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Home > Featured Stories > Outside the Classroom > January 2008 > An Invaluable AdvantageAn Invaluable Advantage
I encourage students to consider Co-op, and I really feel that it's their best option to obtain relevant work experience.
Lisa Bullard, director of undergraduate studies in chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State University
Lisa Bullard, right, chats with NC State student Willie Barton about his Co-op rotation at DuPont in Richmond, Va.
By Dave Pond, Web Communication
As a teacher and adviser to hundreds of NC State students, NC State director of undergraduate studies in chemical and biomolecular engineering Lisa Bullard knows a thing or two about the university's Cooperative Education Program and the positive impact it can have on those working toward a degree at NC State.
"From an advisor's perspective, Co-op students seem to gain confidence and have a much better feel for where they want to go after graduation," Bullard said. "That confidence enables them to perform at a higher level and with a higher level of professionalism."
Since she regularly teaches the university's introductory chemical engineering class as well as the senior project class, Bullard has the unique perspective to see how Co-op students mature during their time in the program.
"The students who go out and do a Co-op rotation after their first or second class in the major come back really pumped up and with a realization of what chemical engineering really is, because they've done it," she said. "They're excited about the major because they know what they can do with it and they know they can be successful in the engineering workplace."
While some students' Co-op rotations strengthen their decision to focus on a specific area of chemical engineering, the hands-on exposure they receive in the field may lead them to change their focus and concentration once they return to campus.
"In some cases, they might have gone to a Co-op position thinking that they wanted to do a particular thing, and after they had three different rotations they came out with a completely different mindset," Bullard said "Co-op students are more confident of entering the workplace because they've had that exposure, and they have hopefully confirmed where in engineering they will enjoy working."
Prior to her arrival on NC State's campus, Bullard spent nine years at the Eastman Chemical Company, where she mentored and worked with Co-op students in Kingsport, Tenn.
"Eastman has a very well-established Co-op program that really tries to give students very significant work assignments," Bullard said. "They're not making copies or running errands - they are certainly doing engineering work that a new engineer would do. It's very realistic work experience for them."
participation in the Co-op program offers employers a chance to hire hard-working students looking to obtain experience related to their degrees and interests, as well as a leg up on recruiting those students for full-time positions upon graduation.
It gives a company a chance to gain some exposure to a student over a significant period of time, so by the time that student graduates, the company has a very good feel for where the student might best fit into their organization," Bullard said. "They are able to really target where the student is going to be the most effective and find the best fit."
About 15 percent of NC State chemical engineering students participate in the Co-op program, and those students supporting themselves as they attend NC State may find that in some cases, Co-op positions offer higher salaries than other part-time or internship work, Bullard said.
"Financially, Co-op pays much better because the stipend increases with each successive work rotation," she said. "The monthly salary for our average student's first rotation was $2,910, and then it goes up from there."
Money aside, the opportunity to get real-world experience in your field while attending college will prove invaluable when it's time to find a full-time gig.
"I encourage students to consider Co-op, and I really feel that it's their best option to obtain relevant work experience," Bullard said. "Their rotation is their full-time focus, as opposed to the student who might be working part-time at a local restaurant for 20 or 30 hours a week, not getting work experience in their major, taking away from their studies and being more of a distraction than a help."
The difference, Bullard said, is most noticeable as she reviews students' efforts in her senior project class.
"Typically, the students who have Co-op'd are very effective in that class because they've been in the work environment and know what it's like to get a large project, come up with a project plan or possibly even manage people working on a project," she said. "My observation is that they approach the project very professionally at a higher level of confidence or competence than students who have not worked in industry."
