Understand the Software Co-op requirements, timelines and read the FAQs.

The first step to ensure success is to become familiar with the Co-op program. Take the time to read the FAQs, and become familiar with the requirements and the timelines. Depending on whether you are a newly admitted U1 or U0 student, your first co-op work term may happen as early as after your 2^nd university semester. Do not get caught by surprise and be prepared.

If you haven’t already, create a CV. If you have one, be sure to update it. Get feedback!

The process of creating your first professional CV might seem daunting at first, but you have many helpful resources available. The Software Co-op Advisor leads resume workshops specific to software engineering and is also available for advising appointments. The Engineering Career Centre also offers workshops and advising. Be sure to talk to senior students as well to get some great tips!

Read lots of job descriptions.

Reading job descriptions for co-op and internship opportunities will help you get familiarized with what employers are looking for. After reading a variety of descriptions you will then have a better idea of industry standards, types of positions you are qualified for and how you can tailor your CV and cover letter to highlight your most relevant experiences.

Create a LinkedIn if you haven’t already.

The great thing about LinkedIn is that it’s much more than a resume. LinkedIn allows you to breathe life into your CV and take it to a whole new level. Think about posting links to some of your best personal or academic projects along with your past work and volunteer experiences. LinkedIn also allows you to connect and network with individuals in your field!

Get involved and start building your skills beyond the classroom.

There are lots of opportunities outside the classroom where you can work on your programming, engineering, leadership or communication skills. Maybe you can find the time to join a club or start your own! Participating in hackathons and design challenges are also great ways to gain experience – even if you don’t win, this involvement looks good on a resume.

Network, attend career fairs and employer info-sessions.

Networking allows you to learn about hidden opportunities, expand your industry knowledge, offer help and meet key people. It doesn’t have to be scary or uncomfortable. Start by building on the relationships with people you know; family, classmates, colleagues and acquaintances to grow your professional network. Attending info-sessions at McGill and elsewhere is a great way to build your network while learning about co-op opportunities! Career fairs will be full of opportunities to network and find out about co-op job openings. The McGill Engineering TechFair is the largest career fair on campus and held twice a year!

Apply to jobs!

Apply to lots of jobs! McGill’s has lots of great postings and the list is updated regularly. There are also many online job search boards, and recruiters also post on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to visit your favorite companies’ websites and check out their career pages to find opportunities. Ensure you carve out dedicated time every week for your job search and most importantly, be mindful of application requirements, deadlines and instructions.

Practice your behavioral and technical interview skills

What are your strengths/weaknesses? Tell me about a software project you are very proud of? How do you deal with conflict? Attend a workshop or book an appointment with a Career Advisor for a practice behavioural interview, to discuss interview strategies and polish your answers. Technical interviews may require that you brush up on your coding skills for in-person (white board) or online (Coderpad or Google doc) problem solving. There are interview prep workshops available from the Engineering Career Centre or via employer info-sessions, be sure to attend to find out how to best prepare.

Interview

This is an obvious step in the quest to landing a job. Ahead of the interview make sure you have plenty of time for travel if you are meeting in-person. If you are interviewing via videoconferencing, check that equipment is working and that you have a well lit and quiet location. At this point you have prepared to the best of your ability and all that is left to do is be rested, feel confident in your knowledge, demonstrate your interest in the company and position, and give a top-notch interview! After the interview don’t forget to show your thanks by sending a thank you email to your interviewer. The gesture is appreciated, and it can set you apart from the crowd.

Keep at it until you secure your work term!

Remember that applying for jobs and preparing for interviews is a time-consuming process, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first co-op position or first full-time position. There is no magic number of applications or the ‘perfect’ resume that will land you a job. It takes perseverance to succeed at anything and landing a co-op position is no different. Take advantage of all the resources on campus to help you succeed!

There are typically two major recruiting periods for co-op positions that start in the summer.

1. Some employers will post opportunities as early as August or September for a May start date (2 semesters before the work term). Companies located in the United States often post early. Big N companies do not always post job opportunities on , you can apply directly to their career webpages.
2. Other employers will post jobs one semester before the start date; January, February and March for summer. Many companies recruiting in Montreal or Canada tend to post one semester before the start date.

Even as a first-year student with limited experience you will be able to start applying to jobs as early as September because some companies have dedicated internship programs for freshman students.

A co-op work term consists of:

• 12-16 weeks of work per term (determined by the employer but the dates must fall within the semester you will be working)

• Full-time work (35-40 hours/week)

• Paid work experience related to your area of study

• A role that is supervised by an engineer or related professional

You can complete work terms in research and industrial settings locally, nationally, or internationally. This means you can work in a variety of settings including artificial intelligence, video games, Web applications and interfaces, information technologies, telecommunications, robotics, medical technologies, biomedicine, automotive industry, aerospace industry and more in a variety of locations. Depending on the company the work term may be on-site or remote.

Students apply to various jobs with titles such as: Software Intern, Software Developer, Programmer, Game Programmer, Quality Assurance Intern, Technical Support Specialist, Intern Developer, Technical Project Intern, Mobile Application Developer Intern, and more. Explore various key word combinations when looking for positions to apply to because there are as many job titles as there are companies!

You are encouraged to apply to jobs using both university and external resources. is a McGill resource that allows you to view and apply to positions, and sign up for employer events and workshops. Student societies and clubs have newsletters that often feature job postings or career related events. External resources include job boards, networking sites and company web sites.

Over the course of your work terms you will:

• Use theory to research and design software solutions

• Use sound engineering practices to create computer applications

• Design testing procedures for large-scale systems

• Focus on large-scale systems development

• Develop software systems that are maintainable, reliable, efficient, and satisfy customer requirements

• Plan, organize, control, manage, and follow up on software projects

The work term schedule below serves as a guide to help you plan when to start applying to jobs and when you’re expected to be working or in class. In some instances, some students may deviate from the sample below.

Work Term Schedule

1. Understand the co-op/internship recruitment cycle
2. Develop a strategy & schedule
3. Meet with Career Advisors as needed
4. Prepare a professional CV/resume
5. Network and attend career related events
6. Apply to jobs and keep track of your applications
7. Practice and prepare for interviews
8. Interview!
9. Discuss job offers
10. Accept the job offer and begin preparing for the work term

• Read through the Software Engineering Co-op web pages, attend mandatory info-sessions and get to know the program.
• Attend Software Engineering Co-op workshops (Tech CVs, Interview Prep, Job Searching & Networking) or other career workshops available in the Faculty or at McGill.
• Draft your first professional CV and get feedback from the Engineering Career Centre or the Software Co-op Advisor.
• Attend the Fall edition of the McGill Engineering TechFair and attend some company info-sessions to learn about internships and co-ops.
• Apply to jobs! Make sure you are applying to jobs that correspond to the term you are available for work, i.e. some job postings in the fall may be for winter placements – read the job description carefully.

• If you have not secured a position, don’t worry, many summer job postings are released in January. Use the winter break to relax and to update your CV with the new skills you learned in the fall term. Come January, you will be ready to apply to jobs.
• Reserve time in your schedule to search and apply for jobs. Some postings are only live for a few days or a week. If you have dedicated job search and networking time a few days a week, you will ensure you can effectively apply to many jobs.
• Attend the winter edition of the McGill Engineering TechFair. Many employers will be looking for summer interns! Review the list of attending companies and find out they are hosting info-sessions. Attend the TechFair Tips workshop to ensure you are prepared and confident when speaking to your future employer.
• Repeat activities and steps from the fall semester above as needed.

• If you have not found a co-op internship for the summer, keep looking. Employers continue to post opportunities on and other platforms until one or two weeks before the start date. Check in with the Software Co-op Advisor or a Career Advisor to review your job search strategy.
• You may have one or several interviews at this stage and preparing can take some time. Make sure you’re maintaining a good work-life balance so you can thrive during the upcoming exam period.
• Once you accept a job offer and it is approved by the Software Co-op team, you must stop search process. Congratulations!

• If not already done, International students must apply for the co-op work permit using the Work Permit Support Letter available on the Software Co-op web page.
• Apply for jobs and use the Application Tracking Record to organize your search.
• Fill out the Co-op Work Term & Validation Form to notify the Co-op Office of your new job*.
• Fill out Permission to take a course while on co-op form if you want to take a class while working**.
• Attend the pre-departure workshop ahead of your first co-op work term.
• Ensure you have all necessary information from your employer for your first day on the job.
• Make necessary travel/insurance/housing arrangements if the job requires relocation.

Notes

* If you are completing multiple work terms back to back, you must fill out this form prior to each 4-month work term.

** You can take one class worthÌýa maximum of 4 creditsÌýwhile on a co-op work term. You must have permission from both the employer and the professor.

If you are completing multiple work terms back to back, you are required to submit all the reports for each term.

• Get your work term off to a great start by meeting with your supervisor early on to understand the tasks and projects you will be working on.
• Understand your tasks and projects and make sure to know who you can turn to for help.
• Submit the Student Placement Report by due date (date TBD).
• Regularly check your McGill email for news from the Co-op Office.
• Submit the Student Self Evaluation form by due date (date TBD).
• Make time to meet your supervisor in your last month so they can review the Employers Evaluation Form with you. The Co-op Office will send your supervisor the form with instructions.
• Submit the Final Report by due date (date TBD).

• You may be returning school for one/a few semesters until your next co-op work term.
• You may be moving into a second work term at the same or different company. Don’t forget to fill out the Co-op Work Term & Validation Form.
• After your final work term, you will be asked to fill out a Final Questionnaire.