Business and Economics Co-op First Year Information Session

1. Business and Economics Co-opFirst Year Information Session

2. CO-OP AT LAURIER Gain practical experience to complement academic studies Personal attention by co-ordinators both during job search and work terms Students complete two full years of academic study before the first work term

3. Co-op Work Term Sequence Sequence One (Some students do an 8-month work term from May through December)

4. Co-op Work Term Sequence Sequence Two

5. Co-op Work Term Sequence Variation of Sequence Two This sequence is suitable for students looking to work for a CA firm

6. JOB SEARCH PROCESS Job descriptions posted through co-op’s online system Students apply to positions that interest them Employers review resumes Employers decide who they would like to interview During the primary recruiting period, job offers are managed through the rank/match process Students are also expected to conduct a personal job search to complement the job posting process

7. BENEFITS Investigate and define career choices Apply theory from class in a “real world” environment Assess and develop employment skills Acquire job search skills Develop industry contacts Obtain one full year of work experience Help finance your education

8. WEEKLY SALARY SURVEY 2013

9. REALITIES Financial commitment Economy No guarantee of employment (employment process may be lengthy, particularly for first work term) Relocation is often required during work terms Limited business/non-business electives available during spring academic terms Extracurricular activities and vacation time are restricted Graduate later On work term during grad recruitment Increased workload

10. CO-OP ACTIVITIES October Information session Resume workshop My Learning Space materials November Job search workshop Resumes due CA interview skills CA mock interviews CA job postings December/January CA interviews Interview skills workshop Mock interviews • December/January • Non-CA job postings • Rank/match sessions • February • Non-CA interviews • Second round postings • March • Work term preparation workshop • Job postings and interviews continue • April/May/June • Personal job search • Job postings and interviews continue

11. Functional Areas May to August

12. Employment Locations

13. SAMPLE JOB TITLES Investment Research Assistant, Gluskin Sheff + Associates Junior Staff Accountant, KPMG Business Analyst, Hewlett-Packard Assistant Marketing Manager, PepsiCo Beverages Canada Analyst, RBC Capital Markets Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Samsung Canada Marketing Communications, Microsoft Product Specialist, Desire2Learn Brand and Product Manager, Kik Interactive Inc.

14. APPLICATION PROCESS On-line application available in March Application Deadline – September 15, 2014 Step 1 - Overall first-year GPA cutoff established in July (last year was 8.4; we expect it to be higher this year) Step 2 - Individual interviews Sept.-early Oct. (begin the first week of September) Step 3 - Co-ordinators meet to select successful applicants Decisions posted by e-mail on October 3, 2014 No waiting list One entry point; may not apply again later

15. MARKS FOR APPLICANTS Actual average GPA of group admitted is usually much higher than the minimum GPA required to receive an interview Minimum GPA in 2013 was 8.4; average GPA of students admitted in 2013 was 9.98 We will not consider other courses you complete after winter term unless: they are required for progression to second year you completed fewer than the equivalent of five full credits Students who have to repeat courses or take additional courses to achieve minimum GPA may be evaluated lower than those who meet GPA by April Students who completed five courses in winter may be evaluated higher than those who completed four

16. THE INTERVIEW Candidate who meet the minimum GPA are offered a 15-minute formal interview conducted by two co-op co-ordinators Read introductory statement before interview Assess: Work experience from beginning of grade 11 to end of summer before second year Volunteer service and extracurricular activities from grade 11 to end of Orientation week of second year Marks Interview performance Equal weight is given to each category

17. THE INTERVIEW Assess what candidates communicate in the interview, not items listed on the resume We don’t consider activities you’re going to do (only what you’ve done up until the end of O-week) You will be asked about your work term sequence preferences. Students are assigned sequence (try but can’t guarantee student preference) Most students choose Laurier in part because of Co-op, not able to consider this as reason to admit students No References – unable to accept any references as part of the application process

18. THE INTERVIEW It is each student’s responsibility to present his or her background and skills within the 15 minutes Opportunity at end of interview to provide information not discussed in response to interview questions STAR system used to evaluate responses Learn how to be successful in an interview; do research and attend a workshop through the Career Development Centre

19. The STAR Method • STAR • SITUATION – provide a clear framework; explain why it was a challenging situation • TASK – the problem or task that needed to be resolved • ACTION – the steps YOU took in detail • RESULT! – the end result; was it successful? • Make sure your answer has a beginning, a middle and an end

20. STATISTICS Competitive selection process Enrolment in co-op is limited last year more than 716 students applied we extended offers to 380 students in 2013

21. THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

22. QUESTIONS? Rather than seeking information from other sources, get accurate and current information from the Co-op Office at ext. 4484 or visit our website at www.wlu.ca/co-op