The Business Co-op Corner

Coming to the end of a co-op or study term is the perfect time to pause and reflect on how much you’ve grown professionally and personally. Here are some tips from CWIL to help you make sense of your progress and understand your next steps to ensure you turn your growth into long-term momentum! 

“Just like you need rest days after going to the gym in order to build healthy muscle, you also need rest and reflection at the end of a busy school term to truly grow and develop. And part of that rest and reflection needs to be a look back and appreciation for what you did well - even if the outcome wasn’t what you’d hoped. Celebrate your uniqueness, the skills you utilized, and what you’ve learned outside of just academic learning. Remember: “Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous.” ~ Confucius.” 

-Tiffany Baker, MBA Career Coach and Educator

“I remember when I was an undergrad, participating in various experiential learning, internships, and practicum opportunities. One thing I occasionally did—but wish I had done more—was pausing to journal key takeaways. I would have categorized them into technical knowledge gained and self-management strategies developed.

For example, during a graphic design internship, I learned the importance of managing deadlines while collaborating with others. I would have benefited from journaling key takeaways, like clarifying expectations with teammates to prevent delays or setting internal deadlines ahead of the actual due date for last-minute revisions.

Taking action is important, but so is reflection—and a little rest afterward to recalibrate, decompress, and process everything. Journaling these takeaways helps solidify learning and makes it easier to apply them in future experiences.” 

-Justin Pritchard, MBA Career Coach and Educator

“During your co-op experience, think of yourself as a sponge- soak up everything around you. Pay attention to how your colleagues write emails, present in meetings, and handle professional interactions. These seemingly small observations can significantly shape your own communication and workplace skills. You’ll find yourself improving in areas you may not have even realized needed growth, from crafting clearer messages to confidently speaking up in discussions. Every interaction is an opportunity to refine your abilities, so stay curious, ask questions, and remember that you are there to learn!”

-Morgan Wolansky, Experiential Learning Program Coordinator

“As a co-op student, I wrote down the tasks or projects I did over the course of my term, and reflected on any new things I learned or knowledge I gained. For example, comparing a task I wrote at the beginning of my term versus a more recent entry, I could see how much I’ve improved in communication skills. Or I could see where I faced challenges with a specific project. Because I kept a record of my activities as an intern, I was able to look back on the activities I did as an intern, and see how much I’ve grown since the first task I wrote down to the last. Having a clear documentation of my term allowed me to reflect on specific milestones of growth and see how much I learned during my work experience!”

-Pauline Tabanao, Experiential Learning Programs Support Intern

“Before switching gears and either going back to school or starting a new Co-op term, it can be helpful to jot down a few notes about what you learned or what skill(s) you developed while the information is still fresh in your mind. Maybe use these notes to update your resume or prepare an example to use in a future cover letter or interview. You may also want to take a couple of minutes to think about how you can apply the things you learned in school at your new Co-op job, or perhaps what you can take from your Co-op experience back to the classroom or to your next job.”

-Melanie Tymofichuk, Work Integrated Learning Programs Lead