For students looking for paid work experience and a break from school, the University’s cooperative education program might be the best option.
Cooperative education, or co-op for short, is a program designed to integrate academic study with related job experience, according to the N.C. State website.
Susan Matney, associate director of the co-op program, said 300 to 500 N.C. State students do co-ops each semester, and those co-ops often lead to jobs.
“Many students get multiple work offers, but some turn them down because they say ‘I might want to go to grad school or work somewhere else,’” Matney said. “Employers want to look at potential hires when they bring students. A lot of employers, after three work terms, want past students to be employed permanently.”
Matney also said co-ops often last longer than internships, allowing students to get more experience.
“Instead of working only one summer … co-op gives students the chance to work multiple terms with the same employer and build on their expertise,” she said.
Josh Hauser, a senior in civil engineering, did a co-op with Ulliman Schutte, a construction contractor that builds and refurbishes water treatment plants, in the spring and fall of 2012 and the summer of 2013.
Hauser heard about the co-op program through a family friend and said the First Year College advertised it heavily.
Hauser said while working with Ulliman Schutte, he helped the project engineers on the job site, dealt with subcontractors and suppliers, and looked at drawings and blueprints while on the job site.
Hauser had some advice for students thinking about doing a co-op.
“They should definitely do it,” Hauser said. “If you do the three-semester program, you get a full year of experience, great pay, great contacts in the industry so you can get your foot in the door with the company you are working with, and another year in school. Everyone’s saying they can’t wait to graduate. I kind of feel that way, but I’m so glad I have another year left of school.”
Matney suggests starting early to make sure you can end up in a career field you enjoy before you graduate.
“The co-op programs help students look ahead,” Matney said. “They’re able to see early on in their sophomore year what they could be doing when they graduate, so it helps so much with their classes too. They learn things out on the job that helps them when they come back to class, and it gives you a break from school. It’s also a paid position, and it’s a great position that’s related to their major.”
For students interested in learning more about the co-op program, the first step is attending an orientation session where Career Development Center representatives answer general questions to see if a co-op is going to work out for them, Matney said.
“There’s lots of other ways to get work experience before you graduate, and co-op is a great way,” Matney said.
The co-op website even has profiles of students who have been hired on full time.