My Experience on Co-Op

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My Experience as a Cooperative Student

When I tell people that I left Purdue for a semester to work for a company across the country, there are usually a lot of following questions. I am a junior in Civil Engineering and I am writing this blog to talk about my experience as a cooperative student and answer any questions you may have.



What is co-op?

The Purdue co-op program offers students the opportunity to gain real-world experience before they graduate. Students are able to put their classes on hold for a semester and work in industry. I worked on co-op the summer after freshman year, the spring semester my sophomore year, and the summer after my sophomore year. I worked for a small land development firm in Grapevine, Texas called GMcivil.

Why co-op?

I chose to participate in the cooperative program for a few reasons. I liked the idea of working for a company for a longer period of time rather than just a summer internship. I was able to gain more responsibility as I worked there for multiple sessions and was able to complete real-engineering design work. Working as many hours as I did for the many months I worked, I was able to make a significant amount of money that I can use to pay for my education and lessen student debt.

Day-To-Day

Although each student has a unique co-op experience, I can talk about my day-to-day experience at GMcivil. Although it was required to be at work by 8:00 AM every day, I usually arrived around 7:20 AM. I would usually check in with the professional engineer that I was assigned to work with in the mornings and talk about what needed to be done that day. I used programs like Civil 3D and Excel to complete both large, long-term projects and shorter assignments. I took an hour-long lunch break everyday and ate with the fellow co-op students, leaving work around 6:30 PM.

My Favorite Parts

My favorite part about my co-op experience was the connections I made and the many skills I required. My company had fun events outside the office every semester I was there. We had events such as attending horse races and magic shows, along with a company softball team. There were many times that I would hang out with the other co-ops and full-time employees outside of work. The connections I made with my coworkers was one of the driving forces that made me excited to come into work everyday. I also learned so much and developed in so many ways.

What to Look for in a Company

Since you will be missing school for a semester, it is important that you choose to work for a company with a company culture that you think you will fit in with. I am an extremely social person and leaving my friends at Purdue to move across the country was at first really difficult for me. However, I was able to make friends on co-op with other Purdue students along with students from other colleges like Texas A&M and Michigan State. As a woman in engineering, it is important to find a company that you know cares about diversity and supports women in the workplace. There are many companies that celebrate women in engineering and believe in diversity, and it is important to do research into this before accepting a co-op.

Outcomes

As I look for a summer internship, my co-op experience has given me so much to talk about. Companies seem to be genuinely impressed with my experiences and who I have become as a result of my co-op. I would definitely recommend the co-op experience!


If you have any questions, comments, or want to find more about co-ops, make sure to tag us, leave a comment, or follow us!


Sarah Teehan, Civil Engineering '24

Recruitment Project Committee / Blog Team


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