The Cooperative Education (Co-op) program is an excellent opportunity for aspiring students to apply their learnings in real-life situations, ideating and making an impact. Today, we have Maggie Li, a first-year student from the University of Waterloo, sharing her first co-op experience working in Plooto’s tech department.
Co-op Experience at Plooto
My co-op placement at Plooto has been an incredibly enlightening experience. I couldn’t have imagined a better team to help me navigate through my first co-op experience. In this journey, I learned an abundance of new technical knowledge and how to communicate in a professional setting.
Keep an open mind, be ready to learn!
Ironically the more you learn about the world, the more you truly realize how little knowledge you have about the world. Starting my co-op term, I had the mindset to view any skill I learned as valuable, whether technical or within a soft skill set, and prioritize learning while producing the best work possible.
Coming to the end of my first co-op term, I've come to a realization that you can learn something from everyone you interact with, and this is a mindset that has propelled me to accomplish more. I’m so grateful to have worked with such a wonderful and knowledgeable team. I was able to interact freely with everyone across all departments and positions. The abundance of resources at Plooto gave me all the information I needed to succeed in my role.
Remember to network.
Plooto’s startup environment allowed me to be part of a tight-knit community by getting a chance to meet almost everyone in the company across all departments. There were plenty of opportunities to talk to everyone by taking part in virtual social events. For example, participating in coffee chats provided me with an opportunity to take a break from work and speak to a randomly selected group of coworkers to get to know the people I worked with on a personal level.
Don't be afraid to take on new challenges.
New tasks may seem daunting at first but don’t be afraid to take them on! Through this co-op experience, I have truly understood the sentiment of learning by doing. My manager was highly knowledgeable, and the rest of the tech team gave me the confidence to take on challenges head-on. Knowledge was abundant all around, making it the perfect opportunity to take on the challenges!
Be curious, don’t shy away from asking questions.
The startup nature of Plooto, as well as its culture, felt highly welcoming. Our CEO, Hamed, promotes meritocracy, and he truly meant it. I could have a conversation with Hamed directly or anyone in the company, and I felt comfortable asking questions and giving suggestions without fear. With such a great environment, I could break out of my shell and ask questions about anything I was curious to learn more about.
Looking Beyond
My co-op term at Plooto has helped me grow immensely, both professionally and personally. The abundance of resources, supportive Plootonians, welcoming environment, and great culture at Plooto have allowed me to learn new and valuable skills.
I feel significantly more confident in my abilities, which will undoubtedly enable me to thrive in my future positions. I couldn’t have asked for a better company to guide me through the journey of my first co-op experience, and I’m excited to see all the big things Plooto has to bring in the future.
