Told from the perspective of a current co-op student.

Thinking about a co-op placement with Colour? Here’s why you should consider it!

My Background

I am a Commerce Co-op student from Dalhousie University in my second year. I’ve been working at Colour for over 3 months now and have been enjoying every minute of it. I get first hand experience creating and managing campaigns, something that without Colour I would not get until after I graduated. It is a really valuable learning experience for me to be able to watch and learn from people who are at the top of their field. 

The Culture

The company culture at Colour is supportive. Even with a hybrid environment and employees in different cities and countries, we’re still able to connect with each other and build meaningful relationships. Though I’m based in Halifax,  I’m still able to learn from and get to know the employees in Toronto on a very similar level to those I see in the office. We do bi-weekly huddles where we present topics to each other that are uplifting, fun, or educational that allow us to enjoy that collaborative office environment. On Friday afternoons we have catch up calls where we get to experience the “water cooler” chatter even if we’re not physically present with one another. I’ve met some truly great people that I know I will be able to maintain relationships with even past my time at Colour.

The Opportunities

I have had the chance to work with the entire strategy team throughout different projects, and Colour has done a great job at giving me a variety of experiences and projects to work on. I came into this job with limited knowledge but the team has given me so many chances to learn, and presented unique experiences that will prepare both myself and future co-op students for life after university. Being a co-op student a digital agency gives us a chance to explore where we want to work in the future, and helps us to decide what we want out of a workplace. Being able to work in the industry we are considering will help us gauge if it’s right for us, and allow us to scout out which opportunities will provide the best future for us. I have had opportunities to work closely with big clients and leaders in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. More than learning about the industry, I get to develop professional skills such as public speaking, written and oral competency and more.

Why does Colour like it?

I asked one of our senior strategists, Emma Richter, why Colour likes hiring co-op students: “We love the Co-op program because it introduces us to potential future candidates and helps us to understand what types of experiences new graduates are leaving with: what they’re learning in university and on their other, similar work terms. Co-op programs are also a great way for us to further understand and improve our training and onboarding processes for the future.”