Cooperative Education - second-hand-tigers/badocter-career-learnings GitHub Wiki
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Cooperative Education
Real work experience during school is the best way to find out what engineering jobs actually look like, and to steer your electives, grad school and network accordingly.
Do You Know What the Job Actually Looks Like?
The common thread for most engineering applicants is aptitude in physics and math, STEM hobbies, and Glassdoor data showing what engineers earn right out of college and the many reports of high workforce demand.
| Has Aptitude + Interest | Stereotypically Applies to College Program | Stereotypical Senior Design Group Project | Employment Prospects |
|---|---|---|---|
| physics + math + chemistry | chemical engineering | Process design for a refinery or petrochemical complex unit (e.g., crude distillation, steam cracker) | Great, $$$ |
| physics + math + auto mechanic enthusiast | mechanical engineering | Baja SAE and Formula SAE race cars | Great, $$$ |
| physics + math + programming/robotics | computer engineering | Embedded systems, processors, and autonomous devices | Great, $$$ |
| physics + math + electronics tinkering / Arduino / ham radio | electrical engineering | Solar inverter or smart-grid power system | Great, $$$ |
| physics + math + pilot/model rocketry | aerospace engineering | Design, build, and fly a UAV or high-power rocket | Great, $$$ |
| physics + math + building things | civil engineering | Site development plan for a local client — grading, drainage, and parking | Great, $$$ |
But does the prospective student really understand what engineering careers actually look like and the kind of work they will actually be doing? For me, I really did not know, and in the first year of college I can't say I enjoyed some of the courses I had to take, like the legendary "Physics for Engineers" flunk-out course that had "converted" roughly 70% of the engineering majors to business majors by the end of the second semester. Some of the hard courses I could do and get good grades with a lot of hard work, but I could not see the connection to the job they were the setup for.
My Co-op Experience
I attended the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering, which invented cooperative education in 1906 (University of Cincinnati Co-op: 100 years of success), and still leads in it 120 years later (University of Cincinnati Ranks No. 1 Among Public Universities for Co-ops and Internships in 2027 U.S. News Rankings). The mandatory co-op program for engineering students was my entry point for experiencing actual work in my chosen field (chemical engineering). That co-op experience started at the beginning of the second year and then alternated quarters for the next 3 years -- by the end I had 7 quarters (21 months) of work co-op experience to put on the resume along with 9 months as an independent contractor that I did outside the program during the senior year. It also meant graduating with no student debt, since co-op pay covered tuition.
Finding Career Direction on the Job
The first quarter of co-op answered the question as to whether I wanted to continue as a chemical engineering student, and I started targeting electives to meet organizational gaps I saw on the job. By the end of the second work quarter, I had firmly decided to pursue process control, in part because of the antique control systems that I saw still running plants and the potential for plant automation with modern equipment. During the 3rd or 4th quarter I got to participate in a pneumatic-to-PLC (programmable logic controller) system migration project, and during my later work quarters and the independent contractor role a large part of my work was in plant automation - building and programming the systems. On the school quarters I loaded up with as many control and optimization electives as I could fit, including Real Time Optimization (RTO) which became my technical expertise over my 27-year career with ExxonMobil. After taking the RTO course, I even landed an undergrad research project with the professor who taught the course to further develop that skill in school.
From Co-op to Career
I could not have achieved that level of clarity or direction as a student without the real work experience to highlight how things were actually done and where the future opportunities lay. I also decided I wanted to pursue a doctoral degree because I had been co-oping for the research division and saw that many of the staff and mentors had advanced degrees, and I wanted their kind of career. The RTO course instructor at the University of Cincinnati recommended graduate programs that aligned with my career interests. I went to Lehigh University's Chemical Process Modeling and Control Research Center (CPMC), and afterward joined one of the companies funding my research, Exxon Research and Engineering's Plant Computing Division.
My whole career traces back to the co-op experience. Pull the co-op thread and the whole tapestry unravels. It was the setup for my focus in process control, it was the motivation for applying for graduate work, which in turn connected me with the employers leading the charge in my technology area.
Getting Real Experience at Your School
While co-op is still mandatory for University of Cincinnati engineering students, at many other universities it may be optional and may have less structured support. My recommendation is that you explore what is supported and take advantage of the optional programs. For example, Lamar University's College of Engineering offers an optional co-op program that alternates school and paid work semesters starting after your first year (Lamar University Cooperative Education Program). Check your own college's engineering or career services pages for the equivalent.
With regards to undergrad research projects, get to know the faculty in the classes you enjoy the most, do your best work in the class, and ask them. If you really enjoy the topic, the extra work won't feel like work.
I can't recommend co-op enough and I believe students that skip it are shortchanging their development. Don't let your schooling interfere with your education -- start building real experience as soon as the opportunity presents itself to guide the selection of your electives and build your network.
Related: Considerations for Grad School · Dr. Docter's Career Timeline · Building Your Network · Resumes
License: © 2026 William Docter. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). You may copy, redistribute, remix, and build upon this material, including for commercial purposes, provided you give appropriate credit to William Docter and indicate if changes were made. The Second-Hand Tigers logo is not covered by this license. All rights in it are reserved.