For my third and final co-op work placement, I am working at the Harrow Research and Development Centre in Harrow specifically for the Agriculture and Agri-Food sector for the Federal Government of Canada. My role is to provide front-line client support with various hardware and software issues that might occur. I must also provide support with network connectivity, departmental standard software, open-source software, email configuration in outlook, remote access troubleshooting (on-site and off-site), and various other IT support inquiries. Maintaining inventory for IT hardware is also part of my daily tasks as the organization is continuously shuffling and getting rid of old hardware peripherals to make room for modern and faster hardware.
The experience that I am gaining from this co-op work term has helped me in ways that I couldn’t even begin to imagine. The greatest point that I can state from this experience is that I believe I have finally found an area in computer science that I can say I truly enjoy. Every day I wake up and look forward to coming to work. Every day is a different day, different challenges and different clients to assist is what I look forward to most as my work term goes on. I have had multiple part time jobs as an IT consultant or an IT assistant, but none come as close to the tasks and challenges that this experience has offered me. The responsibilities and trust that my supervisor has in me, has allowed me to push my limits and put my knowledge and problem-solving skills to test and has helped me approach new problems in various ways that in the past, I was not fully capable of accomplishing. Having worked for the Government of Canada and putting all of my efforts into this work term has offered me the experience, network connections, and confidence to continue working in this organization and to push towards getting full-time employment in a Government position which leads me one step closer to achieving some of my new career goals and finding secure and meaningful employment after I graduate.
I started as a web programmer for my first and second co-op work term for The Plasman Group, and I loved every project that I was assigned. I was offered a 4-month contract position after my second work term to continue working on some major projects for the company that I had initially started developing throughout my second work term. Being able to take concepts and skills from my academics and bring those into the workplace gave me a better insight as to why the material I was being taught in school were important and how it applied to real-life applications. Taking simple C# programs, using Visual Studio IDE, and taking my team-based skills to the workplace became important and I had little to no time to properly learn on how to use my skills as project deadlines, program code structure, and communicating with clients affected day to day operations of the company as a whole. Being able to work as a web developer had helped me not only prepare myself for what lies ahead for my future career, but as in return helped me better appreciate the knowledge and concepts shown in my classes at the University and approach my assignments and studying habits in a more effective way. My grades, programming skills, and personal skills had all improved in spite of doing 12 months altogether at The Plasman Group.
At the time, I thought I would be able to return for my last and final co-op work term placement at The Plasman Group, but unfortunately, shortly after signing my contract my placement was no longer secured. I had to go back into the job competition after being informed that the company was not going to be taking any co-op students for the summer, and were not sure when they would do so again. I figured it would be hard to get into another placement seeing that I was placed back into the second round of the job competition and with my busy schedule, I figured I would not have as much time to dedicate to applying to the various postings during the remaining rounds. With the help of the co-op team, I was able to secure another placement that I now believe has offered me the greatest surprising opportunities and experiences that a co-op student could get. I was very doubtful and uncertain of what the placement would offer me, but luckily I went through and accepted the position at the Harrow Research and Development Centre.
Just when I thought that the experience would go downhill from my past co-op experience, I was given more opportunities and knowledge to grow as a person and further enhance my existing knowledge and skills in the workplace. I have learned to communicate better with my coworkers, manage my time better, and apply existing and new solutions to my daily tasks. Through all of my co-op work experience, I have put myself at an advantage that not every student gets to experience, and everything up until this point will aid me in my future career.
The main thing that I believe co-op students must understand is that you need to put everything that you’ve got into this program. The process is different for some students, some get great placements at the start and some may have a tougher time landing a single interview throughout the job competition. Students should not discourage themselves at any point throughout this experience, because if a student is willing to try and get a placement, to get multiple interviews, to get experience that can help them learn more about the field that they are in, or if their interests are in the right area, this is the perfect opportunity to determine everything about the person that you are and will become after you graduate. I cannot emphasize enough how much of a resume builder the co-op program is. It is one thing to get part-time employment, but another to say you have experience the “real-world” prior to finding a career. You have the opportunity to make mistakes, develop better habits, and to also have the chance to apply everything that you know into the workplace. Receiving feedback for your hard work or completing a difficult project is one of the most rewarding aspect of this whole program. It was not an easy journey to get to where I have gotten, but dedication and perseverance is what got me to where I am now. Co-op will do nothing short of helping students shape the future of those who give it the best that they have to succeeded in this program.
I would also tell co-op students who are competing to apply to all positions that they deem fit as every interview is a great learning experience that you can bring along to the next one. Through these interviews, you learn what is important, how to structure your ideas more effectively, and what employers are seeking in the ideal candidate. I would tell co-op students that the perfect candidate that they envision most of the time do not exist, so you as the student need to prove why you are the ideal candidate through all the past work and academic experience that you had.
Last tip I would give to other co-op students is, never undervalue or opt out for any opportunities that are offered to you as they can be life-changing experiences. I would not be as prepared as I am today to go out into the workplace and feel as confident as I do with my current skills and knowledge had it not been for embracing every opportunity that was presented to me through my co-op experiences.
Name: Randy Daigle
Program: Computer Science Applied Computing Co-op
Working at: Agriculture & Agri-Foods Canada
Role: IT Assistant