PREPARING FOR

FIRST WORK TERM

All students must ensure they have the necessary documents to be legally
entitled to work on a Co-op term:

Documentation

Social Insurance Number: For information about how to obtain a SIN,

review the Applying for a SIN handout by International Services for
Students.
MSP registration: For information about the medical insurance that
students need, including while on a co-op term, review the SFU Medical
Insurance page.
International students: Canada Immigration requires that students who are
not Canadian citizens or permanent residents apply for a Co-op work permit in
order to be eligible to work off campus in a full time position. This is different
than a Study Permit. For instructions on how to apply and what the processing
times are, review the Applying for a Co-op/Internship Work Permit handout
by International Services for Students.
The Co-op office must have a copy of your valid co-op work permit prior to
students being released to apply for Co-op positions.

2
3

New Student
Orientation

All students must attend this session the first time they seek a co-op term. If you
cannot attend, you must make alternate arrangements with your Coordinator to
get the information.
This session provides details about the Co-op programs processes and policies,
instructions for how and when to apply for co-op jobs, interview scheduling
instructions, and details about your work term requirements and steps upon
securing a work term.

The following workshops are offered each semester on both the

Burnaby and Surrey campus:

Workshops

Resume & Cover Letters

Interview Skills
All students must attend each of these workshops as part of the approval
process to seek their first co-op job. Information about the date/location of these
workshops is sent to the Engineering Science student body each semester.
These workshops build on the knowledge that students gain from the
Communication courses that are integrated in the first year of all Engineering
Science students first year. The facilitator will offer current industry trends
and expectations, and support students to move their marketing materials and
interview strategies to a more professional and technical level.

PREPARING FOR

FIRST WORK TERM

Test
Application 1

For each seeking term, you need to submit a Test Application so that a
coordinator can review your application documents. Test Application #1 allows
the Co-op office to provide detailed, personalized feedback on the effectiveness
of your documents, and will give you suggestions for ways to market yourself
in the best possible light that are in line with industry expectations.
The test application is a practice application, and requires that you apply with
all of the required documents for Co-op applications:
tailored cover letter
resume
Student Information Summary (SIS) form
transcript
Detailed instructions are included in the test application posting, which is posted
on Symplicity, the SFU job posting system. A notice is sent to all Engineering
Science students each semester, with deadlines and any other instructions to
apply to the test application.

5
6

Update/Revise
Test Application

Test
Application 2

A Coordinator will provide feedback and recommendations on changes that are

required. Attend workshops and/or set up a meeting with a Co-op Coordinator or
Advisor to address any questions you have or to review revisions. Revisions are
required prior to applying for the Test Application #2.

This is a final test application with your updated, approved documents:

tailored cover letter
resume
Student Information Summary (SIS) form
transcript
If you who did not complete the steps above, or need further changes to ensure
your application documents are competitive, you will be given more detailed
feedback. This feedback will need to be incorporated before you will be approved
to begin seeking a Co-op term. If you have no feedback, and the steps above
have been completed, you will be approved to begin seeking a Co-op term when
the next cycle of job postings begins.
Once you successfully complete the steps above, you will be released to seek a
Co-op work term. Please review Applying for a Work Term.