In College And Looking For Real-World Experience? Consider Co-Op Programs

It’s a well-established fact that internships are an excellent way for students (or workers of any age and circumstance) to invest in their professional future. Students who work internships throughout their collegiate years are better positioned to land and master their first post-graduate professional job. Internships provide real-world work experience, prized business contacts, and potential references that may ease your transition from school to professional.

There is, however, a more robust and immersive approach to experiential education and academic studies – the co-op. Like internships, co-op jobs provide work experience to students while they earn their degrees. Unlike internships, co-op programs put work and academics on equal footing. There are colleges whose academic structure and curriculum are rooted in the co-op model. For example, Boston’s Northeastern University (among other leading universities) organizes its semesters to accommodate a robust co-op curriculum.

So, what are the differences between internships and co-op programs?

The philosophy behind internships is simple. You concentrate on an academic goal – graduating – and supplement your studies by working short-term jobs in your specialty, primarily during the summer. The co-op route is more complex. Co-op programs integrate academic curriculums with extended job experiences. You have the opportunity to go deeper into your role than an internship affords – co-ops often last a whole semester, or longer.

The main differences are:

1.     Your relationship with your school. If you want to work an internship, your school’s career center is a great way to get help, and referrals and references from professors are always welcome. No academic time needs to be sacrificed. If you’re at a school with a co-op structure or programs, you will spend just as much time away from your school as you will in it.

2.     Schedule. Internships are worked during the interludes of the academic year. Co-op jobs can last up to six months.

3.     Immersion. Given the difference in internship vs. co-op structures and schedules, it is worth noting how vastly different these educational experiences are. Internships are voluntary additions to academic work that do not interfere with the academic schedule. Co-op schools/programs require equal commitment between work and studying, and operate outside the rhythms of most colleges and universities.

Co-op programs have their advantages:

• Because you spend so much time “at work” you should learn more than you would at an internship. It is also fair to say that the businesses offering co-op jobs have high expectations of their employees and will put you to work at much more than fetching coffee. Not only will you have extended and invaluable real-world work experience, but it will also be at a higher level. Your skill sets will sharpen.

• You have time to develop in-depth relationships with your co-workers, which can be called by another name – mentorship. Mentorship and guidance are included part and parcel of the co-op package.

• You increase your chances of getting a permanent job post-graduation. Let’s say you make only one major ally during your co-op job that will go to the mat for you when the time comes to get your first “real” job, you have a major advantage over most graduates.

• Working in the trenches changes your approach to your academic studies. Your time in the “working world” will make you a more discriminating scholar. For one thing, you may appreciate being in a classroom in a way you would otherwise lack, and your studies will be viewed through the kaleidoscope of your co-op work experience.

• There’s potential to earn more money. Co-op jobs tend to pay more and for a longer period of time.

Co-op programs also have their disadvantages.

• Extended work experiences may mean that it could take longer to finish your degree, which requires the resources to sustain long-term academic expenses and the commitment to finish your studies regardless of the required time.

• Many people may find the schedule to be challenging if not unsustainable. On paper, it looks great but transitioning between extended periods in the classroom and at work may be difficult. Not everyone can conform to the unique demands of a co-op program.

• Extended absence from your studies may interrupt your momentum. You may be excelling in your coursework and the switch to work takes you out of that groove. Conversely, you could be just hitting your stride at your co-op job when it ends and you’re back in the classroom.

• The challenges and expenses of earning a college degree are already significant and stressful. The pressures of work never sleep. Choosing to do both in equal measure requires a formidable constitution.

Internships and co-ops share the fundamental belief that students benefit from academics and work in tandem, and prepare them for their future in a way that academics alone cannot achieve. Do your research. The opportunities are out there.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.