Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Emma Thibodeau, a student from the University of Windsor, to the Tier One Executive Search headquarters for the cooperative segment of her bachelor's degree program. Emma has just completed the second year of her Honours Business Administration degree with Co-Operative Education.
When asked what she is most looking forward to learning while here at Tier One, Emma explains "I am excited to work in a professional environment and learn more about things that really pertain to my degree. I also look forward to learning more about the recruiting industry and how to communicate with clients and candidates."
The benefits of getting real-world work experience in addition to traditional classroom education is quite substantial. As Emma explains, "There are definitely a lot of benefits for students to partake in co-op. Instead of just attending classes for four years and jumping right into the workforce, we get the opportunity to get a feel for what type of industry we want to go into." She expects this co-op to help with her future career endeavors as she will be learning a lot of basics which will be applicable in other workplaces.
The advantages of hosting co-ops or internships is not just limited to the students, however. From the perspective of the business, there are multiple reasons why you'll want to consider participating in your own local co-operative education programs. Here are the benefits we have seen from working with co-op students so far:
1. Extra Manpower
Have projects that have been sitting on the back burner for quite some time? Having the extra help can free up some of your time to tackle those tasks.
2. A Fresh Perspective
Having a student on your team can help you to see things through a fresh set of eyes which can resolve an ongoing issue. They might also be able to expose you to new technologies to help with your processes.
3. A Potential New Hire
Even if this is not in the immediate future, a co-op student will leave having a solid idea with how your business operates. They just might be the perfect candidate when you are looking to hire as they come with the appropriate experience.
4. Creating Awareness About Your Industry
Taking on students means you are building an awareness of your industry as a career path opportunity. This is especially helpful for niche industries that do not quickly come to mind to new job seekers.
5. Having A Relationship with Local Educational Institutions
This is a potential benefit we can see over the long-term. Having relationships with your surrounding educational institutions is another way having access to new talent when you are in need of a hire. This could also potentially turn into a relationship where you can give feedback on the type of skills you require out of recent graduates.
