From Student to Supervisor Co-op Is the Key
By Regan Seidler
In just one year, Chris Burgess went from being an exceptional Arts Co-op student to being an exceptional (albeit occasional) supervisor of an Arts Co-op student. How did he advance so quickly from student to supervisor? Co-operative education was key to his quick transition.
Chris joined the University of Regina’s Arts Co-op Program in Summer 2006, taking part in the job search process to secure a work term to begin that September. With a young family and a mortgage, Chris may have had more job search challenges than other new co-op students. But with minimal professional work experience and a declared major of history, Chris’s question was one that most students who are starting co-op ask: “How can I get experience when I can’t get a job, and how can I get a job when I have no experience?” In Chris’s case, he found success by being persistent and willing to seek his first work term in a non-traditional work semester. For the Fall 2006 semester, Chris accepted a work term with SaskPower.
Reflecting on his choice to participate in co-op, Chris says, “The Co-op Program has been one of the best parts of my university experience. When I think back to how nervous I was during my first work term compared to how comfortable I felt at the end of my third work term, it becomes clear to me that I needed co-op.”
As Chris sought out and completed assignments that got more and more challenging each work term, he chose to return to SaskPower, where he demonstrated his value and his potential for full-time employment. By the end of his fourth work term with SaskPower, Chris had a long list of accomplishments. He had not only completed all the traditional assignments for his co-op position, including data entry and inventory management, but he was also coordinating the United Way Campaign for his work site and beginning to design a database. Back on campus, he was helping the Career Centre and the Faculty of Arts develop promotional materials to entice new students to join Arts Co-op.
Chris says, “The Co-op Program worked as an important stepping stone for me because it was on my work terms that I learned how to apply the skills I learned in university to business world problems. Before co-op I was leery about applying for office jobs because I didn’t have a lot of business experience. Now I know that I am ready to graduate and enter the workforce because I have built up an excellent resume with some top-notch references. Co-op gave me the confidence, experience and skills I need to excel in an office environment.”
In 2009, Chris began a permanent full-time job with SaskPower, where he offers guidance and mentorship to current Arts Co-op student Jon Milani. While Chris is quick to point out that he is not the official supervisor of his work group, he is prepared and required to provide management coverage when more senior managers are away. Chris shows leadership through action. As he explains, “I am always happy to give direction and help to [my fellow] employees and the co-op student if they require it.”
When asked how others might pursue a similar career path, Chris says, “My advice to any student would be to join co-op because it will give you an edge after graduation that you will not get in class.” CO
Regan Seidler is the Arts Co-op Coordinator at the University of Regina.
