Getting Started		The Layout		The Ratings		Favorites

Note: Before getting started, we recommend registering. While this is required in order to rate a co-op, it also provides an account that can save your favorite reviews, save your favorite co-ops while browsing, and allows us to give you the maximum amount of support, while providing a great experience during your search!

Step 1: Getting Started
Once you have registered and/or logged into the site, click on the “browse co-ops” button on the right side in the middle of the home page. Note: You do not have to be logged in to browse, but we highly encourage doing so, that way you will be able to use our Favorites system!
 
Step 2: The Layout
The layout first provides an overview of each positions ratings. The top section provides the overall data for that specific job, with the blue box to the right displaying the overall combined rating the job has been given.

Below that you will find each individual review in  light grey boxes, one for each rating.

   

At the bottom there is a comment section, in which you can leave any questions you may have about the review!
 
Step 3: The Ratings & what they mean…
Our rating system has been formulated on 7 key components of the co-op program that, when combined, provide a great summary and overview of the personal experiences associated with that position. Each factor can be ranked on a 1-5 scale (represented on our site by stars) and a brief description of each is provided below. Please remember that ratings are individual reviews and opinions and are coming from personal experiences!



Below are the descriptions we provide for reviewers, this way you will know exactly why they gave a specific component that rating.

Amount of Responsibility: Think of your personal levels of responsibility here.  Whether this means getting coffee for the CEO, or reviewing multi-billion dollar investment plans, or just opening the mail every day for your boss, we want to know how much responsibility you felt you had!

Opportunities for Growth: This could mean  growth within your six month stay,  long term growth for possible job security or just personal growth.  Try to stay objective in this, meaning even if you perhaps didn’t enjoy your co-op, could the company provide growth opportunities for future co-ops?

Did you learn a lot? The more personal you’re rating, the better.  Try not to feel guilty here, or embarrassed! Sometimes you don’t learn much at all, and other times you gain immense volumes of knowledge on co-op… either way, let us know! Also, this could include anything from life lessons, to formulas, don’t feel that procedural knowledge is the only beneficial kind.

Resume Builder: Was this a company that future employers will see on a resume and get excited? Were your duties impressive on paper? Did you report directly to a high-level employee?  These are aspects of building a resume, but not all.  In many cases, it is the daily tasks that make a co-op, not just name dropping!

Networking Opportunities:  Did you meet a lot of people? Did you have to go buy a rolodex a month in? Let us know if this co-op provided good networking for you; as we are all learning. Building a network that you can utilize in the future is a key aspect of the ‘real world’!

Office Environment: Were there nerf battles every Tuesday? Was it gossip-central? Let us know how fun and productive your office environment was, or rather, how much value you placed in it.

Ease of Commute: Did the level of traffic in the morning dictate your mood for the rest of the day? Or did you wake up, and stroll two blocks down the street? Keep in mind this is relative to your individual commute however if a co-op is in a very hard to reach place, we’d like to know it!
Things like Sex, Major, and General Questions are quite simplistic and relatively self explanatory in terms of how to interpret.

The ‘What did you do for your Co-op’ field is a place where raters are able to say anything they thought was valuable to talk about about their coop that they couldn’t write elsewhere. Sometimes people have a lot to say, other times people chose not to write anything. Keep in mind that these Ratings are based on individuals’ perceptions and beliefs about the job and that the ratings should not be the sole reason for taking or refusing a Co-op opportunity.

Step 4: Favorites
This feature allows you to mark and save reviews that you would like to come back to later.  In order to use this feature, you must have created a free account and be logged in!

At the top of every review, right below the Company name, you will see a star image with a green addition symbol in the top right.  Click that to add it to your favorites.
 
To see a list of your favorites, you can click the “My Favorite Co-ops” button located on the User Menu. The User Menu can be found on the right side-bar, below the polls.
 
This feature was added to help you flag certain co-ops you are interested in coming back to view later.

We hope this guide helps you out in learning how to use the website as well as make the most out of it. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.