Co-operative Education: Testing the career waters
Biology co-op student Kieran Lacey tries on careers in marine sciences, animal care and health research.
“The most valuable thing I learned from my co-op program was to be open to trying new fields of study and to use these experiences to understand what you do and don’t enjoy doing.
On my first work term my job was to analyze the nutritional content of capelin larvae and adult Atlantic cod, but I also worked offshore on research ships collecting data on ocean ecosystems, took part in the handling and data collection of green crabs, and helped run educational programs for youth.
My second work term was as an animal care technician in the Health Sciences Centre, giving me first hand experience in where exactly new medical techniques and treatments begin.
My final work term was as a data analyst at the Centre for Health Informatics and Analytics. I helped to lay the groundwork for a study about appropriate use of colonoscopies in Newfoundland. This experience helped to further focus in on my aspirations to study medicine.
My advice to future co-op students is to use this program to try out multiple fields of work related to your studies, even if you are predominantly interested in one area. You may realize that you like one field over the other, or simply learn new skills that you can relate to your area of interest. Also, it adds variability to your resume that proves you to be an adaptable employee.”