Step 3: Admission to Co-op

This is the third step in a three-step application process. Please ensure you have completed Step 1 and Step 2 before continuing. 

Participating in Co-op

By accepting admission to co-op, you agree to:

• participate in modules or seminars on all aspects of the job search, such as the Fundamentals of Co-operative Education Course
• apply to many job postings
• be available for interviews during primary recruiting periods; we advise you not to make travel commitments during primary interview periods, including fall reading week
• not take vacations during work terms
• be willing to relocate for jobs (including finding housing in another city or town)
• pay co-op fees to participate in the program

Applying to Jobs

The Co-op Office invites employers to recruit students each term. Coordinators review job descriptions, decide which programs are suitable, and post them on Navigator.

You view the job postings that are open to students in your program, and apply to the jobs that interest you.

You are welcome to do an independent job search, in addition to applying to co-op postings. Before accepting a job you have found on your own, please send details and contact information to your co-op coordinator, who will decide whether to approve the job for co-op.

Success Factors

You will be competing for jobs with other students, and we cannot guarantee that you will secure employment. To improve your chances, we recommend that you:

• apply to lots of co-op job postings
• write a cover letter for each job, demonstrating how you gained the skills required for the role
• prepare resumes describing your work history and activities clearly
• become adept at explaining your qualifications concisely and persuasively during interviews
• maintain high grades
• bring a positive attitude and realistic expectations

Primary Recruiting Period

During the primary recruiting period each term, the Co-op Office arranges all interviews, and you see your schedules on Navigator. Most of your interviews will be by video conference or phone; we recently re-introduced in-person interviews on a limited basis. Employers rank you and you rank them, and we use an algorithm to “match” employers and students.

• If you are seeking accounting work for your first work term, you will begin applying to jobs in November and attend interviews with CPA firms in early January, whether your first work term is scheduled for spring or fall.
• The primary recruiting period for the spring work term begins once we announce the results of the match for CPA jobs, and interviews take place from late January through mid-February.
• We begin posting jobs for the fall work term in early May, and interviews take place in late May and early June.
• We begin posting jobs for the winter work term in early September, and interviews take place from mid to late October, including during the fall reading week.

Continuous Recruiting Period

If you learn that you have not been matched to a job through the ranking and matching process, you will start applying to jobs again. During the continuous recruiting period, employers may contact you directly to arrange interviews or offer jobs We usually give you up to 24 hours to accept or decline an offer.