{"id":2990,"date":"2014-07-11T21:32:19","date_gmt":"2014-07-11T21:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecm.eng.auburn.edu\/wp\/emag\/?p=2990"},"modified":"2014-07-16T18:35:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T18:35:52","slug":"not-your-average-employee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ecm.eng.auburn.edu\/wp\/emag\/?p=2990","title":{"rendered":"Not your average employee"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout their college careers, students face a number of challenges and questions: What classes do I take? What activities should I get involved in? Who\u2019s giving away free food so I can eat today? Perhaps, however, the most important and life-changing decision is: what can I do with this degree to find meaningful work that I enjoy?<\/p>\n

Auburn University\u2019s Cooperative Education (co-op) program<\/a> is helping make that challenge a little easier to figure out. A co-op is an opportunity for students to work at a company in their field of study during alternating semesters. Students have the benefit of enrolling in a supervised program working within a company while also earning a salary.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided to get involved with the co-op program to further my education and gain experience in a working environment,\u201d said Audrey Branyon, \u201914 industrial and systems engineering, whose assignment was with Mercedes-Benz. \u201cAfter you have completed the program, you become a student with at least a year\u2019s worth of working experience on your r\u00e9sum\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n

The university\u2019s co-op program dates back to 1937, and has grown steadily to become one of the most valuable student experiences offered. \u201cDuring the early years, we did question whether the process was going to work, but it has become one of our biggest success stories at Auburn,\u201d said Kim Durbin, director of the Cooperative Education Program.<\/p>\n

Its level and reputation rapidly increased when Auburn converted to the semester system from the quarter system in 2000 because students were on a consistent schedule. This allowed companies to recruit co-op students more effectively because most universities operate on a semester system.<\/p>\n

The change created year-round co-op coverage enabling students to stay with an employer for a longer period of time. \u201cMoving to the semester system was a win-win for the college and companies,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cStudents can stay with their employer longer and gain more experience, and the associated administrative tasks have decreased 25 percent for both Auburn and the companies that hire co-op students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engineering students account for 93 percent of the total number of co-ops at Auburn. During the spring 2014 semester, 252 students within engineering elected to participate in the co-op program. This opportunity is popular for students because of the advantages it offers in learning valuable skills outside of the classroom, earning a paycheck and networking with industry professionals. For many students, the experience is priceless, and for professors, it is an opportunity to see students begin to develop as professionals.<\/p>\n

Co-op assignments are earned through a rigorous interview process that begins with on-campus interviews with company recruiters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard about Auburn\u2019s co-op program when I was a freshman in engineering orientation. It sounded like a great way to experience how working in software engineering related to my classes,\u201d said Heather Neely, \u201914 software engineering. \u201cIt was the first time I\u2019d interviewed for a job of any kind, so I was nervous, but I ended up learning a lot about myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Neely noted that while recruiters place a strong emphasis on initial interviews, students are grading the company as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized while the interviewers use this process as an opportunity to discover your personality, abilities and other characteristics that are more than the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 they have been given, it is also an opportunity for an interviewee to ascertain what a company is like from its employees,\u201d Neely said. \u201cBefore, I had not realized that both sides in an interview are evaluating each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

After students make it through interviews and offers, the learning and job experience truly begin.<\/p>\n

\u201cProgram participants learn valuable lessons in human relations through associations in an adult environment,\u201d said Durbin. \u201cThe maturity and discipline they gain is usually reflected in the students’ personal relations with others. After graduation, these associations often help ease the transition from student to professional,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Some may think co-op is code for \u201ccoffee fetcher,\u201d but that could not be further from the truth. Students tackle the same issues and challenges that full-time employees face, and they are expected to contribute to the solution.<\/p>\n

\"B&G<\/a>\u201cThe team depends on you and expects you to provide input and help with the project,\u201d said Spencer Norrell, \u201913 civil engineering, who is a former co-op student and is now a full-time employee at Brasfield & Gorrie general contractors. \u201cThey want you to know every aspect of the industry including how to start and finish a construction project, as well as the business side,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ryan Whitmore, \u201914 mechanical engineering, worked with structural aerospace material functions during his co-op with the Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. He specifically studied composite design and fabrication, as well as structural design and analysis testing hardware, including a structronics bending apparatus and a rocket motor closure. Upon graduation, Whitmore decided to take a full-time job with AMRDEC.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy co-op assignment was an opportunity to apply my classroom knowledge to the industry and give purpose to my coursework. In addition, I was able to improve my technical ability and design experience, which prepared me for my senior design project,\u201d said Whitmore.<\/p>\n

Many co-op students find that they are able to apply their work experience back to the classroom and view learning in a new light.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning in the classroom is focused on a particular topic, while working emphasizes how to solve a particular problem. That, in and of itself, can be very different, as your objectives are so incongruous,\u201d said Neely. \u201cThrough co-oping, I was finally able to understand why such an emphasis is placed on teaching how to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professors also notice the added benefits of having co-op students in the classroom to better illustrate classroom concepts.\u201cThe program motivates all students to do better in the classroom by providing a sense of purpose to abstract concepts,\u201d says Sushil Bhavnani, Henry M. Burt, Jr. professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cIt is particularly energizing to students who are in the middle third of the class in terms of overall performance. They become active partners in classroom discussion because instructors can use student work experiences to underline practical aspects of course content.\u201d<\/p>\n

Co-op opportunities also enable students to explore new areas and establish relationships with professionals in industry, allowing them to \u201ctest drive\u201d their career and determine if they truly belong in their field of study.<\/p>\n

For example, Norrell began his first co-op term with Brasfield & Gorrie in the estimating division in Nashville; during his second term in Gainesville, Fla., he worked on a multi-use community project. For his third term, he worked in project management at Auburn\u2019s Center for Advanced Science Innovation and Commerce building. Following graduation, Norrell was offered a position in the commercial estimating division with Brasfield & Gorrie \u2013 in many ways, where his career began as a student.<\/p>\n

Even students who decide not to work as a full-time employee at their co-op company find the benefits invaluable toward pursuing their career aspirations.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the professional network I developed, I have been able to obtain recommendations from many managers who already know my capabilities and work ethic,\u201d Branyon said. \u201cThose connections allowed me to obtain a full-time job at Zachry Holdings in May.\u201d<\/p>\n

Companies have high expectations when hiring an engineering student for a semester, but they also want co-op students to enjoy other aspects of joining a work team. Brasfield & Gorrie plans excursions each semester with co-op students including paintball, rock climbing and golfing. ADTRAN, a telecommunications network provider that also hires several engineering students each semester, gives students a break from work to play ultimate frisbee and soccer, or to attend arena football and hockey games.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe students we have here are social and there\u2019s always a group who is up for doing something, whether trying out a new restaurant, going to a concert or playing flag football,\u201d said Erin Austin, a university recruiter for ADTRAN. \u201cIf there\u2019s something fun you want to do, you can usually count on a co-op student to go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A reciprocal relationship
\n<\/strong>The advantages of a co-op assignment are not solely for students \u2013 companies stand to benefit as well. Access to well-prepared students, the ability to gauge students\u2019 knowledge and their already highly developed work ethic are just a few reasons the co-op program offers a two-way street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe co-op students we hire bring new ideas to the table,\u201d said Austin. \u201cMany are creative and think \u2018outside the box,\u2019 and it is great to see that enthusiasm and creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"red-cross-courtyard-1\"<\/a>Annslee Hillyer, human resources coordinator at Brasfield & Gorrie, said the company prefers Auburn engineers because of the reputation they have for learning quickly and for fitting into the company.<\/p>\n

\u201cAuburn engineers are very well educated and they\u2019re exactly what we\u2019re looking for in an employee,\u201d Hillyer said. \u201cCo-op students from Auburn\u2019s College of Engineering excel in our company and are successful. With that kind of history, we\u2019ll continue hiring them.\u201d<\/p>\n

With so many benefits, including nearly $9 million in collective wages earned from co-op students in 2013 alone, the program continues to demonstrate its positive effect on both students and companies.<\/p>\n

An echoing statement among co-op students has been simple: the experience gained in the real world is priceless and prepares students for a successful academic and professional career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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