Why should you consider a co-op experience today more than ever?
Philip M. Coniglio, DeMatteis School Co-op Director Philip.M.Coniglio@hofstra.eduMany things have changed in the workforce post-pandemic. Companies have learned that they do not need as much office space since staffs are either on remote or hybrid work schedules. They have been forced to adapt to new business automation systems during 2020 – 2021 and as a result have reduced their need for certain positions.
Many of the tech companies are announcing 5% to 10% employee layoffs as part of their business plans to counter any recession that might come this year.
However, with all this bad news, organizations are still filling entry-level technology and engineering positions because they know that they need to be ready when the business cycle turns around.
When we look at what is happening at the universities, more are offering co-op programs, and some schools are making it a graduation requirement to have at least one experiential learning activity on the student’s transcript.
All of these facts make it so important that students have real-world experience before they graduate.
The DeMatteis School’s co-op program prepares our students for a very successful launching of their careers. It validates their decision on the type of field they have chosen and gives them a strong competitive edge compared to those who have no career-related work experience, or perhaps a summer internship.
The program is in its eighth year, and now boasts over 170 alumni and over 200 corporate co-op partners, both local and national. As a measure of its effectiveness in aligning students with the right company, close to 70% of the co-op alumni are working permanently for a corporate co-op partner.
Some of the more well-known companies that our students have recently obtained co-op positions include Disney, Northrup Grumman, Medtronic, Lockheed Martin, Johnson & Johnson, Saab, Northwell Health Systems and Altice, among others.
Here is the testimony of one of our students, Brian Ford, who did his co-op with Disney:
“Working for the Walt Disney Company has been nothing short of an amazing experience. This internship allowed me to combine my undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and statistics with my current pursuit of a master’s degree in computer science. I cannot exaggerate enough how incredible Disney internships are.”
More than ever before, DeMatteis students should take advantage of this program so that when they graduate, they have optimal career choices and can find that job that best matches their skills and passions.
For further information about the co-op program, please feel free to reach out to me by phone at (516) 463-5548 or by email at Philip.M.Coniglio@hofstra.edu, and be sure to check out our website at https://www.hofstra.edu/dematteis-co-op/