It’s next to impossible to walk around Drexel’s campus without seeing a student dressed to impress, either on their way to an interview or starting their daily commute. What draws people to Drexel is its top-notch co-op program. In this program, students are on co-op for six months at a time and graduate with real working experience. In today’s tough job market, these students’ beefed-up resumes really stand out in a crowd.
That’s why we at Her Campus Drexel are highlighting students with awesome co-ops to show potential students what Drexel is about, to inspire current students, and to show the rest of the world how hard-working Drexel students really are.
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Andres Ochoa was born and raised in Colombia. He came to the United States to follow his dream of becoming an engineer. Right now, Andres is a pre-junior mechanical engineering major.
For his co-op Andres is working at Sunoco, LP, which is located in Philadelphia. Sunoco is a distributor and retailer of petroleum products in the East Coast of the U.S. It recently expanded to the Tennessee and Texas markets through acquisitions of other companies. Sunoco also operates hundreds of convenience stores called A-Plus.
When applying for co-op, Andres put in the necessary preparation to be ready for all of his interviews. He said that it is important to understand the company and the job you are applying for. “Analyze how your specific talents, skills, and knowledge fit into that,” he said. It is important to know what you are applying for and show them that you are the right one for that job. “Finally, communicate the analysis you made to your interview.”
Andres found his co-op by using Drexel’s online SCDC system. Sadly, he didn’t get the job he wanted in A-round. “During B-round I saw that the same job I applied for during A-round was still available, [and that] they were still looking to fill the same position,” he said. “I sent an email to the man who interviewed me the first time and asked him … if they were interested in me, [as] I was [still] interested in the job position.” Andres got his first co-op job after he took initiative and the company realized that he was the perfect fit for the position.
For his co-op, Andres works on project management which includes tracking spending, reviewing contracts, and tracking project progress in general — basically safety audits. He works a regular shift from 8 am to 5 pm but occasionally does site visits.
“My favorite part is being given the responsibility of managing projects because you learn so much from different industries and operations,” he said. It is a job that gives him a lot of experience through a well-known company.
After graduation Andres plans to work as a project engineer for a few years. After that he wishes to get his master’s degree.
Leaving us with a last bit of fashion advice, Andres said that for his co-op he has to wear business casual attire. “Never, ever wear jeans on jeans days!” he said. Remember that boys!