Work‑Integrated Learning and Co‑op Job Search
Conducting the job search
Students who are in their job search term are encouraged to pursue a self-directed job search as well as keep up to date with the jobs posted on the myCareer portal.
Students must adhere to the sequence outlined in their program. Any alteration to the schedule must be signed off on by the faculty and the WIL Coop office. Accepting a position outside of your set sequence without approval may jeopardize your eligibility to continue in your WIL Coop program.
Job postings on myCareer
Jobs are posted online via myCareer. Students can only access job postings once they have met WIL Coop eligibility requirements for their program. Students should check job postings daily, as jobs are posted any time during regular business hours throughout the term. Students will typically have three business days to apply to each job (unless the deadline falls on a Friday evening, in which case it would be moved to the following Monday evening.)
Students may apply to any and all jobs posted to their discipline. All job postings are approved by the WIL Co-op office to ensure appropriate learning and work opportunities. Students are responsible for applying to job postings by the application deadline noted within each posting.
Co-op Job postings are intended for WIL Co-op students. Students must respect the confidentiality of job postings by not giving access to others outside the co-op program. Students who allow unauthorized access by others to the job postings will be withdrawn from their WIL Co-op.
Apply to job postings on myCareer
Using myCareer, students submit job applications for each position they want to apply to. Students are responsible for ensuring application packages are complete, professional, and error-free. Some companies require additional documents or require students to apply through their own website rather than through myCareer. Students should review the job posting carefully and follow the instructions in the job posting.
Engagement in the Job Competition and Application Rates
Students are required to maintain their engagement in the job competition throughout the job search term. Engagement is measured by reasonably applying to 25 per cent of all relevant jobs posted to your discipline in myCareer throughout the job search term. Students are encouraged to apply to all relevant postings and maintain an active self-driven job search beyond myCareer. Students who do not maintain engagement in the job competition jeopardize their eligibility to continue in the co-op program. If you need support to help meet these requirements, please reach out to your Student Development Coordinator.
Self-directed Job Search and Self-Found Jobs
In addition to applying to myCareer job postings, students are expected to conduct their own co-op job search. Various support services are available to help students conduct self-directed job searches including available coaching with assigned WIL Coop Student Development Coordinators.
Students who find their own co-op job must obtain WIL Co-op office approval by creating a new Work Term Record and entering the employment details in myCareer. To learn how, please view the Submit your co-op job for approval section of our myCareer Student Guide.
Once submitted, the job is reviewed by the WIL Co-op Office and / or the Faculty WIL Co-op Advisor to ensure adequate learning opportunities relevant to the student’s academic requirements. The WIL Co-op office generally contacts the employer to confirm employment details. Once approved, the student may accept the position as a work term.
Returning to a Previous Employer
Students returning to a previous employer for a second work term must obtain Co-op Office approval by creating a new Work Term Record and entering their employment details in myCareer. To learn how, please view the Submit your co-op job for approval section of our myCareer Student Guide.
Post Application Submission and Interviews
job postings, applications, and interviews operate on a real-time basis, either through the Co-op Office or directly from the employer.
Interview invitations
Students are notified by email when they have an interview invitation but are advised to check myCareer daily for interview invitations as well. Students generally have 24 hours to sign up for an interview. Failure to sign up for an interview counts as a missed interview. Students who miss two or more interviews may have access to job postings withdrawn.
Interview schedule conflicts
Students should check myCareer regularly to increase the likelihood of reserving a convenient timeslot. If it is not possible to attend an interview at the proposed time or place, the student must notify the Co-op Office (coojobs@dal.ca) immediately to make alternate arrangements.
Preparing for interviews
It is recommended that students research the organization prior to the interview to ensure they can match the professionalism and tone of the employer. Students are expected to present themselves professionally. Preparedness makes an impact! WIL Co-op Student Development Coordinators are available to coach students on their interview skills.
Withdrawing a Job Application
There are varying allowance and consequences to withdrawing your application from a job competition.
You may withdraw your application from a job without consequence up until being selected for an interview.
You may withdraw your application if you have been selected for an interview up until the interview. If you are a ‘no-show’ to the interview, then this will count towards declined a job count.
If you wish to withdraw your application within 24 hours of the interview you must connect with coopjobs@dal.ca with your reasoning. It is possible that this may count towards your declined jobs count. If you do not withdraw within 24 hours, and are matched to the job, you are obligated to accept it.
To withdraw a job application, email the WIL Co-op Office coopjobs@dal.ca and include your reason for and the Job ID number as listed in myCareer.
Job offers
Job offers that come from a self-found and self-directed job search and those found through the myCareer job board, have the same rules and procedures attached to them.
Accepting job offers
Following the interview, the employer may notify our office of the name of the successful candidate. We will then contact the student with a job offer from the employer. Alternatively, you may be contacted directly by the employer after an interview with a job offer. If you are contacted directly, please inform our office immediately so that we are aware of your offer of employment. Students who accept may receive final instructions from the employer in the form of a letter of offer.
Once a student accepts a job offer, they must withdraw from other interviews and applications. If the student has pending interviews, they must notify our office (coopjobs@dal.ca) of their confirmed job. Once a student accepts a job, they are obligated to fulfill their responsibilities and are not allowed to withdraw from their work term agreement.
Obligation to Accept: If you accept a position, you are obligated to fulfill your commitment. Backing out of a job is considered extremely unprofessional and can result in your removal from the co-op program. This includes self-found jobs.
Declining job offers
You may decline two jobs during your search term without penalty, this includes self-found jobs. Declining three jobs will result in your access to myCareer job postings being revoked, meaning you will have to find your own job. Please also see withdrawing a job application above.
Support
If a student does not receive an offer of employment, they should contact a Student Development Coordinator for feedback on their resume, interview skills and to discuss the next steps.
If a student is unsure about what is being requested of them during the job application process, they should contact their assigned Student Development Coordinator and or coopjobs@dal.ca.
Background checks
Government-related employers may offer a WIL Co-op position on the condition that the candidate passes a background check or security clearance, which generally take two to six weeks. Students who accept conditional job offers should consult their Student Development Coordinator and follow the guidelines regarding continuing the job search and course registration.
International work terms
A student’s assigned Student Development Coordinator can coach students wanting to pursue an international work term. International work terms are self-directed and students are encouraged to explore their networks for international work opportunities. Securing the appropriate work permits, visas and passport documentation for international work terms can take a significant amount of time and therefore the timeline to secure an international work term is shorter than a domestic work term. For more information on what an international work term may entail and what that might look like for your program, please reach out to your assigned Student Development Coordinator.
Students who secure an international work term must complete the processes to obtain approval:
- Submitting their job for approval by creating a new Work Term Record in myCareer
- Submitting all travel documents and processes required by their program, WIL Co-op Office, and Dalhousie University
Continuing participation in the Work Integrated Learning and Co-operative Education programs
Students must uphold all responsibilities to continue in the WIL Co-op programs. All returning students must pass their work term and meet the eligibility criteria before they may move on to the job search for the next work term.
Your expectations
It is important to have realistic expectations of what a work term can offer you. Please be aware that:
- You are pursuing work as a learning opportunity as a part of the work integrated learning component for your program. Every work term, no matter the work, provides learning opportunities as well as the chance to be reflective on what experiences you want to engage in career wise and academically.
- The kind of work is limited to what is appropriate for a student's experience and academic level. Make sure your expectations are realistic, especially on your first work term. For example, expecting to have a key role on a major product design would be unrealistic.
- Legally, employers have to be very careful about the kind of work students can perform.
- The location of jobs is industry-dependent. You should be prepared to relocate for your work term as opportunities in some industries simply don't exist in HRM. Connect with your assigned Student Development Coordinator for tips around re-location.
- Job postings do not always accurately reflect the true value of the opportunity that is available because they are often generic and brief. Apply to jobs even if the position doesn’t fit the picture of your dream job. You can find interesting information and details of the job during an interview. If after the interview you are not interested in the job, then you can sign off within 24 hours of the interview by notifying the co-op office.
- Be flexible and open-minded when assessing job postings. Using an unrealistic selection criteria such as geographic limitations or inappropriate salary expectations to choose jobs will limit opportunities. Talk to your Student Development Coordinator to find out what is realistic for your situation.
Remember, a job posting is not a 100% comprehensive representation of the work that is expected. Job descriptions can change either before the work term begins or once you have started work, depending on the employer's needs.
The job market is highly competitive. Because employers make the hiring decisions in the job search process, Dalhousie University cannot guarantee work term employments. Getting a job is the student's full responsibility. On average, 80-95% of students are successful in the co-op job search process.