Molly MacDonald is a second year Commerce student, planning on majoring in Accounting. She is currently completing her first co-op at Deloitte LLP in Halifax in the Enterprise Risk Services department. Upon graduation she plans on entering into the CPA program. Molly shares the steps she took in her first year to improve her chances of landing the co-op job she wanted in her second year.

“Networking and putting myself out there was key in landing my first co-op. I applied to the Deloitte National Leadership Conference (DNLC) in March of 2014 and secured an interview for the conference later in April. I was able to get my foot in the door early and introduce myself to people I would never have had the opportunity to meet had I not applied for the DNLC. By being able to network and connect with professional individuals, I was able to secure a co-op position for January of 2015 before the summer even began.

It feels like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders knowing that you have your co-op secured before school begins in the fall. Not only are you busy with school work, group meetings, socializing, etc, but also having to tailor your resume and cover letter for numerous jobs can make for a stressful September. Applying for jobs and prepping for interviews can be time consuming, and being able to put that time towards something else is a big stress reliever.

Stay on top of the new jobs that are being posted and network with potential employers as much as you can. Put yourself out there and try and get your foot in the door at any opportunities. Connections go a long way in the professional world so use them to your advantage!”

First year students, you may be off for the summer but do not miss out on this valuable time opportunity to network, improve your resume and research what you are truly interested in doing for your first co-op work term.