Posted on Monday, September 30th, 2019
We are only partly through our hiring process for the Winter 2020 Term (January – April) though we are pleased to share that 622 co-op interviews were conducted in the past two weeks alone with over 113 of our employer partners. There are still plenty of students available to be hired for Winter 2020 but we would like to take this opportunity to thank our employers who have posted jobs with us thus far. Thank you to all our employers who have interviewed as part of our new Rank and Offer process, we appreciate your patience and understanding as we streamline our processes to support the growth of cooperative education at Algonquin College.
“Based on our research, and continued consultation with other high-performing co-op colleges and universities, we decided to test a new co-op job posting and interviewing model that can serve our stakeholders in a more efficient and timely way,” says David Hall, Manager, Cooperative Education. “This change has enabled us to conduct three times the amount of interviews in the past two weeks when compared to the same time frame last fall.”
Starting this semester, we’ve updated our job application, interview and job offer process to a co-op industry standard called Rank and Offer. This will allow the Co-op Department to manage the interview process more efficiently to better support our learners in their journey to find co-op employment while providing a more streamlined hiring process for employers.
“These self-serve and automation improvements mean our students get more choice in the jobs they accept, allow employers to know the results of their interviews sooner, and allows the co-op team closely manage the entire hiring process from start to finish,” adds Hall.
“With new co-op programs offered each year, we are constantly evolving to find new ways of becoming more responsive and scalable while continuing to provide an exceptional co-op experience for learners and employers.
With Rank and Offer we will have an initial first round of co-op hiring early in the semester and then we will employ a continuous process, where employers can post their jobs, interview, and send job offers at any time, for the remainder of the term.
It might seem early in the semester for students to have their job offers for a Work Term in Winter 2020 but there are several ways that our learners benefit from this new process.
- More time to apply for jobs and interview with several employers
- First round of offers are sent during a specified period potentially allowing multiple job offers for them to consider
- More opportunity for interview feedback and reflection
- Job offers will be fully automated, learners and employers will be notified as soon as a job offer is extended and accepted
If you are interested in hiring an Algonquin College Co-op student for a work term starting January 2020, now is the time to post your job as we still have plenty of students available!
Send us an email or visit our website to learn how Cooperative Education at Algonquin College can help support your business.
We look forward to hearing from you!hire
Algonquin College Co-op Team
Posted on Friday, September 6th, 2019
The Co-op Department is committed to helping students find relevant and valuable work experience that will help you to hit the ground running after graduation. You’ve made the right choice by enrolling into co-op and now its time to find a co-op job! With over 3,000 Algonquin College co-op employers there are many different industries and a variety of job opportunities to choose from.
One of the best ways to find a co-op job opportunity that’s right for you is by meeting and talking to professionals in various industries. Networking is an opportunity to ask questions about an organization’s work environment, potential roles and future learning and career paths available to you.
The Algonquin College Co-op Department is happy to host our employers on campus throughout the year. At these events, students will have the opportunity to speak to professionals in their industry and discuss potential co-op job opportunities available to them.
You’re invited!
We are hosting an information session for students to explore the world of analytics and cloud computing at Global Affairs Canada.
When: Thursday, September 19, 2019, from 1pm-3pm
Where: ACCE Building Room CA105 and Minto Hall
Register now!
Employer profile:
Global Affairs Canada manages Canada’s diplomatic relations, provides consular services to Canadians, promotes the country’s international trade and leads Canada’s international development and humanitarian assistance.
Sign-up for co-op workshops and events:
Visit our co-op calendar to find more networking events and workshops this term.
You’ve signed up for a networking event, now what?
Make sure you are prepared before you show up at the event. A little bit of planning will go a long way and can help to set you apart from other attendees.
- Make a game plan for what you want to get out of the event.
- Do your research on the company and make sure you come with a list of questions.
- Read our blog on Survival Skills: Three Ways to Survive a Networking Event.
Posted on Thursday, August 8th, 2019
Canadian College’s provide the missing link between people and their careers. Teacher, Katie Marti writes for Study Magazine that: “Colleges are far more goal-oriented (than University). They tend to be full of people who mean business, often times after having finished a generic university degree program and realizing that what they really want to do requires more specific training. Therefore, I would suggest to you that while people may go to university because they can, they go to college because they should.”
It is true that many people who attend college have a vast background of education. They come to college to learn the hands-on skills and experience that apply to a work-force, and not just a highly academic existence. College students are dedicated to perusing a life-long passion and career. They are loyal to their craft and College shapes them from theory-based learners to employable and skilled workers.
College instills:
• An ability to engage in critical thinking, problem-solving and work in interdisciplinary, cross-functional teams.
• People skills, including interpersonal communication, flexibility, respectability and emotional intelligence.
The Pacific Standard states that “today’s work more often involves creativity, critical thinking, and personal interaction. Employees with interdisciplinary training have a leg up.”
“Universities are clearly and demonstrably elitist in many aspects of their work” –Ken Coates, National Post Opinion Editorial
Which is fine! It’s their job to be elitist and selective in who they offer enrollment and award degrees to. But, University’s are not, and have NEVER been designed to optimize students employ-ability or kick-start their career.
University does serve a meaningful purpose, to shape individuals into philosophical and higher level thinkers. University profs seek to inspire their students to become better citizens and polished academics. They do not intend to prepare pupils for job interviews, financial realities or hands-on experiences.
Often times, University classes are being taught by TA’s, who also do most of the grading. The relationships that students have with University professors is not intimate, especially in the first year of study. Instructors expect students to be fully prepared to succeed independently, prior to enrollment.
“Colleges, on the other hand, tend to have much smaller class sizes and a wide variety of instructors who have proven to be experts in their particular field. The work is specific and applicable. It’s quality over quantity in most cases.”- Study Magazine
“In 2013, 68% of students picked “getting a good job” or “preparing for a career” as the most important reason to attend university; only 16% picked “increasing knowledge in a specific field” or “getting a good general education”. – Source
It’s clear that college is now offering students the type of education they WANT to invest in. College’s continue to evolve to both students and employer needs, which is what makes these institutions the driver of efficient change in our modern world.
Posted on Tuesday, June 18th, 2019
In a sea of names, your resume has less than ten seconds to make an impression on a potential employer.
It’s not your fault that you didn’t make the cut, 10 seconds is a pretty merciless time-frame to make a statement that embodies your entire work ethic and experience!
But, this is the reality of the modern workforce.
These 3 steps ↓ will ensure that YOU pull ahead of the pack and save your application from meeting its doom in the shredder!
- Make your resume a template that evolves to every job description.
Unfortunately, this is a lot of work, and not easy if the only time you have to apply for jobs is on your lunch break!
But, it’s worth it. People who are trained to scan through resumes are only going to be captivated by your page, if it begs and screams for the attention it deserves.
This requires passion and effort. It’s important to filter out the careers that you aspire to have from the jobs you would throw your hat in the ring for, just as a second thought.
It is more effective to personalize one resume than it is to simply submit a hundred, without addressing each position individually.
So, scan that job posting a bajillion times and make sure you input all the key words you find into your documents: to pass that ten second test. Tailor your resume to fit each position like a glove!
- Use Punchy wording and short sentences.
Don’t:
- Sacrifice proper grammar
- Start splicing through the page with fragments.
Do:
- Make use of bullet points
- Join ideas together
- Use sub headings, titles, dates, positions and other labels to improve the ease of navigation for the reader.
- Trim and tighten lengthy sentences
- Use synonyms and strong vocabulary
- Omit repetition
- Make it hard to look away from
Your resume has to be attractive. Use of white space, consistent fonts, and styles all effect the structural integrity of your resume. This site contains resume builder templates as well as tips and tricks to help “beautify” your CV, even if you’re not a graphic designer.
But, be warned – not all hiring committees are awestruck by a fancy stencil – it is important to assess the formality of the position you’re applying for and use good judgement in formatting your information accordingly.
Remember, Algonquin College co-op students have access to resume workshops through the Co-op Department. Plus, you can follow what’s upcoming on HireAC.
Happy Job Hunting!
Posted on Tuesday, June 4th, 2019
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