“Don’t settle – hold out for a job or company that really excites you.”
One thing that links many of the Co-op stories we hear is that students see considerable value in been able to “try” a profession, without committing to it for life. Langara student Brodie Wasserman began this exploration process earlier than Co-op though, starting his journey as a kinesiology student, “when I took my first marketing course, I loved it, so I switched.” Brodie’s Co-op placement was as Marketing Coordinator at Frogbox in Vancouver, writing blog content, managing analytics, and providing marketing support to franchises across North America. Langara recently caught up with Brodie and asked him to reflect on his time doing Co-op and his new life in New York!
What is the biggest takeaway from your co-op experience?
My relationship with FrogBox CEO, Doug Burgoyne. He provided unparalleled mentorship to me during my co-op and long after. I attribute a lot of the success I have today to his guidance.
What work are you doing now?
I’m an Account Director at Briteweb. We do branding and websites for non-profits. We’re based in Vancouver but we have clients all over North America. I recently moved out to New York to launch our USA office.
How did your co-op jobs prepare you for the work that you’re doing now?
Co-op taught me how to be innovative. Sometimes you need to think out of the box to find a solution, even if you’re asked to do something that you’ve never done before. I also really improved my business and creative writing skills – which have served me a lot more than I thought they would in my career.
Looking forward, where would you like your career to go?
I plan to keep building my career with Briteweb. I still have a lot to learn about our industry and I’m in the process of building a sales team under me, which is exciting. At the pace we’re at now, Briteweb will double in size each year for the foreseeable future.
What would you say to someone who asks you about co-op?
Don’t settle – hold out for a job or company that really excites you. When I found FrogBox, I knew I was going to do whatever it took to work there. It was a lot of hard work, but my co-op honestly helped to significantly launch my professional career – and for that, I’m so grateful.