PRE-EMPLOYMENT CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION 120 ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignment #1: CAREER EXPLORATION (20 marks)
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Write three or four clear, concise sentences describing your career goal with reference to your
desired co-op placement. How will your skills be enhanced through work placement? (3 marks)
Write contact information for your resume, including full name, address & postal code, contact
numbers including phone, cell, and e-mail. (2 marks)
Describe your educational background and training including your skills, volunteer and work
experiences, activities, and interests in relation to your work placement. (5 marks)
List 5 people that would provide a reference for you based upon character, skills, academics,
work ethic, etc. (note- reference should be over age 18 and non related). Beside each name
include contact information, their relation to you, and state what they may say about you that
would profile you as an acceptable candidate for your co-op work placement. (10 marks)
Assignment #2: JOB SEARCH TOOLS (20 marks)
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Prepare a chronological resume for purposes of employment (must be neat, professional, on
computer demonstrating proper format and content information (10 marks)
Prepare a formal cover letter to a potential employer to accompany your resume (must be
properly addressed, neat, correct format, include all required content and contact information,
completed on computer (10 marks)
Assignment #3: Interview Process (20 marks)
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Create a written script for an interview with a potential employer; include 8-10 commonly asked
questions with detailed responses that will convince the employer that you are the best
candidate for the placement (10 marks)
Compile a list of things that should and should not be done, or asked, in an interview situation
(5 marks)
Write a polite, yet detailed response to a potential employer who states “Thank you for your
interest but we are looking for someone with more experience”. Your job is to turn this negative
to a positive by convincing them that despite your lack of experience, you are a good candidate
and worth considering because you can add benefit to their organization; explain how and why.
(5 marks)
Assignment #4: PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT (20 marks)
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Personality types are: realistic (work with hands & tools); investigative (abstract problem
solvers); artistic (work mind/creative); social (work with people); and enterprising (manage &
influence). Do analyses identifying the type or types that best reflect your personality, including
the strengths and weaknesses (traits you will need to work on) in relation to your placement
(5 marks)
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The seven intelligences include musical, kinaesthetic, logical mathematical, linguistic, spatial
interpersonal (interact well with others), and intrapersonal (ability to understand a sense of
self). Analyze these intelligences and write a paragraph that best describes one that is most
compatible with your personality. Give specific examples to make your point. (5 marks)
Personality is a result of heredity, environment and/or other factors. It affects physical
appearance, gender, ability to learn, emotional and other tendencies. Give an example or two
(either positive or negative) of how one’s personality may have an impact upon their career
(3 marks)
Write a clearly defined paragraph explaining how your interests and skills will be enhanced by
your co-op placement. (5 marks)
Describe two different occupations that are somewhat similar to the career you hope to pursue
following graduation (2 marks)
Assignment #5: SELF-ASSESSMENT & ANALYSIS (20 marks)
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Describe in detail your values and beliefs (things that are important to you). Include personal
examples to profile yourself and what you stand for. Examine how these values and beliefs
relate to your work placement and desired career; including their influence regarding your
career choice (10 marks)
Describe how a positive self-concept affects one’s career; provide examples of the impact a
negative self concept can have on one’s career. How can you best prepare yourself to go into
your interview with a positive attitude? (5 marks)
Do a periodic self-assessment regarding your current career choice (analysis of physical &
emotional changes) in relation to choices you may have had 4-5 years ago. Describe how your
perceptions and goals have, or have not, changed based on your self-assessment? (5 marks)
Assignment #6: Problem Solving Process (20 marks)
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The Conference Board of Canada identified essential skills required in the workplace. There are
three categories of skills listed: Fundamental (communicate, manage information, use numbers,
think & problem solve); Personal Management (positive attitude, responsible, adaptable, learn
continuously, work safely); and Teamwork (work with others and participate in projects & tasks).
Using this chart as a guideline provide examples demonstrating your skills, and explain how you
intend to achieve those you do not currently possess well. (10 marks)
The steps in the problem-solving process include: (1) Define what you want or need; (2) analyze
your resources (where can you get help to solve the problem?); (3) identify your choices (list
options available to solve the problem);(4) gather information (find out as much as you can
relating to the problem); (5) evaluate your choices (list your options); (6) make a decision (select
your best option); and (7) evaluate your decision (did your option work out; why or why not?)
Describe a problem that could have the potential of occurring in the workplace. Using the
problem solving strategy listed above, describe the problem and how it was solved (5 marks)
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It is important to maintain a positive attitude while preparing for, and during, your work
placement. Describe how you intend to prepare for your placement; what you will wear to the
interview; questions you might ask; etc. (5 marks)
Assignment #7: COMMUNICATION (20 marks)
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Make a list profiling effective and ineffective communication skills. Use this list to analyze and
evaluate your personal listening skills. Provide specific examples on ways you are effective and
explain how you may change your ineffective behaviours to be more effective. (10 marks)
Make a list of what you would like to know about your work placement. Using the same format
that you did with your cover letter, use this list of questions to write a formal letter of inquiry to
a potential employer. Demonstrate that you have researched the job area enough to ask
relevant questions relating specifically to the job (10 marks)
Assignment #8: VALUES, ETHICS & HUMAN RIGHTS (20 marks)
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The code of ethics is a collection of rules of right or wrong that form a system of behaviour.
Ethics are learned through experience, education and interaction with others. Communication,
including technology, has a major impact on the morality of workplace ethics. Answer the
following (10 marks):
Why are good teamwork skills critical to success in the workplace?
Give an example of how technology affects workplace etiquette (manners).
Why are creative thinking and good communication skills important parts of conflict resolution?
Why are respect, understanding and communication especially important in a diverse
workplace?
What are an employee’s responsibilities toward preventing discrimination in the workplace and
what action can one take if they are harassed or discriminated against in the workplace?
Describe an actual or fictional problem. Determine whether the problem is direct (i.e. smoking:
you can control this problem yourself by quitting); indirect (i.e. safety violations- you could do
everything to be safe but if others did not comply you could still be at risk); or no control (i.e.
environmental disasters that could not have been foreseen or prevented) – (5 marks)
Stephen Covey identifies 7 habits to be a highly effective person: Be Proactive; Begin with the
end in mind; Put first things first; Think win-win; Seek first to understand; Synergize; Sharpen
the saw-physical, social & spiritual. Describe what he means by each of these steps and relate
them to how they may be applied to your work place to make you a successful worker (5 marks)
Assignment #9: SELF-ANALYSIS OF DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS (20 marks)
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List the things/people that are important to you. From this list, write a paragraph illustrating
what you believe is important in life, the relation and impact they will have on your chosen
career, and the characteristics you wish to portray at your co-op workplace. Use this paragraph
to compile a personal mission statement reflecting your personal goals (10 marks)
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Picture yourself at a celebration being recognized for your outstanding achievements and
personal qualities. Select five people (present or future); family member/ friend/ colleague/
politician/ and teacher to give a speech demonstrating personal attributes relating to your welldeserved success and recognition. State the attributes that you would like for each person to
profile in their speech; each speech should highlight different attributes profiling the
characteristics you deem successful (10 marks)
Assignment #10: REFLECTION & CAREER PLANNING (20 marks)
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Your potential employer is interviewing more than one candidate; write a paragraph to convince
him or her that you are the best candidate for the job (5 marks)
Prepare a detailed list of the things that you would like to achieve as part of your co-op
placement. Write a paragraph indentifying your goals and what you intend to do to achieve
them. (5 marks)
Reflect upon the different topics covered in class that we have covered to date; describe and
give specific examples about how these topics relate to your workplace (10 marks)