Strategies for a Personal Job Search

Conducting a job search complements our efforts on your behalf and allows you to contact people in regions, fields or industries that appeal to you. We expect Arts Co-op and Science Co-op students to conduct a personal job search, but we encourage all co-op students to experience the rewards of a personal job search.

You will receive some helpful suggestions on conducting a personal job search during the job search workshop. (See the co-op event calendar  on Navigator for dates.)

Before accepting an offer, you need to have the job approved by the Co-op Office. If the job does not meet our approval as described, your co-ordinator can give you and the employer ideas for enhancing the position.

Tips for conducting your own job search:

1. Assess your skills, strengths and interests.
2. Target your job search by focusing on a specific industry or geographic area.
3. Prepare a list of companies to contact.
   
4. Send your list of companies and contacts to your co-op co-ordinator to ensure that you have targeted appropriate organizations and to avoid duplicating our efforts.
5. Develop a system to keep track of your contact with employers.
6. Send your resume to each prospective employer by email. You may include a link to the co-op brochure and the name and address of your co-op co-ordinator. (You may also want to mention the Co-operative Education Tax Credit, which is available to employers who hire students from all Laurier Co-op programs except Arts Co-op and Science Co-op.)

Sources of contacts include:

• Industry Canada

• Chambers of Commerce

• Directories in libraries (ex. Scott’s Directory of Manufacturers)
  
  
• Associations (ex. Chartered Accountants of Ontario)
  
  
• The Economic Development website for your city may include a business directory; here is a link to the City of Waterloo, for example
  
  
• Job posting sites, such as Monster, Workopolis Campus and Vault. See job search links for more suggestions.