It's been a huge advantage in terms of career development. Now, still working and studying in a third-level institution, and still using both German and English professionally, I am continuing along a career path which was forged in part by my co-op.

Like many foreign language students, Caylum cites the ability to live in a foreign country and immerse himself in German language and culture as being one of the highlights of his Cooperative Education placement.

Tell us a bit about yourself, what course did you study in UL, what has your career looked like to date? 

I studied BA Joint Honours - English & German in UL, graduating in 2019. I then went on to study the MA in English in 2020, before beginning a PhD in English and German at UCD in 2022. I am currently in my third year of the PhD. 

Tell us a bit about your co-op placement, what organisation did you work with and what year it took place? 

For my co-op placement, I worked at the Europa-Universität Flensburg in northern Germany from January to June 2017. While there, I worked as an International Office Assistant, working with incoming Erasmus and study abroad students. As a future Erasmus student myself, it was interesting to see behind the curtain and understand the mechanisms of exchange which facilitate the Erasmus programme.  

I also had the opportunity to work with the ProRef programme, whose goal was the academic integration of incoming refugees to Germany. It was a privilege to be able to work with this programme, which was a great help to these incoming students.  

What impact did your co-op placement have on your future career? 

One of the biggest benefits of my co-op placement was the opportunity to work and live in Germany. As with any foreign language, it was important to me as a student of German that I could immerse myself in the language and culture. While my Erasmus semester was also helpful in this regard, my co-op placement allowed me to experience a German workplace, which requires a different skill set and offers different advantages to attending a German university. My experience on co-op was also a huge advantage in terms of career development and is generally remarked upon positively by interviewers whenever my CV comes across their desk. Now, still working and studying in a third-level institution, and still using both German and English professionally, I am continuing along a career path which was forged in part by my time working in Germany.  

What piece of advice would you give to students going on co-op now? 

My main advice would be to anyone studying a foreign language as part of their degree - don't shy away from the chance to live and work in the country in which your target language is spoken. There is only so much you can learn in the classroom, and while Erasmus will offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the language, combining it with a co-op placement in the same country would be a huge advantage to you.