Our co-op program at Teranet invests in talented, extraordinary, dedicated post-secondary students where we offer an array of exciting opportunities for our students to explore potential career paths, apply learned in-class concepts to a work setting, and network with industry experts through paid work terms. We are committed to fostering the growth of students through our co-op program so that they can build a foundation of skills and experience that will shape their future careers.
In today’s ‘a Day in the Life of’ edition, we chat with a Co-op Software Developer Johnathan MacLellan, a third-year University of Waterloo student, who is majoring in Pure Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science.
Q. How does a typical workday look like for you?
A. A typical day starts with waking up, eating my breakfast, and getting ready for another work day! I will spend the first few hours of the day testing and reviewing code before our daily scrum team meeting. After the scrum meeting, I will work for another hour or two, more coding or testing, before I have my lunch. Then after lunch, I will work for another few hours before logging off for the day. As a co-op student, my day doesn’t end when the workday does. After logging off for the day, I’ll usually dedicate my time to my online classes until dinner. Then after dinner, I will spend time with my family, read a book, watch the Leafs game, or chat with some friends until the end of the day!
Q. How has Teranet’s co-op program been impactful in your personal and professional growth so far?
A. Teranet has been hugely impactful for both my personal and professional growth. Teranet has allowed me to be a part of their development process from planning to implementation and testing. They have allowed me to work with an amazing team that I learn from every day. Because of Teranet, I feel that I am a better developer and teammate and I look forward to every task that they give me because I know that it will help me to become a better employee and aid in my long-term career growth!
Q. Why did you choose Teranet?
A. I chose Teranet because they are an extremely well-known and respected company, and I wanted to be a part of a large company’s development process. From a quick Google search about Teranet, I could see the many awards that they have received, such as Top GTA Employer for five straight years, and I knew that this would be a company that I would feel valued at and that I wanted to be a part of.
Q. What’s one word that you feel is most representative of Teranet’s culture?
A. Teranet’s culture is supportive. Throughout my co-op, I have seen members of my team support each other whenever possible. Whether I needed to be taught something, or another team member needed a second opinion on their task, there was always someone who stepped forward and happily assisted. I have also seen members of my team and other teams go out of their way to support each other to ensure that everything was flowing smoothly.
Q. What do you enjoy the most about working at Teranet?
A. What I enjoy most about working at Teranet is the respect that everyone is treated with. From the first day that I started, I felt like I was a valued part of my team. Every step of my co-op it didn’t matter if I could complete a task by myself or if I needed a senior developer to walk me through a task, I always felt like what I was doing was important.
Q. What advice would you give to a student considering a co-op opportunity?
A. I would tell them that it would be silly to not apply to Teranet. Teranet will give you every opportunity to learn, will make you a part of an awesome team, and will treat you as a co-worker and not as a co-op student.
Q. When you’re not working, where will we find you?
A. When I am not working you can find me babysitting my niece and nephew, playing board games with my family, chatting with friends, reading, or watching the Leafs or Raptors games.
Q. Who is the one person (living or dead) you would love to have dinner with?
A. I would love to have dinner with Barack Obama. He was the first president that I was old enough to really pay attention to, and he seems like a cool and genuine person that would have lots of interesting stories.
Q. What does “Connect. Grow. Thrive Together” mean to you?
A. Connect. Grow. Thrive Together. Means that I can come to work every day knowing that I will have an opportunity to grow as a developer and teammate through the work that I am able to do with the amazing team I get to be a part of.
Are you a post-secondary student, enrolled in your school’s co-op program and looking to apply your classroom knowledge to a work setting and gain hands-on experience? Look no further and reach out to us at campus@teranet.ca.
