Sharvon Urbannavage
Experience is one of the most crucial attributes necessary for a college graduate in order to find the perfect position when searching for a job. This experience can be acquired through a co-op or internship while pursuing a college degree.
Co-op and internship information is readily available to Cabrini students in the Cooperative Education and Career Services Office located in Grace Hall. Once students have attained 45 credits and possess a 2.0 grade point average, they are eligible to apply for a co-op or internship. Transfer students are required to have received at least 15 credits at Cabrini.
If the basic requirements are met then a student can begin searching for a co-op. “They should think about how to do their schedule first before they come in,” Kristie Conway Beucler, assistant director of co-op education and career services, said.
Co-ops are available from two to six credits per semester. A maximum of 12 credits may be used for co-op positions. The credit amount is dependent on the number of hours worked. On average, students do three credit co-ops, which equals about 15 to 20 hours a week. The co-op credits qualify as general elective credits.
Large and small companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and government agencies all offer co-op and internships for students in all majors. Co-ops usually last for three or four months and are usually done during the fall and spring semester due to payment for credits. “We have about 50 students registered this semester, but it’s lower during the summer,” Beucler said. A summer co-op would have to be paid on a per credit basis.
Interested students must follow a process in order to obtain a co-op. “It’s harder to find a co-op the later you wait,” Beucler said. The first step is to visit the co-op office the semester before the co-op would begin and get an application, which must be signed by the student’s advisor before returned to the co-op office.
Every student on campus can access the Career Connections web site to view co-ops that are available throughout the year. Beucler said, “Students can browse the site and decide just by looking if they want to go through with a co-op.” By logging on as a guest, one can view the list of organizations until the co-op office has approved their application.
After being approved, one must upload or create a r
