Internship vs CO-OP

Souce:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Senior_Intern.jpg

After researching into a lot of biotechnology companies, I have seen that some of the them offer internships to students while other offer COOPs.  After noting this, I thought to myself, why not do a post explaining the difference between the two.

An internship is basically a program that provides valuable experience in a profession. Usually, internships are given during the summer when students have time off from school. Since internships are offered while students are on break from school, they last from a few weeks to a few months. Students need to complete the internship before going back to school. 

A COOP is essentially an internship but for an extended period of time. Students usually do a COOP during their Summer + Fall term or Spring + Summer term.  Now since a COOP is for a longer period of time, it offers some benefits in comparison to an internship. Having a longer time window means that you are able to stay with the particular company that you are interning at for a longer period of time.  This then translates to more experienced gained. Additionally, since the employer is aware that you are staying for at least 6 months, they are able to give you more extensive projects which help you develop as a professional.  Finally, many-a-times employers hire offer career opportunities at the company at the completion of the program.

So, now which is better? Well that depends on the situation that you are in.  COOPs help you get more experience but they last between 6-8 months.  This means that you must sacrifice a semester of study to complete it.  The semester must be made up for later on so you will most likely stay longer in school.  Internships only last about 6 weeks, and so there is no need to fall behind by a semester but you have a shorter time frame to gain professional experience.  

Personally, if time is not an issue, I would highly recommend doing a COOP rather than an internship.  Most entry level positions require some experience in your field of study and so having 8 months of experience look really good on you resume.  Additionally, you have more to talk about during interviews because you will have worked on more extensive projects while on COOP. Finally, you have that chance of being hired after the completion of you degree if you go through a COOP.