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Fifth year, Chemical Engineering student, Folarin Ologunagba had a recent 16-month internship at Klenzoid Canada Inc. as a Sales Engineer.
He wanted to pursue co-op because he wanted to supplement his in-class knowledge with real work experience. He was told by upper year students that taking a co-op term was an excellent opportunity to learn about an industry and grow your network as a student. Many of them also said that the co-op term benefitted them when they returned back to school, which he also found interesting.
Folarin developed a lot of skills through this co-op. He said, “The biggest skill is practicality. In school, I think I was sometimes too focused on solving a problem or finishing a project that practicality of the proposed solution would take a back seat. My industry experience has taught me to continually evaluate my solution(s) when performing a project because of the potential risks involved by not doing so. It has also shown me that things rarely work as they should in theory, and so you have to be thorough during this evaluation. I now find myself being more curious about the feasibility of solutions to problems and asking more insightful questions about them.”
Folarin was able to land this placement through the help of ECCS and by attending events, “During my undergraduate career, I have used resources such as resume critiques, drop-in career advisor sessions, and many other resources offered by ECCS. For this position specifically, I was able to secure an interview at Klenzoid from attending a career fair at McMaster.”
An interesting moment in an interview was when Folarin was asked to share something that he was doing which was not on his resume. It was a general question which relieved some pressure from then on and he was able to turn the interview into more of a conversation.
Folarin’s advice for future co-op students is, “You should definitely do it! It can be a fantastic opportunity for you to get a jumpstart on your career. Find out which industries interest you, do your research on the companies within that industry (both existing and emerging), and go for it. You have nothing to lose, and stand to gain a lot by at least trying. As for tips, during interviews let your personality show. It’s what separates you from others and can be a real asset. Don’t try to be the “ideal candidate” you think they’re looking for.”
An interesting part of Folarin’s co-op position was that he was at different facilities every day, learning about new industries, and meeting new people. He said it was like being on an episode of ‘How It’s Made’ every day.
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