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Ciara Fletcher (she/her) is a fourth-year Honours Arts student in Legal Studies with a minor in Philosophy. She talks about learning to pivot and try new things in co-op. Ciara also offers advice to other Faculty of Arts and Legal Studies students exploring co-op opportunities, highlighting the rewards of stepping outside traditional Legal Studies roles to explore new fields and sectors, such as human resources and technology companies.

Q&A with Ciara

Did your classroom learning prepare you for your co-ops or did you do more learning on the job?

“I would say most of my practical skills were developed on the job. Specifically, technical skills such as HR software were learned through hands-on experiences, whether it was a training session or shadowing colleagues in my role. I haven’t had software experiences in the classroom yet.”

“I want to highlight PSYCH 339, Personnel Psychology, which had a focus on recruitment and selection. I would say that course had direct relevance to my co-op role because there was a major focus on avoiding biases and using data-driven insights, which I apply in my current role to ensure that I'm fair and objective when interviewing candidates for roles. For those interested in pursuing a career in talent acquisition, I recommend taking Personnel Psychology.”

“In between my terms at D2L when I was on my school term, I was a campus ambassador. My role focused on boosting brand awareness. I held around 15 coffee chats with ��ݮ��Ƶ students to discuss our Early Talent program, attended events and created social media content.”

“Branding is definitely the most impactful aspect of my work experience because it goes beyond the daily tasks of my role, allowing me to make a lasting impact on the company. You also get to talk about how much you like your role to other people and hopefully they get excited about joining too.”

What have you learned from co-op as an Arts student? How has that impacted you?

“What the Faculty of Arts taught me is to be flexible and explore those unique or “outside of my comfort zone” career paths. I originally did not plan to be in HR, and then after three co-ops, I discovered it as a passion. I also learned that my values align more with HR, people operations and being able to make an impact in an organization versus being in a law firm.”

“The original job that your mind is set on in your first or second work term isn't always going to be available and that's okay. Instead, you can pivot and maybe you'll find something that you're more passionate about in the end.”

"Additionally, as a co-op, I want to work for a company where students are valued and given meaningful tasks, rather than just mundane work. This is why I’m drawn to D2L, as students are entrusted with important responsibilities instead of simple administrative tasks."

What advice would you give to other co-op students?

“The biggest advice I would give to fellow students is to not be discouraged if you don't find that “perfect” role. From my own experience, I know peers in the Faculty of Arts who tend to focus solely on their major (like Legal Studies) when searching for roles because that's their passion, which is perfectly fine. However, it's important to remember that it's okay to pivot as well. Law, for example, intersects with fields like business, HR, marketing and communications. It's great to explore those areas while you have the opportunity in the co-op program."

“There are so many opportunities available to you through co-op and rather than dropping out of co-op when something doesn't align with your interests, it's okay to try something new that’s outside of your specific major. It’s okay to explore things and even accept co-op roles that you’re unsure about. It might turn out to be a better fit for you than you thought.”