Featured Student: David Li

When did you graduate and in what field of study?

I graduated in 2015 in Computer Science.

Why did you choose to enroll in co-op? 

I’ve always known that having industry experience before graduating would make me more marketable. Moreover, I knew I could try out working at several companies while committing only four months at a time.

Which positions did you work during co-op?

My very first humble co-op term was working as a QA for Broadcom. After that, I worked as a software development intern for Amazon, Microsoft, and EA Sports.

Can you share your favourite experience while in co-op?

My internship with Amazon was the first time I worked abroad. A half dozen other UBC interns and I became very good friends for four months – we worked hard, but also explored Seattle together.

What was your best achievement in co-op?

When I was working as a QA for Broadcom, I recognized that my co-workers and I spent at least an hour every day working on manually collating test reports via the company’s intranet. I took it upon myself to create a Python script that automated this process, and the resulting script was so useful, (and saved so much time and money for my time,) that my manager asked me to demo it at the end of my term. It was the first time I felt that I had the power to make a change and the lives of people around me easier. This accomplishment kicked off my co-op career – Amazon took notice and invited me for an internship interview shortly after.

How do you feel co-op helped your personal growth?

Without co-op, there would have been no way that I could have positioned myself to work full-time for Amazon, immediately after graduation. I was also able to sample the work culture of several different companies and narrow down what kind of environment I’d like to work in.

Did you have any unexpected challenges during co-op?

Absolutely. Outside of software engineering, one unexpected challenge comes to mind. In my last co-op term, I actually had product-related disagreements with my mentor. My project was small in scope. However, it was also self-contained and I was very passionate about it. Some of the disagreements were quite involved, but I’m happy to say that I was able to incorporate my mentor’s feedback and produce a product which we both liked.

Would you recommend co-op in another city? Why? 

I wholeheartedly encourage it. You’ll gain new technical experiences in your field, but will also be challenged to live independently and make new friendships for life. Being away from the comfort of your own city gives you the freedom to reflect on who you want to be.

What advice would you offer future co-op students?

Study hard for your interviews! You’ll never know what kind of amazing co-op experience you will have, but you will only be able to unlock that experience if you pass the interview. New city, new friends, and projects that you’d never know you could end up being passionate about… all of that is just one interview away.

Now that you have graduated, where are you headed with your career?

At Amazon, my next milestone is to be promoted to a senior software development engineer. I have really enjoyed the trust, responsibility, and ownership that I’ve been given due to my track record. The recent system design and architecting opportunities I’ve been granted have only made me more passionate about my work. Outside of Amazon, I’m in the process of growing a very small company that I started last year. I can’t say too much, but it leverages my software engineering skills. I’m happy to have the skills that I have and be challenged every day.