Oh the places you’ll go: The student experience
“Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. A children’s story often used as an easy, yet thoughtful graduation present. For most, it’s a generic story about bright futures and endless opportunities. For Co-op students in Ottawa, it’s a reflection of their professional experiences. 11 students, 15 departments, endless potential. What’s it like being a student in the federal government? Let me fill you in. These people are seriously going everywhere!
As I chatted with Kay Jordan, a Political Science and Public Admin major, I was reminded of the diversity of skills and backgrounds found in the government. She’s working at her third department right now, which is not an uncommon experience for students like herself. From biology to business law, and Health Canada to the Canadian Commercial Corporation, no two students shared the same program or expertise as the other. But one thing they did share were positive experiences and a wealth of knowledge gained from their time spent in the public service.
A match made in government heaven
“That’s the whole point of co-op, right? To try out different departments.”
For Co-op students, the time they spend with different departments varies. Some experience love at first sight during their first work term and stay on a team indefinitely. Others, like Amy Felton, find love at second sight, and it changes their future forever. She’s currently working as a Junior Communications officer at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for her second term. As we talk over coffee, she explains how her post-graduate plan shifted over time. “At first, I wasn’t sure government was the route for me.” When she started working for the public service, her whole perception of the government changed. “That’s the whole point of Co-op, right? To try out different departments.” Many Co-op students choose to experience a new employer each term. Sarita Sanchez, a biology major at Carleton, worked at three different departments and gained something special from each one. “Working in the government opens so many doors” she tells me, smiling broadly. “You can move around, go to conferences, and attend lunch and learns.” And as a Co-op student myself, I can’t help but agree, the opportunities never cease to amaze me.
Blue skies and sunshine
So far, so good! Everyone seemed to have great overall experiences and happy stories to tell, but I wanted to know more. I needed specifics, so I asked each individual what they liked about working in the government. Three general answers seemed to stand out.
- Career and skill development: Brigitte Yim, a Carleton student working at Transport Canada jokes, “I’m definitely that little kid sitting at the adult table, but I’m learning so much.” I often feel the same way, but that’s a good thing! One of the main purposes of Co-op is to build a career and learn new skills. It’s a chance to learn some practical uses for your degree and test out if you’re on the right track. Nafisa Mostafa, a Political Science and Public Admin double major, has learned that her choices have led her to exactly where she wants to be. “My job relates to my field so I’m getting an experience that’s valuable to my learning.” Students Eric Chamberland and Hanna Jeoffroy explain how their teams helped them learn by letting them fail in a safe and supportive environment. “It is through these failures coupled with the support of your teammates,” Eric says, “that truly shapes you into a resilient, hardworking, and skillful young professional.” Without the ability to fail, there isn’t the ability to learn.
- A supportive environment: This is something that the Government of Canada (GC) really excels at and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by these new employees. One student expressed how thankful she was that she’d been put with good teams that let her try everything. When I asked her what would make her stay in the government after graduation she said “The work-life balance is very compelling. Everyone’s very flexible and understanding.” James Higginson, who spent a term at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said that “The amount of support and mentorship provided by almost everyone I met surprised me every time. The number of people who are invested in my career and my success amazes me every day.”
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A purpose to your work: The feeling that your work is valuable and makes a difference to real people is possibly one of the most sought out elements of a job. I’m happy to report that nearly everyone I talked to brought this up as a reason they enjoyed working in the public service. “Even if you’re working on something small, you’re contributing to something larger. You feel very important!” laughs a fourth year Carleton student. “The things I’m working on have a tangible effect. You get to contribute to the running of a country in a small way, which is cool.”“The things I’m working on have a tangible effect. You get to contribute to the running of a country in a small way, which is cool.”
“It is through these failures coupled with the support of your teammates that truly shapes you into a resilient, hardworking, and skillful young professional.”
The student becomes the teacher?
“We’re always under scrutiny, while at the same time being asked to do more. Everything is changing, capabilities are expanding, and there will need to be lots of conversations around that. Living digitally is the reality.”
The government gets a bad rap sometimes because it’s being challenged with a balancing act involving two opposing forces: keep it safe, but push the limits. It’s true that as public servants, we really do contribute to the running of the country, and that comes with a lot of responsibility. Almost all the students I talked to had heard about the bureaucracy stereotype that the GC faces, but at the same time, they understand why the red tape exists. John Serafini, a Masters student completing a second term at Natural Resources Canada talks about what he calls “agility vs. risk adversity”. “We’re always under scrutiny, while at the same time being asked to do more. Everything is changing, capabilities are expanding, and there will need to be lots of conversations around that.” He pauses for a second and laughs, “Living digitally is the reality. We need more thought for how we want to proceed.”
I couldn’t agree more John, because we’re living in a digital world more and more, and that both complicates and revolutionizes the status quo. These new minds understand the importance of the past and the usefulness of the future. They’ve grown up surrounded by technology that the GC is beginning to integrate into its processes and day-to-day tasks. As much as they’re here to learn, they have the ability to teach as well. The government is contributing to their lives, and they’re ready contribute right back.
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