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Co-op

What really makes students stand out in the workplace: soft skills that matter

July 17, 2025
Co-op Education Coordinator, Afshan Basaria, in our StudioSIAT motion capture and sound recording studio.

Let me tell you a secret.

After working with hundreds of employers across tech, design, UX, and creative industries, I鈥檝e seen firsthand what makes a student stand out during their work term.

Spoiler alert: it鈥檚 not just about the technical skills.

Knowing Figma, React, Unity, or Python is absolutely important. Those skills open doors and equip you to build, design, or problem-solve effectively. But the students who leave a real impression? The ones who get glowing references, return offers, and sometimes even job contracts before they graduate? They bring something more to the table: strong soft skills, emotional intelligence, and the kind of professionalism that makes teams trust them fast.

Here鈥檚 what that looks like in action:

  1. Office etiquette: the unsung skill

    I know it might sound basic鈥攚hy start here? But post-COVID, the way students show up at work has shifted. Remote and hybrid setups have blurred workplace norms, and employers are noticing. Late arrivals to virtual meetings, missed messages, and dominating conversations are becoming all too common.

    Professionalism isn鈥檛 just about punctuality鈥攊t includes how you communicate. Knowing when to fire off a quick Teams message versus when to send a formal, well-written email matters. Spelling, tone, and timing all send signals. One employer told me a student demanded a response to an 鈥渦rgent鈥 query鈥攊mmediately鈥攏ot realizing their emergency wasn鈥檛 everyone else鈥檚 priority.

    Students who understand that professionalism means being reliable, respectful, and aware tend to stand out鈥攁nd often get pulled into more projects because people actually want to work with them.

  2. Initiative (stop waiting to be told what to do)

    The students who leave a mark don鈥檛 just do what鈥檚 assigned. They look around, spot gaps, ask smart questions, and offer solutions. One student built a resource toolkit when their team was overwhelmed onboarding new hires. Nobody asked. But it saved time and became part of the company鈥檚 onboarding forever.

  3. Communication (Written. Verbal. Visual. All of It.)

    You could be a design genius, but if you can鈥檛 explain your thinking, defend your decisions, or write a clear Slack message鈥攜ou鈥檒l fade into the background. The most effective students keep people in the loop, know how to ask for help, and can translate complexity into clarity.

  4. Adaptability (because plans change. Often.)

    Real-world projects evolve fast. Teams shift. Priorities flip. Students who can pivot, stay calm, and adjust without drama? Gold. One student told me they learned to stop 鈥減erfecting鈥 and start delivering鈥攂ecause speed and responsiveness beat pixel-perfect when a launch is on the line.

  5. Feedback resilience (not just receiving, but applying)

    Taking feedback without flinching鈥攁nd actually using it鈥攊s a power move. Employers don鈥檛 expect perfection, but they do expect growth. If your first instinct is to get defensive, you鈥檒l stall. If you listen, reflect, and iterate, you鈥檒l earn real trust and open the door to meaningful opportunities.

  6. Team EQ (aka鈥攖eamwork)

    This one鈥檚 underrated. The students who read the room, bring positive energy, ask 鈥渉ow can I help?鈥, and adapt to different personalities鈥攖hey鈥檙e remembered. You don鈥檛 have to be extroverted, just aware and intentional in how you show up.

Real talk: the tools change. These skills don鈥檛.

Your education gives you the creative, technical, and problem-solving tools to succeed鈥攂ut soft skills are what transform those tools into impact. They鈥檙e not just 鈥渘ice to have.鈥 They鈥檙e what help you communicate ideas, work with diverse teams, manage change, and show up with confidence and respect.

The students who become success stories aren鈥檛 the ones who knew everything on day one鈥攖hey鈥檙e the ones who were ready to learn, ready to adapt, and ready to contribute with professionalism and purpose.

You鈥檝e got the foundation. The rest? It鈥檚 how you bring it to life.

You got this!

Have more questions about Co-op?

Contact Afshan Basaria, Co-op Education Coordinator, at abasaria@sfu.ca.

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