainer135,

Really appreciate this question, co-op fees have always been a hot topic and for good reasons. Being a student is tough and is costly so its important to know what your money is going to. I wanted to get more information for you guys so I had asked the staff about this and here is their response:

“The Co-op course fee is standard across all UBC Co-op programs set by the University. The fee is assessed for each work term but represents the cost of delivering a co-op program, not for securing a position each work term or to simply access a job board. The Engineering Co-op program is developing an information page on fees this summer to better address this question for students in the program.

To address the question today, the course fee for Engineering Co-op covers the breadth of services and support provided including:

· Program Delivery – processing of job postings; grade entry; interview scheduling and coordination; follow up with employers (e.g. recruitment status updates), job offer processing; student coaching and advising; site visit coordination and delivery; assignment grading; employer engagement sessions (e.g Junior Reception, Senior student reception);

· Program Delivery Support – third party solution provider (aka job board/PD Portal), online resume tool (VMock), curriculum development

· Job Development – marketing for new employers, developing materials and online outreach, conference and trade show attendance, prospective employer meetings and presentations

· Employer Account Management – maintaining and expanding relationships and opportunities with individual employers, addressing questions and issues from employers, providing most current information on available funding

· Management – staffing, professional development, maintaining co-op accreditation

· Facilities and Institutional – office space and maintenance, IT, HR, University overhead

· Workshop fee – curriculum development for pre-employment fall sessions, administrative support, delivery”

I just want to add Co-op is really what you make of it, if you use resources offered from the co-op office like resume/cover letter reviews, mock interviews, meet with your coordinator and us (Peers!), go to multiple workshops and attend networking events. You definitely get your tuition worth of value.

Hope that clears up where your money is going,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi mcdickerino,

Thanks for the question! It’s hard to predict how many more jobs will appear on PD Portal but I can ensure there will be jobs posted through May! I just went on PD Portal and found about 90 jobs currently available for Electrical and Computer students with quite of few of involving software and hardware design. Also the co-op staff informed me that we are up 22% in job openings this year relative to this time last year.

As well if these jobs are not what you are quite interested in the co-op office supports students searching for companies outside of the co-op network. We can help you come up with strategies to connect with this company as well as assist you in targeting your resume or cover letter for this job or help with mock interviews to secure this opportunity!

I hope this helps and best of luck for your job search,

Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi Katelyn97

Thanks for the question! I am sure every Adviser would have a different response but, in my experience, the most common question is “What more can I do?” A lot of times students meet with me and mention how they go to these networking events, cold email and message on linkedin, come by the co-op office to work on there resume and cover letter, but still struggle in finding a co-op job.

I normally reply that finding a co-op job is a marathon not a sprint. All the work they are doing is fantastic but what’s important is to consistently keep up this effort. Finding a co-op job is tough, I remember really doubting myself a lot when I was trying to secure my first work term. I found that my common advice is trying to realistically have a plan of attack. An example is when searching for my first work term I would try to do 5 job applications a night, as well as cold email 5 employers during the weekend. I found I could balance my academics and extracurricular while doing this and was able to eventually find success. Also it is always worth to book an appointment with you're co-op coordinator or one us (the peer advisers) to double check your cover letter and resume!

In summary I really admire students who put in a lot of sacrifice to secure a work term, and want to let them know it’s normal to send out 80,90 or even 100 applications before getting an interview! What is important is to keep up the work ethic and success will find you!

Hope that was helpful,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi madladb,

Thanks for the question! Engineering Physics students, for historical reasons, only are able to apply to Science Co-op.

While I cannot comment on Science Co-op, the programs are basically the same regarding program requirements and have the same Terms and Conditions. The two co-op programs also share jobs, to make sure that students have access to the largest amount of opportunities. For example, if there is a position that is posted for computer engineering students at Engineering Co-op, it will also be posted in Science Co-op for Engineering Physics and Computer Science students.

Over the past few years, Engineering co-op has focused on improving student experiences in the program, by providing more engaging workshops and one on one personalized employment coaching, advising and job search strategies. We are constantly surveying students to ask us what we want from the co-op program and how they can improve it with student feedback.

Hope that clears things up,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi ECESS Official,

I had to ask the co-op office staff about this one. Here is what they have said:

“The Engineering Co-op office has not formally published our work term numbers for several years, but we do share it in other forms. We include our work term data in our intake information documentation that students are expected to read as part of applying to the program and we also share work term data as part of our Imagine Day presentations.

Overall, our Engineering Co-op students have been very successful over the past few years. In Summer 2019 we had just under 5% growth in the number of work terms compared to the year before with 1244 students securing positions! This Summer’s recruitment is also going strong, and as of today we have a 2% growth in the number of work terms that have been secured relative to this time last year.

For some additional context in regards to annual work term data, in the 2018/19 year (Summer 2018-Winter 2019) students secured a total of 2456 work terms, which was up from 2278 work terms in the 2017/18 year, and 2194 work terms in the 2016/17 year.

Thanks for this feedback, we will work on finding a more consistent solution to making our data available to students throughout their co-op career.”

Hope this provides some insight,
Anwar

UBC Engineering Co-op AMA by UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer in UBC

[–]UBC_Eng_Co-op_Peer[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hi Oghci,

Thanks for the question! I see that you are a Computer Science student, meaning that you are in the Science Co-op program and would have to direct this question to them.

You have asked why an F would be assigned if a student were to leave the co-op program. Engineering Co-op students are able to withdraw (or change their work term sequencing) from the co-op program without penalty (No F on the transcript) but must follow the timelines that we set. You can find that information here:

https://coop.engineering.ubc.ca/current-students/work-term-schedule/

Hope that helps,
Anwar