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Michelle Pearce used her co-op studies to gain experience in the environmental job sector and figure out which graduate program to apply for.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t have any Canadian work experience, and co-op let me get my foot in the workplace door,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When physical distancing regulations shut many businesses, Wang, 26, was able to continue his work remotely and ultimately earn a full-time job with the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work term was the perfect way for me to learn about Meridian and get to know people there,\u201d he said. \u201cMy preparation and the lessons I received from the co-op team made it much more straightforward to secure a full-time role in my field at a time when it was tougher to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the job he accepted, Wang also received offers from two other financial firms, a sign, he said, that co-op students are more in-demand due to their readiness to tackle and adapt to a variety of situations.<\/p>\n
While Wang focused on the financial industry, Pearce, of Guelph, concentrated on the environmental sector. The 22-year-old Geography graduate, who received her bachelor\u2019s degree Friday, completed her work terms with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as a horticulture and forestry survey student.<\/p>\n
While there, she began to explore and interact with various environmental roles she saw as potential paths for her future.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing the different jobs available helped me to realize how much I liked working in an environmental setting and to figure out which master\u2019s program I would need to complete to make that possible,\u201d Pearce said. She ultimately was accepted to Brock\u2019s Master of Earth Sciences program.<\/p>\n
The pandemic affected Pierce\u2019s final undergraduate work term, although she too said the lessons she learned from the University\u2019s Co-op Education team are beneficial going forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe co-op team taught me how to prepare for and be flexible in the tasks and timelines I faced during my work term this summer, and how to comply with new distancing guidelines. It all helped me to settle more easily into my master\u2019s studies this fall,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n