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We do not want to be a “co-op mill” providing co-op credits for minimal commitment nor do we want to be a “co-op sweatshop” pigeonholing co-op students into menial tasks. These are pitfalls other design teams have fell fallen into that we seek to avoid. Lots of our co-op students have found success following a co-op with WARG and we seek to maintain the procedures we’ve used to build such an effective system.

Application and Selection Process

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4. Interviews are conducted

   1. Generally these are 30 to 60 minutes in duration

   2. There will likely be two interviewers, one of which will be the manager of the co-op

5. Offer selection is made and interviewees are informed

   1. Most likely you will receive a direct offer via email or be informed of rejection via email.

   2. In rare cases we may use WaterlooWorks ranking

Expectations

From you as a co-op student

As a WARG co-op, you are a member of the team (by satisfying https://uwarg-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AD/pages/2318500191/Member+Definition?search_id=b7ecc1da-4660-42a8-bb2e-e6c9055c7655 ) and have the same expectations as any other member: Expectations of Members. The difference is that you are required to have greater commitment to and involvement with WARG including but not limited to:

• Location is in person or hybrid (on site at least 1 time per week)

  • Remote co-op is not currently supported by WARG

• The position is full time, but your working hours are flexible

  • As long as you are making progress and attending meetings, you can do whatever you want with your time

• You are expected to attend syncs with your mentor (daily)

  • Your mentor organizes this with you

  • While the scheduled length is at least 30 minutes, the syncs can vary in duration.

  • Having syncs as short as 15 minutes per day is possible if there isn’t much to talk about though syncs may exceed an hour in duration.

• You are expected to attend the regular WARG meetings (1-2 times per week)

  • WARG meetings are typically held during the evening on Discord

  • Most meetings are scheduled for 1 hour

  • Your mentor informs you which meetings you are expected to participate in (e.g. weekly subteam meetings)

• You are expected to participate in flight tests relevant to your project (variable, typically 1-2 times per month)

  • Flight tests are typically 1 entire day during a weekend

From you as an applicant

• Co-op hiring team looks exclusively for the criteria mentioned within our Co-op Job Descriptions when discerning between applicants.

From WARG

This is what WARG commits to co-op:

• Several projects are road mapped in advance so that you have a guide for measuring progress

  • You have the option of selecting and switching between projects at any time

    • You can also propose a completely new project; consult with your mentor and/or subteam leads

  • Projects are structured deliberately to focus on learning and are often decoupled from key team requirements to avoid excessive pressure on a co-op student.

  • Projects from previous co-ops:

    • Co-op Job Descriptions

    • TODO Link to Past presentations

• You are mentored by an experienced member who provides support and is on site

  • Daily scheduled syncs of at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours

  • Your mentor assists you directly with onboarding, guidance, and coordination

• Opportunity to interact with other projects and members

  • Don’t be afraid to participate!

  • We don’t want co-op students to feel siloed on their own project

Copy Pastas

Because a lot of conversations on this matter are repetitive, here are some common copy pasteable answers to common questions we can use in text (Email or Discord) conversations:

• A

  • Context: We have already closed postings for this term.

  • Question: Can I do a WARG co-op this term?

  • Answer: Hi x, Thanks for reaching out. For this current term we have unfortunately already filled all WARG co-op positions and cannot take on any more co-op students. If you would like to join the team as a member you are completely welcome to at https://www.uwarg.com/join though you will not receive a co-op credit and everything else that comes along with a co-op as a regular member. Keep your eyes open in our Discord and in the later cycles of WaterlooWorks for our future positings for future terms. Best, x

• B