Using the co-op portal

Most of your co-op program is administered in the co-op portal. Here is how to complete common tasks in the portal.

Accept the Terms & Conditions

Your first step will be to accept and submit the Co-op Terms & Conditions.

Log into the co-op and career portal. Once you’ve logged in, you will be on your dashboard page.
From the dashboard, select the action widget (the black circle icon with three white dots) and then choose “Submit a form.”
Under the category drop-down menu, select “Co-op Terms & Conditions.”
Carefully read through the Terms & Conditions. If you have a question about anything included in this document, ask your co-op coordinator.
- Note: Question 18 asks you to select a link that will take you to your UVic online tools, where you should enter your preferred email address and phone number.
Near the end of the Terms & Conditions form, there is a section where you can identify if you are Canadian Indigenous or a student with a disability.
Press "Submit." By submitting this form, you are agreeing to the Terms & Conditions contained in the document. Ensure that you click "Submit" as clicking "Save as Draft" will not register your Terms & Conditions acceptance.

To review the Terms & Conditions or change your selection(s):

From your home/dashboard, select “My forms.”
Select “View” where it lists your form (if you have edited/submitted your form multiple times, there may be multiple versions of your form listed).
Select the action widget, then "Review/edit form." If you make any changes, remember to "Submit" again when finished.

Search co-op job postings

Co-op job postings are located in the co-op module in the co-op portal. Once you select “Co-op” from the navigation menu, “Job postings” will appear as a sub-menu item.

There are 4 options for searching for co-op jobs.

Use the "Keyword search" or "Organization search." Use keyword and/or organization searches if you know exactly what you are looking for (e.g., “silviculture” or “Parks Canada”).
Use the quick search links to browse all jobs that are open to you for a specific term, or browse all "Work abroad" jobs.
Use the "Search job postings" option to define your search criteria, e.g., by location.
Use "Search posting" if you know the ID of the job you are looking for.

The search results page provides a list of all jobs that meet your search criteria. When browsing the search results, you can:

select “Save” to save the posting to your “My saved jobs” list (accessible from the main job postings page under “Quick links”)
select “Apply” to directly start the application process (only recommended if you have already reviewed the full posting)
select any “Job title” to view the full job posting
select the “Not interested” garbage can in the far right column to remove the posting from your search results

Reviewing co-op job postings

Jobs can vary in duration, application procedure and more, so it’s important to review the information in each job posting.

For example, look at the co-op work term duration section, as some jobs might have longer durations and count for more than one term. Before you apply, make sure you are eligible for the duration of the job.

Pay close attention to the "Special Requirements" section that appears near the top of some postings, and the "Additional Application Information" section near the bottom. These sections provide vital information on specific job qualifications and/or additional instructions for applying (e.g., required documents or steps).

Apply for jobs

Ways to apply for jobs

through the co-op portal: select “Apply” at the top of the posting and follow the application process in the portal
employer email: email your application to the employer directly using the provided email address
employer website: access the provided link and follow instructions on the employers' website

For all methods, be sure to also select "I intend to apply for this position" at the top of the posting. This will allow you to access the posting after it closes and to track the status of the recruitment process.

Once you select “Apply” on a job posting, you’ll be guided through the steps of submitting an application package.

First, choose whether you’ll apply with your existing application package or whether you want to create a new customized application package.

Note: The “Application requirements” section on this page will always just say “Résumé.” It is important to select the “Application Material Required” section on the job posting for actual requirements.

When submitting your application, you have 2 options:

Option 1 – Use an existing application package

Select "Apply with an existing application package” to see a list of all the application packages you’ve created in the portal (if any).

Option 2 - Create a custom application package

To create a new custom application package:

create a name for the package and select separate documents for each of the requested application materials. If you need to upload a new document, select the link underneath
name your document so you will be able to identify it later
select the type of document
upload the document from your files
once you have uploaded and selected documents for each required type, select “Submit Application”

Checking the status of an application

You can check back on the status of any jobs you have applied to by going to the “Applications” page, found under the co-op grouping in the navigation menu.

This is also where you can view/access the job description for any posting you applied or selected “I intend to apply.” This can be helpful when preparing for an interview.

Changing or withdrawing your application

If you want to change or withdraw your application prior to the application deadline, you can do so by viewing your applications and selecting “Cancel Application.”

Note: once a job posting has closed, you will not be able to cancel your application. Similarly, you cannot withdraw an application that's sent directly to an employer’s email or website. If you would like to withdraw from a job competition for any reason, please contact your co-op coordinator.

If you’re shortlisted for an interview through the co-op office, you’ll receive an email from a co-op staff member instructing you to sign up for your interview.

Login to the co-op portal. There is a section of your dashboard titled: “My Interviews to Schedule” that will list the position you're shortlisted for.
Select “Schedule Interview.”
Review the “Interview Details” section, paying particular attention to the "Location/special instructions."
Select “Book My Interview Time” at the bottom of the page.
Review the interview schedule, choose a time and select “Book” to sign up for that time slot.
After you have booked your time slot, find the interview detail under “Interviewer will call you at” and select “Update.”
Review the interview details if you are unsure whether the interview is by phone or Skype.
Once you have signed up for your interview, you can review the interview details at any time by checking the “My upcoming schedule” section on your portal dashboard.

If you have issues or conflicts with an interview schedule, contact your co-op office for assistance.

View or edit your work term record

Once you’ve accepted a job offer through your co-op office, a work term record gets created for that term. This will show up on your co-op dashboard.

A quick summary of each work term is also on your co-op dashboard. To view or edit your full work term record, select “Work term record detail” for that term.

Edit your main work term record

At the top of the record is an overview of your work term record information. To edit the record, find the "Edit” button.

Only certain fields are editable by students:

salary information: amount, frequency and hours per week
job description
work site address: street address, city, region, province, country and postal code
supervisor information: name, title, phone number and email
- The supervisor email field has an additional function – the email you enter here will be where the system will send your competency assessments for review and supervisor input

Once you have entered your information, scroll to the bottom of the record and select "Save.”

If you notice any errors in information that can't be edited, please contact your co-op office.

Creating a sub-record to add your contact info during the work term

When viewing your work term record, there is also an option to create a sub-record where you can add your contact information for the duration of the work term (e.g., your temporary home address, a work email or phone number). This information is required for some program areas and optional for others.

Find and select “Student contact info during work term.” If the sub-record has not already been created, select “Create record.”
Select “Submit” when you are finished entering your information. You may come back and edit the information at any time.

This information may be used by your coordinator:

when trying to contact you to arrange a work site visit
in the unlikely event of an emergency or natural disaster

Do your competency assessments

You’ll complete competency assessments at the start, middle and end of your work term.

Log into the co-op portal. On this page, you will see a brief overview on the competency assessment process, all of your past or ongoing assessments and new competency assessments that still need to be created
Select “Create” to start the process (or "Edit" if you have already started).

Start of your work term: describe your learning objectives

In the assessment form, first assess your experience level for all core, discipline-specific and cultural intelligence (CQ) competencies on a scale from no demonstrated achievement to exemplary. You can select the blue question marks for information on the assessment scale.
Next, write learning objectives for 3-5 competencies that you will focus on during your work term. Select the blue question marks beside each competency for more information.
Select “Save draft” as you go to save your progress.
When finished, select “Submit” at the top or bottom of the page. This will send an email to your supervisor, notifying them that you've completed this part of the assessment. Please note that once it's submitted, you can no longer make changes to the form without speaking to your co-op coordinator.
Tip: If you can't finish your assessment in one sitting, save a draft and return to it later. Select “Save Draft” on top or the bottom of the page.

Middle of your work term: complete your mid-term competency assessment

Mid-way through the term, you’ll complete the mid-term assessment.

think about how you’ve demonstrated and developed your competencies
assess your experience in all competencies and comment on the progress of your learning goals
be prepared to discuss your mid-term assessment with your co-op coordinator and supervisor on the work site visit

Once you submit your assessment, an email will be sent to your supervisor; they’ll have the option to also submit comments on your progress. You’ll receive an email from the system once your supervisor completes their portion of the assessment.

Select “Supervisor” in the competency assessment to see your supervisor's comments.

End of your work term: complete your final competency assessment

At the end of the work term, complete your final assessment.

reflect on and assess how you’ve met your learning objectives
think about and outline how you’ve demonstrated and developed your competencies
submit the final assessment. It will be visible to your supervisor and co-op coordinator

Once again, your supervisor will receive an email to also submit their comments on your progress.

Make sure to download a PDF of your assessment for future reference – select “Download Portfolio PDF” at the bottom of the page.

Meet with a co-op coordinator

To book an appointment with a co-op coordinator:

Log in to the co-op and career portal.
Choose the Appointments tab and then Co-op.
Select the staff member you'd like to meet with.

Add your preference for an in-person or Zoom interview in the Additional Information box and provide your email address.

You can take part in a ton of work search and career-related events throughout the year. We list events in the Co-op and Career portal. Learn how to register for events.