<p>I am going into my 3rd year of MecE with a cumulative 3.9 GPA and have been unable to find a position for this summer. I will likely not work despite exhausting essentially all of my resources in trying to find an engineering-related position.</p>
<p>I didn't do co-op because I figured that I could just find my own jobs and would get three summers of relevant experience before graduating a year earlier than those who opted for co-op. Last summer, after my freshmen year, I landed a great internship that gave me excellent industry experience. I was very happy with the experience.</p>
<p>I got the internship via my university's online job posting site. Since, at that point, everyone coming out of freshmen year had access to the same jobs, I was able to get the interview because the company had visibility on all of the top students and selected who they wanted to interview accordingly.</p>
<p>Fast forward to this year, where those in co-op have exclusive access to many premium jobs that I can not see or apply to, and I'm basically left with only a few jobs that I have visibility on. I've combed the internet job boards and company websites and applied wherever I was able to, but the pickings have been slim and so far I have had no luck.</p>
<p>I really think co-op is unfair and, frankly, destructive to industry. The reality is that, top students aren't being recruited into the best positions available. I can't even count how many colleagues that have far worse credentials than I do get great jobs simply because they are in co-op. These companies will also likely hire their prior co-ops on full-time once they graduate, instead of the top talent available. It really is not right at all.</p>
<p>Co-op is basically just a money grab to be quite honest. I've actually come across postings on company websites where they require you to be in co-op, as if co-op is in someway better and more qualified than a traditional engineering curriculum. I take the same courses as co-ops, and outscore essentially all of them on exams. Yet they get the good jobs. What a joke.</p>
<p>If your classmates have several semesters of co op experience and you only had one internship, doesn’t that mean that you’re not top talent? These students can hit the ground running after graduation, whereas you will require a lot more training?</p>
<p>While I don’t think your attitude is very good about this… after all, through their co-op, they are gaining skills that do make them more qualified and employable, I do not think it is right that your school does not at least give you the opportunity to apply.</p>
<p>Your school is taking the wrong approach by being so restrictive - let the companies decide if they are not interested in you, instead of stopping you before you can even send in a resume. Because yes, students who have done several different internships would be just as qualified but be completely excluded. My school has a great co-op program, but that doesn’t mean that they mistreat the students who choose to gain their experience through other means.</p>
<p>You chose to go to a school with a strong co-op program, and then chose not to participate in it. Yes, you are a strong student but I am sure there are equally strong students in the program as well.</p>
<p>You might have done better choosing a school that did not have a co-op program if you did not want to participate. Every co-op program I am familiar with touts the special advantages that go to participants so you cannot claim that you are now being cheated of opportunity. </p>
<p>Also realize that employers choose to participate in these programs year after year because it works for them…they are happy with trying out potential hires this way.</p>
<p>Is it too late to get in to the co-op program for next year ?</p>
<p>Why not try to get involved in a research experience since you have an actual internship under your belt? I looked at your old posts and I see you are in Canada. Here in the US that have something called REUs (Research experience undergraduate) where students can apply all over the country to work in labs in other universities. </p>
<p>Doing research requires the same critical thinking as solving as an ME problem. You would appear more rounded if you had both type of experiences. Research experience opportunities can be just as competitive as internship/coop experiences to get but the coop students won’t be looking for them.</p>
<p>Contact professors at your school or other schools who may be doing research in areas of ME and want some help.</p>