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Co-op Student Testimonials

Co-op Testimonial: Mathew Cross

If I were asked to sum up the co-op experience in a few words I would have to say that it is "different, exciting, and sometimes unpredictable." My co-op was all of these combined, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Some of the major points of interest during my co-op assignment would include: my mindset towards working in a new atmosphere, my relocation to a different part of the country, and my unexpected interview situation.

For my first co-op term, I worked for CPS Innovations. They are the world-wide leader in the manufacture and distribution of Position Emission Tomograpy (PET) medical equipment and scanners. Before my co-op term even started, I knew that the experience was going to be exhilarating. I don't exactly remember how I learned about CPS Innovations, but somehow I sent them my resume though the co-op office. I soon received word that they would like to have a phone interview with me. After the phone interview, they were impressed and asked if it would be possible for me to fly to Knoxville, TN for an on-site interview. They were going to pay for my flight, and we set a date. Next thing I knew, I was in Tennessee interviewing with three engineers. I returned to Cleveland and anxiously awaited an offer of employment.

I received and accepted this offer, which meant that I would have to relocate to Knoxville after the school semester had ended. As with the interview flight, the company would mostly pay for my new living arrangements. They supplied a furnished apartment that was about 5 minutes drive from their facilities. The company also included many other benefits such as paid holidays and sick days, flexible work hours, and fitness facilities.

Before I had even started my first day, my manager had already assigned me a project that I would be working on. I was confident that I would be able to complete the project, but at first I was timid. I didn't outwardly proclaim all of my abilities, because I was unsure of myself. I believe this was a good choice though, because I would get acclimated to my surroundings and the workings of the company first and slowly unveil more areas where I could be of help. After my midterm review I was better able to gauge how I was doing and was able to understand how my co-workers perceived my work. I adapted my work style, and improved my habits throughout my term. By the end, the engineers were very pleased with my abilities and professionalism, and I left with a feeling that I accomplished much for this company.

When I first signed up to participate in the co-op program, I didn't think that I would be working in Knoxville, TN. Nor did I expect to fly anywhere for an interview. I had no clue what type of jobs I would receive, but I remained flexible and rolled with the ups and downs that are associated with a program such as cooperative education. Throughout all of this though, I did have expectations. I was hoping to gain experience that can not be taught in the classroom. I was hoping to gauge if my classes were giving me useful information pertinent to the real world. These expectations came true, and I am very glad that I was able to take advantage of the cooperative education program here at CWRU.

Matthew can be reached at mxc106@case.edu if you have any further questions about his co-op experience.

Co-op Testimonial: Michael Wehri

The way that I would sum up my undergraduate co-op experience would be this: it has been the best of both worlds. As a student participating in the co-op program, I was exposed to all of the in's-and-out's of working in a professional setting while still maintaining my campus activities and social life. This, in my opinion, is the best way to go through one's undergraduate years, as I will further explain.

Beginning in January of my third year of undergraduate studies, I have worked at Philips Medical Systems for two co-op periods of seven months, as well as one semester of part-time work while attending classes. Philips is located in Highland Heights, Ohio, which is only eight miles from CWRU, meaning that I could continue to live on campus and drive to work each day.

Working that close to campus also meant that I could continue being involved in my fraternity, spend time with all of my friends from school, go to Spot night, have access to the recreation center, and just enjoy all of the perks of being a student. The only big differences were that I woke up earlier than all of my class-taking counterparts, but also didn't have assignments to complete at home. I originally thought that my change of schedule would create problems with staying involved socially, but it actually helped considerably since I had more free time outside of work.

When I started at Philips, I was hired by the mechanical engineering group in the Computed Tomography (CAT scan) department, and was immediately assigned to a lead engineer on one of the numerous projects in progress. While working side-by-side with this engineer, I quickly recognized the corporate culture of the office, how tasks are assigned, and how to best interact with others in my group in order to get the job done. While I was learning and evaluating my supervisor, he was also evaluating me on my job skills, and soon I was given assignments to complete on my own. Even though I had a large amount of independence in the workplace, there was always someone I could go to with questions or any difficulties I may be experiencing.

So as I am finishing my second co-op period at Philips (I really wanted to finish some of my projects which I had started during my first assignment), I look back at a wealth of accomplishments which would have never been available to me had I simply taken eight semesters of coursework and then graduated with only my major-required lab experience to show to future employers. The skills I have acquired in the classroom have applied to my job very well, and I feel that I am a step ahead of the game going into my last semester with all of the knowledge I have gained at Philips. My opportunities after graduation are even greater due to co-op, and because of that, I extremely happy I made the decision to participate in the program at CWRU.

Michael can be reached at mcw8@case.edu if you have any further questions about his co-op experience.