Northeastern’s Comprehensive Approach Readies Co-op Student for Career Success
Qi (David) Ren was drawn to the unique benefits of participating in a co-op opportunity during his graduate studies. Beyond gaining industry experience, he saw co-op as a chance to immerse himself in the Canadian workplace and build a professional network. Northeastern University in Toronto’s co-op option made his decision to enroll easy. Little did Qi know that the comprehensive co-op preparation and support the university provides its students would be equally instrumental in enhancing his education and preparing him for his future endeavours.
“Northeastern has a long history of providing students with co-op,” says Qi, who graduated from the Master of Science in Information Systems program in April. “Not only that, but the school also offers many activities, projects, and even on-campus employment that greatly enriches the experience and helps your CV stand out.”
Preparing Students for Co-op Success
Qi came to Northeastern University in Toronto with a Bachelor of Engineering and two years of work experience from China, hoping to further his general knowledge of the information systems field and learn more specifics of programming and coding. He soon discovered that despite his previous experience, his resume lacked the type of projects relevant to Canadian employers. To strengthen his resume and land a co-op, he took a multi-pronged approach. First, Qi chose courses such as Web Design and Web Development, which allowed him to get hands-on experience through projects he could showcase to employers.
“Working on the projects required for these courses gave me solid experience,” he says. “Finding a good project can be super important in learning new skills and collaborating with others, which is valued by companies like CIBC, where I completed my co-op.”
Qi also looked beyond the classroom to Northeastern University in Toronto’s myriad opportunities, such as on-campus employment. He became both a teaching assistant and a research assistant. These job experiences, Qi says, allowed him to build soft skills such as communication and leadership. Lastly, Qi turned to extracurricular activities. He participated in Northeastern University in Toronto’s hackathon with Statistics Canada, which he and his team won.
“Our school provides so many resources. You just have to take the initiative to get involved.”
“All the activities I became involved in consolidated my CV and made me much more prepared,” he says. “Our school provides so many resources. You just have to take the initiative to get involved. Another way Northeastern supports students is that we can start our own or join other student interest groups. I started the Northeastern University Coding Society, so I was able to communicate with our many people actively. It was a great experience on my resume.”
Throughout Qi’s preparation, Northeastern University in Toronto’s co-op and academic advisors supported him in various ways. His academic advisor, for example, helped Qi prepare for interviews by practicing behavioural questions. Qi’s co-op advisor, meanwhile, directed him to resources such as the university’s career management portal, NUWorks, which features career, co-op, internship, and experiential learning opportunities.
“During the journey, I had a chance to interview at a company that I applied to through NUWorks,” Qi says. “I made it through four rounds of interviews, and even though I wasn’t chosen for the position, the experience was a great chance to understand the interview process.”
Qi’s Co-op Experience
With his enhanced resume, banking giant CIBC offered Qi a co-op position. For four months, Qi worked as a CIBC software developer, contributing to the bank’s award-winning app. He says his Northeastern studies translated seamlessly to the projects he worked on. During his co-op, Qi also further refined soft skills relevant to the Canadian work environment and gained skills for the future of work.
“The most beneficial part of my co-op was getting familiar with the culture, which is very different from the workplace culture of China,” says Qi. “I also got to work remotely, which is relevant as many companies have hybrid work now. It was a new way of working for me, and it taught me how to communicate on different platforms and remain productive even when working from home. Lastly, I became familiar with the Agile work methodology, which is commonly practiced here, and how it is applied in a Canadian workplace.”
After completing his co-op, Qi began working part-time as a stack developer at start-up company Pictgen.ai, which harnesses the power of generative AI imaging to transform how people create and interact with visual content. While he continues to gain his work with Pictgen.ai, Qi is searching for full-time employment.
“Ultimately, I hope to work in finance,” he shares. “I know what I gained from the career preparation courses, communication courses, and technical courses at Northeastern plays an important role in my full-time work search and that my co-op experience is a great reference for future opportunities.”
Discover how the Master of Science in Information Systems program at Northeastern University in Toronto can prepare you for your own career.
By Izabela Shubair