We would like to provide some important reminders as you commence your co-op job search.
GETTING STARTED
- Check and reply to emails from the Employment Services Team (employmentservicesteam@uoguelph.ca [1]) within 24 hours or sooner. Please note that our office will use your @uoguelph.ca account for all communications.
- Confirm with your Co-op Coordinator immediately if you have secured a job on your own or if you are returning to a previous or current employer for the upcoming co-op work term.
- If you are currently on a co-op work term you MUST add your mobile phone number to your Experience Guelph profile so we can contact you if necessary (click "MyAccount" underneath the white tab bar, update your information and click "Save").
- Log in to your Experience Guelph account daily to ensure you have not missed any notifications of interviews or offers. These will show on your dashboard.
PROCESS FOR CONTINUATION OF INTEREST-FREE STATUS (OSAP)
- IMPORTANT! Students who are in receipt of OSAP, and completing co-op work terms, should apply online for Continuation of Interest-Free Status [2] no later than 21 days before the end of your study period before your upcoming work semester. For OSAP questions related to co-op, please email: finaid@uoguelph.ca [3]
REGISTRATION AND FEES
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Once you have secured employment, you are required to register for your current co-op work term course (i.e. COOP*1000, COOP*2000, etc. for Degree Co-op Programs and COOP*1020 for Associate Diploma Programs) during the Course Selection Period. If you secure employment after the Course Selection Period ends, the Co-op Office will add the course to your account mid-semester without penalty. If you secure employment before the Course Selection Period ends but fail to register for the course, the Co-op Office will add the course to your account mid-semester as well, however, a late fee may apply. For information on course selection changes implemented by the Registrar's Office please visit the updated page at https://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/courseselectionwindow [4].
- Note that when you register for your co-op work term, a credit weight of 0.50 will be applied to your co-op work term course. For more information regarding the credit weight visit: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/co-op-students/co-op-governance/co-op-credit-weight-change-updates [5]
- IMPORTANT! - Both a co-op work term fee and a co-op academic fee will be charged for students who register for an academic course during their co-op work term. This co-op academic fee will contribute towards the eight co-op academic fees you are required to pay for the co-op program.
APPLICATIONS, INTERVIEWS AND JOB OFFERS
- You are authorized to apply for jobs that meet your approved sequence. Postings for 8-month jobs are only available to students who are scheduled for 8-month co-op work terms or two consecutive co-op work terms (an OFF semester is not considered a co-op work term semester). Co-op Academic & Work Sequence Agreements must be followed and may not be revised.
- To find out when interviews commence, please visit: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/co-op-students/important-co-op-dates [6]
- Please be sure to sign in, select and confirm your interview time immediately following notification of the interview. Most interviews for co-op jobs will be conducted virtually (via phone or video) at this time. To help you prepare for these types of interviews, our office has created a one-page resource with helpful tips: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/system/files/Virtual-Interviews.pdf [7]
- You are permitted two declines each job search semester. This includes:
- Failing to sign up for an interview, cancelling or missing a scheduled interview
- Declining a job offer
- For students currently on a work term: If you receive an interview request, it is recommended that you schedule the interview during one of your work breaks or your lunch hour. For students who may find they have a scheduling conflict, immediately message the Employment Services Team (employmentservicesteam@uoguelph.ca) to discuss.
- If you accept a co-op job offer after 1:00 pm, you are required to attend interviews scheduled for the next business day.
- Outcome Campus Connect (OCC) is an additional job search resource contained within Experience Guelph and offers two searching techniques:
- Co-op - Jobs identified by OCC as co-op and approved by a U of G Co-op Coordinator are transferred directly to the co-op module and appear automatically at the bottom of any job search lists.
- General - There may be additional opportunities that could count as a co-op position in the OCC job module, so when you are job searching you may want to include this resource. You can find the 'Outcome Campus Connect' module on your dashboard as a grey tab. Note: These jobs have not been vetted by Co-op Coordinators and should be confirmed with your Coordinator before accepting an offer of employment.
- Students and their employers are expected to follow local public health guidelines and any applicable organizational health and safety protocols.
SUPPORT
- Contact your Co-op Coordinator with any questions you have regarding your job search, companies of interest, job offers or the upcoming co-op work term.
- Virtual appointments are available for resume, cover letter, and interview support. To view available appointments visit https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/students-alumni/drop-sessions [8].
- If you have a disability, we encourage you to disclose to your Co-op Coordinator to discuss support needed throughout your co-op program [9].
- If you identify as being Neurodiverse (can include but not be limited to conditions such as Autism, ADHD/ADD, PDD-NOS, OCD, Anxiety diagnoses, and similar ways of being) and interested in accessing additional supports in the recruitment process through a bridging program, please contact your Co-op Coordinator and/or visit https://ca.specialisterne.com/post-secondary-employment-bridging-program/ [10] for more information and to register