TOUR 140 – TOURISM CO-OP WORK EXPERIENCE REPORT
On completing the 500 hours of your co-op work experience, you are asked to submit a written report. Inadequate reports will require re-writes before credit is assigned for TOUR 140. Report due: September 10, 2014 – Wednesday by 5pm. Turn in to Christy Dodds in CE318. Mandatory co-op debrief workshop: September 15, 2014 – Monday 6-9pm (LB322)

Report Objectives 1. To allow students to re-visit original work objectives and evaluate them against their actual work experience. 2. To provide documentation of the co-op work experience to assist faculty in evaluating the work placement. 3. To provide a resource to assist future students in their co-op job search. 4. To provide faculty the ability to become familiar with your work term learning experience. Report Evaluation Criteria Your report should:  Follow standard report format – the body of the document should use 12 point Ariel or Calibri only, use 1.5 spacing, set your margins to 2cm or 1” on all sides, include a table of contents and a cover page, include page numbers.  Be factual and accurate; source if you are using information that is not your own  Be free of spelling errors and typos  Be between 5-8 pages in length. The Real Story The work term report is meant to do several things. It is a legacy piece long engrained in the community-based culture of the School of Tourism Management. First, your report out of the company/organization that you worked for, as well as the personal on-site experience you had can be a highly influential piece of research for future students making employment decisions. (Remember to properly cite your work!) Next, the work term report is a reflective piece that requires you to stop and think about what you considered to be valuable learning while on your work term – both on a personal and professional level. It is necessary to look back at your original summer objectives when engaging in reflection. Finally, the work term report will help you in your forward thinking approach to what’s next in your own professional development. What are your next steps? This is where critical thinking and making linkages comes into play. How will you continue to develop personally in the next academic semester(s)? What skills (both hard and soft) do you wish to build upon? How can you be proactive in making sure that your personal development plan is met in upcoming coursework and assignments?

TOUR 140

Co-op Work Term Report

Dodds / 2014

How do I put it together? The report is divided into 3 short sections based on the above.  First, share details about the company/organization you worked for, and specifics about your job.  Next is the reflective piece where you revisit your learning objectives and expand upon your individual experience at your workplace.  Finally, a closure piece where you are invited to push your thinking forward while considering future semesters here on campus, and your next employment choice. Report Content: Use the below 10 points as report sub-headings First, provide some background information... 1. Organization Overview Describe the organization you worked for.  What type of organization is it (chain, single proprietorship, partnership, franchise etc.)?  Include a professionally designed (not hand drawn) organizational chart showing job titles and hierarchy.  Include a brief description of the organizations’ mandate / goals. 2. Job Details Provide more details about your job.  Which department did you work for? To whom did you report?  Describe the major functions / duties you performed. 3. Training and Orientation Describe the on-the-job orientation and training that you received.  How did you learn how to do the job? (Formal training? Personal instruction by your supervisor? Peer-to-peer learning – did you pick things up from co-workers? Figuring things out for yourself?)  Breakdown the various ways you learned about appropriate behaviors as well as work tasks or products. 4. Company Culture What are your thoughts about the company culture?  How would you describe the organization climate and the management style adopted by the people / person(s) you worked for? Now for the reflective part … 5. Overall learning experience based on initial objectives and assumptions What was your learning experience like?  Were your learning objectives met? (List each of your co-op learning objectives. Were your objectives met? If not, why not?)  Which objective was the most important to you? Why?  How would you rate the quality of your job as a learning experience?  What did you learn in this job that had nothing to do with your technical skills or your area of concentration?  How would you rate your performance in the job, regardless of the job’s quality?
TOUR 140 Co-op Work Term Report Dodds / 2014

6. Strengths and weaknesses  What were the strengths and weaknesses of this job/employment experience?  Would you recommend this position to future co-op students? Why or why not? 7. Networking  What networking were you able to do?  Describe the most significant meeting / event that you encountered? 8. Need for change  Working in tourism, there is significant crossover of sectors. Through your observations over the summer, is there a particular sector where you have identified a need for significant change (transformation)? Describe the change you would like to see. Finally, your chance to look forward … 9. Application and advancement While at work, how did you use the knowledge / skills you developed in the Tourism Program?  Which hard skills did you demonstrate most successfully at work? Which hard skills do you wish to develop further? (Remember the trick - hard skill statements start with “I can …..”)  Which soft skills did you demonstrate most consistently at work? Which ones do you wish to develop further? (Remember the trick - soft skill statements start with “I am …..”)  What – specifically - will you do to ensure that you continue to build on these skills over the next several months or term? 10. Next steps Where do you envision yourself going now - what plans do you have for your next step?  What is your overarching career goal?  Did your co-op work experience confirm or alter your career goal? How?  Now that you have had this co-op experience, what are you plans for your next job? (What jobs will you pursue next to get you closer to your career goal?)  What (Cap or other) courses (or credentials) will you take to help you gain the skills/knowledge to reach your career goal?

Note: It is suggested that you keep a diary or log to track your thoughts, concerns, and experiences throughout your summer work term. This will help you when it is time to sit down and create your report. Include only information that is cleared by your employer/supervisor as appropriate to share. If you are not sure, check with your employer/supervisor!

TOUR 140

Co-op Work Term Report

Dodds / 2014