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Sapna Patil, Information Systems

Junior Information Systems major Sapna Patil learned a very important lesson on her first co-op. "It's not easy being the only co-op employee at a company," she says.

Her first co-op was with Primavera, a portfolio management company in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and she alone represented Drexel in the workplace.

"When I went to interview for the position, I was excited because it fit all the criteria I had for a co-op. It was in project management; it was near Philadelphia; and it dealt with software."

The experience she received on the job was great, but she had never considered the human element.

"I was the youngest person on my team and had the least experience. I would have liked to have another student to work and learn with."

Sapna got her wish with her second co-op at Aetna. "During the interview, I made a point of asking about their hiring of co-op students and seeing how many others I would be working with. I wanted to make connections in the industry, but I also felt it was valuable to get to know upperclassmen and other students at Drexel."

During the interview process, she was able to tell her future co-op employers that she already knew a program they used for software testing.

"I'd used this particular program at Primavera, and the interviewers were extremely impressed. One of them said, 'You know, not many people your age would know how to use that program.' The fact that he said that really boosted my confidence."

Her third co-op at Aetna enabled her to work on a team with three other Drexel co-op students, and she was glad to have the company. "It made the experience fun as well as educational," she explains.