Six Killer Ways to Obtain a Co-op – Internship in Canada

Internship Canada

So your school does not offer a co-op program or you didn’t get into the co-op program that your school

offers, does that mean you will be flipping burgers at McDonalds or calling random leads at a telemarketing company asking if they would like another high interest credit card?

Well, it doesn’t have to be. That is unless you enjoy minimum wage and working with immature high school students.

In this article MyCanadianUniversity.com will reveal to you 20 killer strategies that you can start doing today to obtain a valuable co-op internship in Canada.

Internship in Canada strategy #1: Visit the career section of the companies that you are interested in.

Start with the companies that you are most interested in working for. At this stage you will probably work for any employer as long as it’s an office environment. If that is the case, start with the biggest and baddest companies you know.

Well not the baddest…but you get my point. Here are some examples:

1. Esso/ Exxon, Shell, Petro-Canada etc. As the saying goes: Black(oil) is the new gold.

1. Rogers, Bell, Telus: Telecommunications companies are always hiring. Especially co-op and internship positions.

1. RBC, TD Bank, CIBC – Banking is beautiful if you are interested in accounting, and finance. But they also hire IT students.

1. Government.

The above are just the tip of the iceberg guys, there are hundreds if not thousands more companies that could be put on that list and each of those companies hire students on a regular basis.

Here are some of their career websites:

1. http://www.imperialoil.ca/Canada-English/workingwithus.aspx

2. http://www.rogers.com/web/Careers.portal

3. http://www.bell.ca/home/HomeGnl_Jobs_Landing.page

4. http://www.rbs.com/careers.ashx

5. http://www.scotiabank.com/cda/content/0,1608,CID13220_LIDen,00.html

Internship in Canada strategy #2: Federal Government.

Traditionally the Government was developed to actually help people, not screw them over. In this case, this is actually true. The Government of Canada is the single largest employer of students in Co-op/ Internship programs. It hires approximately 3000 students each year and frequently partners with academic and private institutions to ensure students receive valuable work experience.

This is where to start: http://jest-orae.psc-cfp.gc.ca/JEST-ORAE/qcksrch.do

You will see a search page similar to the image below – search away!

Federal Student Work Experience Program:

The Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) is the primary vehicle through which federal organization recruit students. It’s primary objective is to assist full time students with exceptional work experience related to what they are studying. Thaaaats right, you get paid to apply what you are learning in school – sounds too good to be true? Check it out for yourself:

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/fswep-pfete/fswep-pfete-eng.htm

When does the FSWEP recruit?

They usually have new postings up throughout the year, so make sure you keep checking for new postings here: http://jest-orae.psc-cfp.gc.ca/JEST-ORAE/advsrch.do#res

What kind of job can you expect to get?

The great thing about Canada is that we pay one of the highest tax rates in the world yay J due to this we can afford to offer positions such as this:

Student Guide Program in France 2011

You read that correctly, you can go to France – get paid almost $14/ hour and $24/ day “daily allowance”.

Check it out:

Research Affiliate Program:

The Research Affiliate Program (RAP) provides post-secondary students with opportunities to conduct innovative research. Whether your academic program includes supervised laboratory, field or social science research as a requirement for your academic degree or graduation, or whether you are interested in carrying out research in addition to your academic requirements, RAP could be the perfect opportunity for you!

Sounds great, but are you eligible?

The eligibility criteria:

1. Must be a full time student

2. Be the minimum age to work

What kind of positions are available?

Want more information?:

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/rap-par/index-eng.htm

Internship in Canada strategy #3: Ontario Lottery and Gambling Corporation

This is only for those folks in Ontario, but OLG provides fantastic experiences to students who are seeking co-op/ internships experiences.

Check it out here:

http://www.olg.ca/about/careers/students.jsp

Internship in Canada strategy #5: The Ontario Internship Program

I understand that you may not be from Ontario, if that is the case take a look at your provincial government’s opportunities by searching their respected websites.

The Ontario Internship Program: This is one of the best internship programs available because it is paid and provides career developing in key professional fields in the Ontario Public Service. Check it out here:

https://www.internship.gov.on.ca/mbs/sdb/intern.nsf/LkpWebContent/ePublishedHOME

Internship in Canada strategy #6: The Ministry of Natural Resources

The Ministry of Natural Resources of MNR for short provides post-secondary students or recent graduates the opportunity to work as ecologists, biologists, systems officers, resource technicians for key Natural Resources projects.

Check it out here: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Youth/2ColumnSubPage/STEL01_130142.html

Well, there you have it six killer resources for you to chow on to obtain the internship or co-op experience this year. It can be a lot of work because you have to keep checking for opportunities frequently. I personally bookmarked all the above links and visited them daily until I secured an Internship.

Moreover, your resume and cover letter have to be ready to go. So start working on those as soon as possible. Having your key documents ready will allow you to apply to jobs without having to worry about the deadline.

Thank you for reading!

Related posts:

5 Benefits of doing a Co-op/ Internship Program: Best Business Co-op Programs In Canada – Part 1 Best Business Co-op Programs In Canada – Part 2