Why Do a Co-op? Philip M. Coniglio, DeMatteis School Co-op Director Philip.M.Coniglio@hofstra.edu When I talk to hiring managers today, the most common message I hear is that the number one item they look for on a resume from an entry level applicant is what real world experience the candidate already has. What companies are looking for is not just whether you have worked in a supermarket or a restaurant, but that you have experience in the field of your major. Even the companies that are looking to hire co-op students are looking to see if they have had a part-time or summer internship prior to applying. These applicants get first shot at the best jobs when they graduate. Solid GPAs are important but they should be matched with some experiential experience. When a student has both, their resume will stand out from the rest of the applicants. The feedback that I receive from co-op students that have graduated is that when they interviewed for their permanent jobs, the interviewer was more interested in hearing about what they had worked on during their co-op than about the courses they took while at the DeMatteis School. To make things even more competitive, many of the engineering colleges that, in the past, did not have co-op programs are now offering them to their students. This just increases the number of applicants with solid work experience bidding for those limited entry-level positions. The good news is that Hofstra has a very successful co-op program that you can take advantage of when you become a junior. The program is now in its seventh year with over 160 alumni and over 200 companies participating. We have had students working not only in the New York metropolitan area but also in California, North Carolina, and Florida, to mention a few places. They have worked for both small, medium and large firms. CIA, Disney, Johnson and Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic and Northrup Grumman are some of them. So now, let me tell you the best part of doing a co-op with Hofstra. Based on survey responses from alumni, more than half of the students get offers from our co-op partners before they graduate. Others have told us that they were offered their jobs because of their co-op experience. Some even received larger starting salaries. If you would like to learn more about our program, look for my email announcements during the semester for the dates and times of co-op info-sessions that you can attend. I look forward to meeting you at our next session.
[DeMatteis School Fall 2022 Newsletter]