Congratulations on being admitted into the Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology Co-op Program. This section provides a brief overview of the concepts that you will acquire from completing BOL I as well as attending our face-to-face workshops.
Competition for co-op positions can be extremely fierce. Ensure that you have a resume that stands out from the crowd. Think about your personal style rather than using a template.
Employers consider cover letters essential and will not look at your resume if there is not a cover letter attached. You will quickly realize that writing a cover letter gives you a chance to say extra things about yourself that your resume alone cannot convey.
Write the cover letter addressed to the contact person named in the job posting, and quote the Employer Competition Number (i.e. KINES 001). A good letter shows your interest in a job and highlights your skills. Form cover letters (the ones that can be sent for any position) are the pet peeve of many employers and can cause your application to be removed from consideration.
After reviewing the applications they have received, employers develop an interview. This “shortlist” is then forward to the co-op office for posting. Most employers will not interview more than six candidates for a position.
As a co-op student, it is your responsibility to watch the board and check your e-mail to see if you have been shortlisted for a position, and to then sign up for an interview time. The shortlist notification will also indicate who will be conducting the interview, as well as when and where the interview will take place.
When interviewing with an organization, you are not only representing yourself, you are also representing Simon Fraser University, the Co-op Education Program, and your department (BPK). The employer will expect you to know something about their organization, about the job you have applied for, and the skills required to perform that job.
Whether you're a new or returning student, you will need to enter Symplicity (our online job posting system), update your information for the semester you wish to work (ie May-August choose SU-yyyy) and upload your transcript from gosfu (instructions can be obtained from your co-op coordinator.
Once your documents have been reviewed by a co-op coordinator and you are approved to job search for the semester, you will be released and have access to the job board. To be released students must upload the following documents:
- SIS
- Transcript
- Sample Resume
- Sample Cover Letter
