BostInno | Boston Startup, Tech, Education and News

The Cooperative Education Program really sets Northeastern University apart from the rest. Students are generally expected to perform 1-3 six-month co-ops, and although each individual’s major and amount of coursework determine how many of these jobs they complete, the opportunity to take time away from the classroom to do real-world work while still enrolled is unique.

NU students often find work with large organizations like Disney and Microsoft, but not only fully developed companies are hiring Northeastern co-op students. Startups are also looking for the help from the six-month program, and often the positions they offer demand innovative minds that are ready for responsibility. Starting a company is difficult, but the benefit is mutual between startups seeking new ideas and co-op students seeking experience in the field.

So if you’re interested in using your mind and not just your stapler, here are 3 startup companies that provide amazing opportunities for co-op students. We had the chance to speak with both the co-op student, and their managers to learn more.

1. SCVNGR

SCVNGR‘s location-based app is a little deeper than just “a game about doing challenges at places,” as its website states. The brains of the operation are writers and marketers who play almost as hard as they work. With its scooters and Nerf Guns, the startup’s office is young, fun, and above all, brilliant.

The Cambridge-based company works with the Northeastern co-op program to hire the most driven of students. SCVNGR Guru Nick Herbold took some time to speak with us about the company’s collaboration with Northeastern, and he made two things very clear: If you co-op at SCVNGR you will need to use your mind rather than just your stapler, and you’ll have an amazing time doing it.

Co-op students are expected to manage projects and work on the same level as their non-intern coworkers. “We trust each other,” Herbold said of the entire SCVNGR team. He also told us students act so professionally that they’re completely indistinguishable from employees who’ve worked there for years. After completing a co-op at SCVNGR, you’ll be ready to take on any listing that catches your eye on MYNEUCOOL.

So what kind of student is SCVNGR looking for? Herbold told us that they need exceptional and driven workers. “If you can envision the most charismatic, intelligent, and energetic people on campus, those are the people who are working at SCVNGR.”

One of these people is Vlad Antohi, a Northeastern student who recently worked as a SCVNGR Rockstar Intern. In his video about the internship program, he claims, “This isn’t something that you can sleep through, it’s something that demands your 100% conscious attention. You will have downtime from time to time, but it’s important that when it is that crunch time, and you do need to perform, you’re there and you’re committed. And for what you put out of it, you’ll get much more in return in terms of what you learn, the type of person you’ll become, and just the confidence in your skills and abilities that you’ll be able to take to future jobs and future positions. Maybe even at SVNGR.”

Check out Vlad’s video to learn more about the SCVNGR internship program.

2. Practically Green

It’s impossible to dislike a company like Practically Green. Its website encourages readers to live in environmentally friendly ways. Practically Green relies on its fans to do quite a bit of its networking, and this is possible because (did we mention?) it’s incredibly fun. You can take the quiz to see how environmentally responsible you are, earn badges, and compete with your friends on a scale of Green-ness.

Practically Green began coordinating with Northeastern’s Co-op program a couple of years ago when they heard about how amazing the Boston Globe students were. Since then, they’ve hosted four students serving in two different fields.

The first involves research in generating new ideas to add to the 400+ Actions that Practically Green challenges its visitors to take on. For example, “Recycle glass bottles” and “Get an energy audit” are two of the Actions you can take to reduce damage to the environment. The second is a social media position in which students assist in the management of the networking aspect of the site, planning Tweets and promoting certain events each week.

What kind of student is Practically Green looking to hire? One who is prepared for the workforce. Students are expected to behave professionally and responsibly on the job, and the company is looking for interns who have a love of environmental science as well as social networking.

We spoke with Susan Hunt Stevens, founder and CEO of Practically Green, and she told us that she had been impressed with co-op students during the interview process as well as on the job. “It’s nice to have a generational mix,” Stevens claimed of the staff, including the younger generation as a part of the team.

You want to know why this co-op is awesome? The incredibly brilliant CEO doesn’t look at you as some intern who needs to grab coffee for the office. Instead, she sees you as part of her team.

3. WHERE

WHERE, an app that basically manages your weekends, is another cool company that works with Northeastern to hire co-op students.

It provides lists of nearby venues, sorted by category, to give you ideas for anything you could possibly want to do. Feel like eating at a Vegan restaurant, riding in a hot air balloon, or hitting up a singles bar? How about all 3? WHERE can direct you to any location where you can eat, drink, or play, and it can even sync to your Facebook to decide what you might like most, based on your interests.

WHERE is a great startup for students to work because it, like SCVNGR and Practically Green, allows you to do real work and benefit in real ways.

Jennie White, who was actually a Northeastern co-op student writing for BostInnovation at this time last year, landed a job at WHERE and told us that she loves it. She had a lot of interest in the company and enjoyed learning about it while she was working for BostInno, so she was drawn to WHERE almost immediately in her latest co-op search.

The co-op positions at WHERE demand students who are responsible self-starters. “I’ve only worked here for two weeks and I already feel like I’m a valuable employee at WHERE. I think that’s what you get at startups. You’re needed right away and you’re appreciated right away,” Jennie told us. “It’s all pretty demanding. That’s what I like. I’ve been challenged the whole time at WHERE. I’ve never been bored.” She has already learned a lot more about the mobile industry through her experience, and while she is busy at work, she’s doing work she enjoys.

If you were planning on stapling papers together 9-5 on Monday through Friday, startup co-ops might not be for you. Students who devote one or more of their co-ops to companies like SCVNGR, Practically Green, and WHERE are asked to be team members — not paper pushers. Check out these startups and apply for their Northeastern co-op spots if you are interested in having one of the coolest jobs around!

What other startup companies have awesome co-op positions for NU students?