What goes into a
co-op job description?

A job description is a “snapshot” of a job. It should clearly, concisely describe what responsibilities and tasks the job involves. It should also list the key qualifications of the job—the specific credentials, skills and traits you’re looking for in a co-op student.

Here’s a quick look at what makes up a well-written co-op job description:

• employer name and division
• a brief description of your organization
• title of position
• job location
• term of employment
• approximate salary and hours of work
• overall responsibilities of the position
• specific tasks the student will do
• qualifications (skills and experience required to do the job—you may like to include a “required” and a “preferred” section)
• special requirements (writing sample, portfolio, driver’s license, etc.)

Writing
tips

• If you’ve hired co-op students for this position before, try not to rely solely on the job’s history when you write your job description. Focus on your current—what does the job look like now?
• A task is what the employee will actually do. Qualifications are the skills, attributes or credentials he or she will need to perform each task. It’s helpful to clarify the job’s tasks before you decide what qualifications an employee needs to perform them.
• A well-written job description is more than a laundry list of a job’s responsibilities and tasks—it should reflect an overall sense of job priorities.
• Use specific language in your job description. For example:

Sample co-op
job descriptions

Business Co-op sample posting

Business Co-op sample posting

Employer: World Association of Newspapers

Position: Marketing Assistant

Key responsibilities

As a member of the WAN product management team, you will be engaged in key projects and initiatives to drive new revenues and improve processes. While partnered with a mentor/coach, you will support the product managers in all phases of product marketing. In these roles, you will be expected to:

• demonstrate strong analytical abilities;
• perform gap analysis and develop recommendations for improvement;
• contribute to business case development;
• create process maps and investigate and recommend process improvements for efficiency gains; and
• research and evolve product life cycle plans.

Required knowledge

• Understanding of marketing principles and levers and the relationships between them (e.g. pricing, market share, value propositions, demand drivers, customer marketing, customer segmentation, product life cycle management, sales incentives, etc.)
• Understanding of the sales cycle

Required skills and abilities

• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong teamwork focus
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently

Engineering Co-op sample posting

Engineering Co-op sample posting

Employer: Creo

Position: Design and Production Assistant (mechanical engineering)

About Creo

Take a really good concept, surround it with smart, creative, motivated people, provide the tools they need to succeed, treat them with respect and believe in their ideas. That's a recipe for success and has helped Creo grow from a local company of two people to a global company of 4000+. We provide a unique, free-thinking, challenging work environment where the dress code is always casual and where Creoites set their own hours (flex-time).

As the world's largest supplier of pre-press equipment, Creo is leading the digital transformation of the graphic arts industry. Our products bring together software systems, precision mechanics, electronics, and optics designed from the ground up for productivity, reliability, and exceptional quality.

Job description

You will work as part of a team assisting in both design and production support activities. As an intermediate- to senior-level student, you will be working on testing, detailing, and drafting, as well as problem solving and design.

Activities typically include some of the following:

• Product prototyping and testing to prove design concepts
• Mechanical design tasks including concept development and analysis
• Detailed design and drafting
• Machine shop and fabrication techniques
• Defining procedures and designing production tooling jigs
• Product assembly and demonstration

Social Sciences Co-op sample posting

Social Sciences Co-op sample posting

Employer: Mosqoy

Position: Administrative and Outreach Director (volunteer position)

What is Mosqoy?

Mosqoy is a small non-governmental association (NGO) based in Victoria, BC that works to support youth and indigenous communities of the Peruvian Andes. The Mosqoy: Sacred Valley Youth Fund provides post-secondary educational opportunities for promising youth of impoverished communities of the Sacred Valley of Peru. The Q’ente Society, Mosqoy’s partner project, works to revitalize the Quechua weaving tradition as a means to providing cultural and economic sustainability to the region.

Job description

The Administrative and Outreach Director is responsible for communicating Mosqoy’s message to the general public, as well as assisting with internal communications.

Tasks include:

• producing bilingual promotional material and other PR initiatives
• creating training manuals and board handbooks
• networking
• internal communications with sponsors
• communications with Peruvian and Canadian staff
• planning cultural exhibitions and conferences

Prerequisites

• excellent writing and editing abilities
• excellent interpersonal skills
• self-directed and strong work ethic
• organized and proactive
• good phone manners
• creative, innovative, and enthusiastic
• leadership qualities
• attention to detail
• basic level of Spanish
• interest in international development initiatives

Assets

• fluent or advanced level of Spanish
• experienced in public relations and/or communications
• partially or fully based in Victoria, BC
• experienced working in the NGO sector
• experienced working in a non-Western country