We’re often asked by employers how they can attract top talent with their job postings. With nearly 46 years of co-op under our belt at MSVU, we’ve taken note of the types of jobs students gravitate toward. Check out the tips below to get a better sense of how your job can stand out to students.
Title, Location and Salary
The first aspects of a job posting students will consider are the job title, location and salary.
When coming up with a job title, steer clear of words like “co-op”, “intern” or “student”. This designation may diminish the impact of the role on a future resume. Instead of “Accounting Co-op Student” or “Communications Intern”, use “Financial Analyst” or “Communications Assistant”.
The location of the job is beyond just the city and province the position will be located in. Yes, it’s important to clarify where geographically the job will be, but also provide intel on the day-to-day location. Is this an in-office position? Hybrid? Remote? Be sure to clarify that in the location of the job. An example of this is: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Hybrid Position).
Most of our students seek jobs within the Halifax area for practical reasons like established accommodations. If you’re looking to hire students in a city or province outside of Halifax Regional Municipality, consider including a moving stipend, assistance with housing or making the position work-from-home. While these perks may not be realistic for all organizations to offer, they go a long way in attracting students who are interested in your position but reluctant to apply due to logistical concerns.
More than ever before, students are highly motivated by job salaries. Inflation, rent and cost of living rates are at an all-time high, and students are particularly impacted by these pressures. Competitive job postings must include salaries. If you are unsure of the final salary (sometimes this is dependent on funding outcomes or student qualifications), post a range. And while we understand that financial pressures don’t just impact people, but organizations as well, it’s critical that you post the highest salary that your budget allows. Our number one advice to employers with unfilled jobs is to re-evaluate the salary if at all possible – it really is that important. To get a sense of how much co-op students are getting paid, check out our Co-op Salary Guidelines.
Company/Organization Overview
Depending on the size of your organization, it’s possible that students are aware of the work that you do. It’s also possible they’re not as familiar. Having a descriptive company overview section in your job posting with your organization’s mission, vision, and values can help students understand what you do and why you do it. If possible, avoid industry jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that could confuse candidates.
Students strongly consider an organization’s culture when evaluating job postings. They look for supportive, collaborative environments where they feel valued and encouraged to grow. Attract more qualified candidates by showcasing your company’s training programs and mentorship culture that will help them develop their skills and advance their careers.
It’s also a good idea to showcase your organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Use explicit language about your inclusivity initiatives and highlight company policies regarding equal opportunity, non-discrimination, anti-harassment and reasonable accommodation. Emphasize your organization’s readiness to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and attempt to use gender-neutral and non-discriminatory language throughout your job posting. Check out this resource for additional practical tips on crafting an inclusive job description.
Job Description
When it comes to crafting your job description, don’t leave job duties up to the imagination. Spell out what students will actually be doing in their day-to-day.
Instead of “Event support and logistics” try “You will support our annual community event by collaborating with the Event Manager on venue logistics, managing the promotion schedule across social platforms, and assisting with day-of coordination alongside the operations team”.
Remember that work-integrated learning terms are intended to expand student knowledge of their field of study and develop transferrable skills. Include learning outcomes in your job description so students can get a sense of the knowledge and skills they’ll come away with at the end of the work term. Talk about specific programs they’ll be using on the job. If possible, describe how the work they will do contributes to the organization’s greater mission. These outcomes reinforce the value students will gain from the role.
Job Qualifications
When it comes to job qualifications, try to focus on the must-haves for the role rather than the nice-to-haves. A long list of qualifications may discourage candidates from applying, especially those from equity-deserving groups. If you would like to include some softer qualifications that aren’t required for the role, consider having an Essential Qualifications list for core competencies and a Desirable Qualifications list for the nice-to-have skills. Some of the students viewing your job description may have limited professional work experience, and this is the opportunity for them to get some! Include eligibility requirements like Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, ability to speak French, or having a valid driver’s license.
Additional Information and Student Testimonials
The additional information section of a job posting offers space for you to talk about anything that doesn’t fit into the company overview, job description or job qualifications sections. Consider mentioning non-monetary perks, like:
- Flexible work hours or hybrid schedules
- Access to workshops or conferences
- Mentorship from senior staff
Student testimonials go a long way in attracting students to your role. It’s one thing for your organization to promote the benefits of working there – it’s another thing for their peers to reinforce that message. If you’ve hired co-op or internship students in the past, approach them for a short quote about why they loved working at your organization. A good testimonial should touch on what the student learned in the role, how they felt about the organizational culture, and how the role furthered their professional growth.
Required Documents
All jobs posted in Career Connects require students to upload a resume, a reference list and a cover letter. While it’s possible to require students to upload additional documents like transcripts, writing samples or graphic design samples, keep in mind that these are barriers that might prevent students from applying to your position. Time is precious, and when students are faced with multiple application deadlines, they may decide not to apply for a job because of the extra requirement to come up with work samples. If work samples are critical to your interview process, consider integrating a short test into the interview stage or asking students selected for an interview to bring work samples with them instead.
Timing
Each term, the Co-op & WIL Centre selects a date for the first round of job postings to go out to students. Having your job included in this first round of postings is beneficial, as this is when the highest number of students will be available. These posting deadlines are in early September (for the winter term), January (for the summer term) and May (for the fall term). Keep an eye out from our office for this posting deadline each term and get your job posting prepped in the meantime.
If you’re relying on government funding like Nova Scotia’s Co-operative Education Incentive to post your position, you won’t be able to post in advance of this deadline. Let us know as soon as you receive funding, and we’ll post your position for students still seeking work terms.
We hope this comprehensive guide is helpful as you begin crafting your co-op or internship job posting. For additional guidance, contact co-opjobs@msvu.ca, visit the employer portion of our website or check out the Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada Employer Toolkit.