Newly Developed CO-OP Program Enhances Student Career Readiness

By: Sawsan Ali
@SawsanHishamAli

Photo courtesy: Fady Samy and Emad Atta

The new Cooperative Education Course (CO-OP), developed by the School of Business in partnership with the Career Center, is an experiential learning opportunity for Business students seeking to stand out in the job market.

The CO-OP is a three-credit elective course that allows School of Business students to work full time for a minimum of six months before they graduate. Business students must at least be in junior standing to apply, and partial scholarship opportunities could be made available for those accepted.

“We are planning on expanding the program further to other schools in the future,” says Soha Hassan, the assistant director of Experiential Learning at the Career Center, who supported the School of Business in co-developing the course.

There are multiple differences between the CO-OP program and a typical internship, one of which is an extended duration of engagement with the employer.

“The type of work assigned to CO-OP candidates is more challenging than a typical internship to ensure a steep learning curve. A faculty supervisor closely oversees CO-OP candidates, providing them with mentorship and co-evaluating them with the host entity,” Hassan told The Caravan.

Ahmed Abdel-Meguid, associate professor of Accounting at the School of Business and the current mentoring faculty for the inaugural CO-OP cohort, emphasized that students in the program are given greater responsibility compared to most internships.

“These are very carefully selected positions that the university guarantees in terms of the quality and the level of engagement. Some internships are very good, but some are not very productive and that causes a lot of frustration for the students. [The CO-OP] is much more guaranteed in terms of the benefit that the student would get,” said Abdel-Meguid.

He also added that there is a tightly knit feedback loop between AUC, the employer, and the student to ensure maximum benefit, and to handle any issues that may arise.

“The students need to report every two weeks using something called a student logbook. It’s like a diary where they document the tasks they did and skills they developed,” said Abdel-Meguid.

At the end of the course, the students present their work to their employer and supervising faculty member; this, among other things, factors into their final grade for the course, which is on a pass/fail basis.

Abdel-Meguid noted that completing this program successfully can act as a solid springboard into their future careers.

“It only makes sense that if they are doing well, they like the place and the employer is happy with them, that they are likely to be offered a job opportunity once they graduate, because they have been tested by the employer. They know the student. So, I think that’s also a major advantage for the CO-OP,” he said.

He added that some CO-OP students may be able to skip over more entry level employment roles after graduation due to the high level of work experience that they’ve graduated with.

Both Abdel-Meguid and Hassan stressed the importance of students taking the program seriously and being committed to it, especially after being accepted for a position.

Abdel-Meguid also highlighted skills and past experiences that are weighted heavily by the selection panel for those applying to the program.

“We’re looking for students with decent GPAs, preferably that have engaged in extracurricular activities and preferably with leadership positions. These are not a must, but considered assets,” he said.

He gave some advice that is helpful to students planning on interviewing for the CO-OP.

“Be yourself and as articulate as possible explaining why you would be a good ambassador – that’s the key question – why you’re a good ambassador for AUC and the School of Business to represent the school at the employer. We’re looking for high levels of maturity, confidence and general technical knowledge relevant to at least the employer that you’re applying to,” said Abdel-Meguid.

Students currently enrolled in the CO-OP are part of the first cohort to test drive this newly developed course. So far, their experiences have been positive, signalling a promising future for the program.

Alia Yassin, a Business senior currently doing her CO-OP at Procter & Gamble (P&G), a multinational consumer goods company, explained how she’s responsible for two projects. The first involves managing the brand Venus, the Gillette female razor line, while the second involves handling e-commerce across the health, beauty and grooming sectors.

“You don’t feel like you’re an intern and they’re a manager. No, you’re the manager of Venus and you’re the manager of e-commerce…There’s so much room to innovate and really grow the brands and the channels you’re working on. This is something that I’m very pleased with and I think is the key difference between this program and the other internships I’ve done,” she said.

She added that she currently feels she’s a full-time employee at the company.

“I don’t think you would know how to go back to being just a student afterward,” she said.

Youssef Ibrahim, a Finance and Accounting senior, similarly expressed having an exceptionally positive experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a multinational professional services network of firms, where he’s currently doing his CO-OP.

“I was told that usually interns are lucky if they get to work on one project in their internships. I’ve already worked on four and starting now on the fifth,” said Ibrahim.

He contrasts his CO-OP experience with what he’s experienced and observed about regular internship programs.

“I can see the interns around me that are there for a month or two and how they treat them compared to how they treat me. To them, I am a full-time team member and I receive a different type of attention from senior directors, associates and managers. They know I’m sticking around, so they invest more in my development and see if I’m someone they would like to return after graduation,” said Ibrahim.

However, this program, like any other, is not without its drawbacks. Taking part in the CO-OP would involve delaying a semester before graduation.

Nevertheless, students currently participating in the program believe its benefits outweigh the cost of not graduating on time.

“[The CO-OP] helps you confirm career decisions before you enter the job market…Students with CO-OP experience have more competitive resumes than peers when they graduate,” said Farida El Deeb, an Economics senior currently doing her CO-OP at the Central Bank of Egypt.

She said CO-OP students also get to establish contacts in the workplace for networking opportunities and gain references for future employment.

“All of these merits certainly outweigh the negative aspect of delaying a semester,” she said.

For more information send an email to co-op-bus@aucegypt.edu or visit the program’s website