This new semester has brought many changes, as I touched upon in my previous blog post. I’m currently taking the required co-op class that prepares students for co-op in the following semester. Although it is just the start, I feel as though this class and Northeastern as a whole does a great job of preparing students in so many ways. So far, I’ve constructed a solid resume and have looked into many co-op opportunities that I may be applying to for the fall. Emphasized in the beginning stages of this course, however, is more of the narrowing down of the search and exploring what students are really looking for in a co-op. This is inclusive of the type of industry, public vs private sector, location, working environment, skills hoping to be acquired, and more. After many zoom breakout rooms and open discussions, there’s a shared understanding within the class that we all don’t have a solid idea of what kind of co-op we want or, in general, what we want to do in the future. This finding was honestly very comforting and relieving, knowing that I’m not alone in my uncertainty and doubt underlining the whole co-op process.
One goal I have in this course is to become comfortable with interviews. Public speaking is not my forte, as it is not for most people. However, I believe that it is something I can improve upon with more practice and finding confidence in my skills and abilities. With everything now moved to a virtual platform, interview preparation will be different than normal. Thankfully, my involvement on campus requires hosting and attending virtual events, which will be a big help with becoming comfortable with public speaking via zoom.
As I explore my weaknesses through this co-op class, I realize that imposter syndrome has transferred onto more parts of my life than I had known. I found myself reading job descriptions on NUworks and thinking that I won’t be able to fulfill the responsibilities of the co-op because of my lack of experience and knowledge. I hope to fix this mindset so that I focus more on the positive side in challenging myself and my abilities. Growth and consistency are my main goals for this semester as a whole and I’m sure that this course will help me achieve them.
