As the title says, I'm undergoing my first co-op!
For those who aren't at RIT - RIT requires undergrads to co-op (or internships) for five quarters in order to get a diploma. For this reason, many of the programs are five years (instead of four) because of the added year of co-ops. Many undergrads can then list their co-op experiences in their resumes which gives them bigger attention to recruiters compared to the normal under-grads.
Of course, there were some challenges. Many large companies are sending jobs over-seas or are down-sizing t heir workforce. On top of that, it is difficult finding a company that is willing to hire a first-time co-op. In my case, I also had to find housing and trying to get acquinted with the area.
On the other hand, many companies enjoy working with co-ops not only because they are working with the next generation, but also they can evaluate candidates for full-time positions. So it is often a win-win situation for both parties.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So here's all the glory details:
I'm working for LabPrints. They create software for professional photographers involved in shoots such as weddings, graduation parties, corporate events, etc. Photographers can use the software to quickly prepare the images so that the labs can process and send the order back to the clients.
I'm working on the website portion of the software. Photographers can upload pictures to our server. Clients can then view their album and preview/order pictures. Many of you probably did the same thing when ordering your graduation pictures online.
So far, it has been fun, yet very busy. I'm getting piled with many mini-projects along with the main project of re-doing all the scripts. Apparently, I'm also their IT department (yay!) so I get to upgrade their servers and (maybe once in awhile) their Asterisk server.
Two weeks finishes - 18 more weeks to go. Hopefully, I'll get to find something else to do besides hanging around the apartment.