No Experience, Hired Anyway: How Devin Landed an Energy Co-op

Devin was a second-year engineering student with no oil-and-gas experience when he applied for a summer co-op. He got it. Here is how.

He applied in October, not March

"Everyone I knew applied in spring and the roles were gone. I set a reminder and applied the week postings opened." Timing did half the work.

He built a projects-first resume

No industry experience meant leading with class projects, a robotics club, and a part-time job that proved reliability. "I quantified everything — hours, budget, results."

He passed the safety test

He mentioned his WHMIS and first-aid training and talked about following procedures carefully. "They care a lot about safety mindset. I made sure mine showed."

He did three coffee chats

A short LinkedIn message to a recent hire got him a 15-minute call and a referral. "That referral is probably why my resume got read."

Browse the Energy category, set a reminder for when fall postings open, and apply early. That alone puts you ahead of most applicants.