Four months ago, I started my co-op as a content marketing intern.
Like most students heading into their first co-op term, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would gain from the experience.
I found this opportunity through York's LA&PS Co-op Program. I discovered the role through the program's job portal and used Career Centre resources throughout the application process, from resume support to interview preparation.
Looking back, my biggest takeaway wasn't a technical skill or a marketing framework. It was a better understanding of how professional growth actually happens. Not all at once, but through hundreds of small experiences.
As my co-op reaches its halfway point, these are three lessons that have stayed with me.
Communication is not just a soft skill. It is the work
Early on my internship, I worked under the assumption that doing the task well was the primary obligation. Get it done, get it right, hand it over.
What I did not account for was how much of the work lives in the space between tasks: the check-ins, the status updates, the moments where you flag something before it becomes a problem rather than after.
Keeping your team informed changes the nature of the relationship. It is all about making sure the decisions being made by your team are done with accurate information.
A 20-minute conversation can reframe your career path
Every coffee chat I did gave me something insightful beyond my expectations. I have sat down with people who came from public relations, from consulting, from engineering backgrounds I would never have associated with marketing.
Looking at where people they are today in their careers, you would never guess how different their starting point was. One conversation that stayed with me was with a colleague who started their career as a florist before eventually becoming a software engineer.
So, a coffee chat is a chance to learn about the decisions, detours and opportunities that helped them transition into a field they desire. It made me realize that where you begin does not necessarily determine where you can end up.
Pro tip: Before any coffee chat, prepare two or three specific questions based on that person's background or role. Generic questions get generic answers. Specific questions show that you did your research and that you value their time, which makes the whole conversation more memorable for both of you!
The professional relationships that last are built on something personal
It sounds counterintuitive in a work context, but the most meaningful connections I made during this placement did not come from project collaboration alone.
I realized that people rarely remember every task you worked on together. What they remember is how you made them feel. Whether you took the time to get to know them as a person. Whether you remembered something they told you weeks ago. Whether they felt seen beyond their job title.
Workplaces are made of people first. Before there are teams, departments and reporting structures, there are individuals with stories, interests, aspirations and lives outside the office. The strongest professional relationships are often built when you take the time to connect with that person first.
Four months isn't a long time in the context of a career.
I'm still only halfway through this co-op, but these lessons have already changed the way I think about work, and I suspect they'll stay with me long after this term ends.
If you're a York student preparing for your first co-op, internship or job search, I highly recommend exploring the resources available through the Career Centre. From resume reviews and interview preparation to networking and career planning, it's a great place to start!