A marketing class in her third year at the University of Waterloo had Amy Zhou wondering, “Is this actually how they approach solving problems in the real world?”

During a co-op term at Microsoft, she found the answer. “You learn so much when you’re thrown into an environment where instead of having a professor hand your assignment back, you’re responsible for setting something loose into the world.”

During her four-month work placement, Zhou created communications products for small and medium businesses, tracked key performance indicators and assisted with social media campaigns. “If businesses worry that co-op students lack technical qualifications to get the job done, they’re in for a surprise. Young people are used to learning things quickly and picking up new skills.”

To learn more about the University of Waterloo’s co-op program, visit here: