Introduction

In March, 2001, I accepted a co-op position with Framatome ANP in Lynchburg, Virginia. Almost two years later, in November, 2002, I accepted a fulltime position with Framatome, to begin once I have successfully completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Not everyone that participates in the co-op program will be offered a job with the company that he or she works for, and not everyone that is offered a job should accept it. The situation was such that Framatome offered me an excellent opportunity to get started in a tough industry to get started in, doing a job that I already know I love. But even if the company that you commit to does not offer you a fulltime position, you will gain something that has more value then any class that you have taken at Pitt: experience. In today’s market, companies look for individuals that have been members of teams, and have been introduced to the work environment and understand it. These are the values that the co-op program offers.

So if I can share anything about my experience at the University of Pittsburgh and its Computer Science department, it would be to really consider enrolling in the co-op program. If you are reading this, then it is likely that you have already been to the page describing exactly what the program is, so I won’t go through the trouble of explaining it over again, but know these three things about a co-op position: it’s paid (this adds appeal for any struggling college student), you will establish life-long connections (as well as friends), and you will get that magic ticket, “experience”. There’s that word again. But experience has become so important, as a college degree in Computer Science no longer guarantees a well-paying job as soon as you are finished.

First Semester

The word that comes to mind when I think of my first day is intimidating. This was the first time that I entered a situation were I was expected to contribute to something using my brains, on a level field with professionals. This was very exciting to me, and I was very motivated to make the best of my time, learn as much as I could, and most importantly, make a good impression that I will work hard on anything given to me. One of the most valuable lessons that you will learn as an employee is when to ask questions and when to solve a problem. In the beginning, asking questions is far and away the best way to get things done. It is important not to spend an hour reinventing the wheel if there is someone who can explain it to you in 10 minutes. But as you gain experience you will find that solving a problem yourself saves the other person’s time, and makes you better at solving problems for which there isn’t anyone that can help you. This is one of the many things that a co-op helps you work out before entering the workforce and being monitored for productivity.

By the end of my first rotation with Framatome, I was already convinced that I had made the correct decision in joining the co-op program. No two companies are the same, however, any company that involves itself in the co-op program should know what it is getting into and will provide for your experience accordingly. In my case, I was very unsure of my abilities, and being a positive asset to the company was something that concerned me a great deal. The company was able to put me at ease by giving me less time-critical projects that allowed me to work a less stressful pace. They also did a nice job of talking me through the projects that I was involved in, including after things were finished to see what could be done to improve performance.

Second Semester

You will approach your second rotation in the co-op program very different from the first. The anxiety that coincided with entering a new environment is replaced by the desire to contribute and be part of the team. My second rotation was the most exciting I had as far as the projects that I got to work on. I was given the task of writing embedded software for a control system, similar to a project that I worked on during my first semester. I would meet with the project supervisor once a week to update the status of the project. After it was written I adapted a test procedure for the product and even performed a Factory Acceptance Test with the customers. This was not a high profile product, but it was a well developed product that has performed perfectly in the field, and was extremely educational for me as a co-op student. This is typical with a co-op position, where you will usually leave having been intimately involved with the development of some product, and are respected for the work that you have contributed.

Third Semester

The final rotation of the co-op program is what I imagine the “real world” is like. In most circumstances, you will go in knowing what is expected of you as a team member, and you get the job done. My third rotation was not as programming intensive as the second rotation had been, but like the real world, you are not always going to be working on fun projects. That is not to say that what I was working on was not interesting or important, on the contrary, I became somewhat of an expert on our largest and most advanced control system. But the best part is the interaction with a team and understanding my role as a part of that team.

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning, go check out the co-op office. Sit down any one of the helpful staff and discuss your goals. There are certainly people for whom the co-op program is not going to be the best option, but I would venture to say that for most, it really can’t be beat. You probably know someone who has a degree in Computer Science that has not been able to land a job, and if you don’t right now you will. The reason is experience. I am very fortunate to have been offered and accepted a job from the company that I worked for, but even if that hadn’t been the right move for me, more doors were opened up to me as a result of the co-op program. Check it out!

By: Kristoffer Korby

Email: k_korby@hotmail.com