Can a student apply outside of NUWorks via other platforms for additional co-ops if they aren’t successful in finding one through the university?
But, 100 applications for a co-op, at a co-op required school, seems like a crazy high number! How does the school work/help to match students?
Article says yes they can apply elsewhere.
I didn’t really have any appreciation for the logistics/mechanics of co-ops and internships. I don’t know how this compares to other schools.
I have, surprisingly, heard complaints that they don’t. Is that students are pretty much on their own. Is that possible? My assumption was that there was a guaranteed place for you.
My assumption at a co-op required school was that they had ample employers/positions for their students.
My D’s co-op optional school’s process was so straight forward and easy. Everyone she knew who wanted to co-op, had one.
I think northeastern used to be much better at this…years ago I was the “coop coordinator” at my place of employment - I went to the school and did a little intro to my org, then the kids applied and because we were so good to our coops- the school coordinator pushed extra good candidates to apply to our coops… (or that was my understanding). I am pretty sure we got custom cover letters too. (I can’t imagine they are making 200 custom cover letters - even with GPT:). I think cover letters are dumb, for the most part, but do act as a limiting function to applying to many places…
I have heard repeatedly, recently, that kids are having more trouble finding them now- I worked closely with many coops and still am in touch with some. I don’t recall any talking about having trouble finding them, and most had super cool ones. (This would have been 2005-2015 era)
I’m wondering if it has to do with NEU’s growth. Every year they seem to be adding a new campus somewhere. They all ultimately land in Boston and have to find a co-op.
That is my guess, but am not close enough to it at this point to be 100% sure.
I do see orgs hiring a lot fewer interns and coops than they used, for a bunch of reasons. Partially cost, partially there is nobody in offices and its harder to oversee coops remotely. I think there is some move to not limit hires from one university, especially a very expensive one…
As a NU alum and parent of a recent graduate, I think the reason for this is in the article - the economy. When employers are cutting staff, they are not in a position to take on co-op employees. While co-ops are not guaranteed, most students can either find them or else sign up for classes and get the co-op the following semester. CompSci is competitive and son had three roommmatex who were CompSci majors who are all working at jobs in Boston now.
This site has been glitchy for me lately. Could not edit “Don” to “son”.
I got you! ; )
unemployment is not exactly high and employment participation isn’t low either https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-unemployment-rate.htm
U.S. total employment and unemployment rate 1980-2029 | Statista
I do think tech hiring isn’t great at all, except at certain spots. However, most students aren’t looking for tech jobs.
I have always been impressed by NEU grads I know. I find the admin’s tactics a bit much though.
There have been a lot of tech layoffs this year, including by Tesla, Amazon (which has historically hired a lot of co-op students), Google, Microsoft and others. A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs | TechCrunch
Strange to say most students aren’t looking for tech jobs when they have an over 5,000 CS and engineering students. Whatevs.
100+ job applications is not unusual when there is a shortage of available jobs, whether one is looking for a co-op or a regular job. In 2008 or 2009, civil engineering and architecture students at Northeastern probably had little success finding co-op jobs, no matter how many job applications they made. The linked page says that “As of Oct. 9, 601 available co-op positions on NUWorks appeared when using the search term “computer science” and selecting Khoury College of Computer Sciences for targeted academic majors. According to Northeastern’s facts and figures page on enrollment, Khoury had 2,644 students in classes and 854 students on co-op fall 2023.”
What happens to Northeastern students who cannot get a co-op job that is scheduled in their degree plan?
It may be just in certain sectors that jobs are scarcer than they used to be. For example, jobs in computing may not be as plentiful as they were when current Northeastern sophomores and juniors started college. This can be analogous to the situation about a decade ago, when petroleum engineering employment crashed with oil prices, but that did not apply to the rest of the economy.
That’s my question too!
As I said above, a student would take classes and apply for a co-op the next semester.
That has never been the case.
Before retirement I was a partner in a smallish CPA firm. We usually hired 2-3 coop students per cycle. Our posting specified accounting majors only and a minimum 3.3 GPA in all accounting courses to date. Each cycle at least a third of applicants did not meet those basic requirements. Some students just blindly apply for positions
What happens if they can’t land a co op at all? Do they still graduate?
I have never heard of any student not getting at least one co-op. I have heard of students delaying, as I said.