Working in a co-op or co-operative is a great experience that any fresh graduate should consider. A co-operative is typically a business venture wherein the owners are a small group of people, usually financially disadvantaged, so that they could earn a considerable amount of profit through collaborative work or by co-operation.

Each member of the co-operative will be able to have a share based on what they contributed to the business either by labor or through financial assistance.

If you will consider working for a co-operative, your task is based on what business you are working in. That is why any fresh graduate should be able to find work in a co-operative.

Challenging but Rewarding

Since a co-operative could be a small business, don’t expect that you will be rewarded financially right from the start. A co-operative usually starts out in a difficult position especially the members are not aware on how to deal with the business at the start. They welcome any help that they could get and they will expect a lot from those who will help them.

That is why you could always expect that working for a co-op will be more than just a regular eight hour shift. Instead of a single task, you will be assigned to a number of tasks and will take your time. Since they are starting and operations in co-ops are usually small, the earnings is not that great.

The rewarding part is actually not on the financial part but on your resume. Of course, no one expects you to stay there for a very long time although it would be very noble to work for a co-op for a very long time with little compensation. The reward will actually come from the fact that you are trying to work of a community with little compensation.

When you try to work for a large business after working for a co-op for a few years, your resume will be impressive especially when the co-operative started to improve with your inclusion. Those who have worked with co-operatives are usually hard working and dedicated to their job.

Finding and Selecting a Co-operative

If you want to be part of a co-operative to help you with your career, you should find the right co-operative. There are many co-operatives and each of them has their own objectives. Be sure to be part of the co-operatives that are close to your industry so that when you look for a job, you can easily include the experience.  It is little difficult to justify working for a specific co-operative that is not part of your education. The interviewer or the screener will think that you are just there doing nothing and it might even work to your disadvantage.

Finding the right co-operative is actually easy. Thanks to the internet, you can now find jobs that are posted by co-operatives. They are usually groups that are looking for volunteers or co-operatives that are looking for help so that they could improve faster.