Building a successful career in human resources requires more than just an understanding of employment law or payroll administration; it demands practical experience, cross-cultural awareness, and a willingness to take on unfamiliar challenges. The transition from a university classroom to a corporate office is rarely seamless, but structured experiential learning can bridge that gap. Consider the career trajectory of Ashley Deslippe, a recent graduate who leveraged her time as a Co-op Student at the University of Windsor to secure a role as an HR Professional at a major aerospace and defence company in Canada.
Deslippe’s progression from an undergraduate student to a Human Resources Coordinator at AAR demonstrates how combining academic rigor with hands-on work terms creates a highly competitive candidate in the modern job market. By strategically utilizing co-op placements, international study opportunities, and campus leadership roles, she built a robust professional foundation. For current students and recent graduates aiming to enter the human resources field, analyzing her approach provides a concrete blueprint for career development. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about structuring your academic path for career success.
The Strategic Value of Co-op Placements in Business Education
A co-op work term is fundamentally different from a traditional summer job or part-time role. It is an integrated academic component that allows students to apply theoretical business concepts to real-world organizational challenges. For aspiring HR professionals, these placements are critical for understanding the nuanced differences between HR as it is taught in textbooks and HR as it is practiced across different industries.
During her time at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business, Deslippe completed co-op placements at three distinct organizations: Blue HR, ENWIN Utilities, and AAR. This sequence was highly strategic. By working at a specialized HR consultancy (Blue HR), a municipal utility provider (ENWIN), and a global aerospace aftermarket service provider (AAR), she gained exposure to varying workplace cultures, different HRIS platforms, and diverse approaches to talent management.
Students should actively monitor the skills they acquire during each placement to ensure they are building a versatile portfolio. In a competitive job market like Canada’s, demonstrating an ability to adapt to different organizational structures is a significant advantage. These placements allowed Deslippe to refine her core HR competencies—from screening candidates and assisting with onboarding to participating in broader organizational development projects—under the guidance of experienced mentors. Submit your application today to begin your business education and secure your first co-op placement.
Gaining Cross-Industry HR Experience
One of the most common mistakes business students make is limiting their job search to a single industry. Human resources principles remain relatively consistent, but their application varies wildly. The regulatory environment, union dynamics, and talent acquisition strategies in the aerospace sector look very different from those in the energy sector or a boutique consulting firm.
By experiencing multiple industries, Deslippe learned to customize her approach to employee engagement and recruitment. She learned how to navigate the specific compliance requirements of a utility company while simultaneously developing the agility required in a fast-paced global supply chain environment. This cross-industry experience is precisely what hiring managers look for when promoting a junior employee into a coordinator or generalist role. It proves the candidate can handle ambiguity and learn new operational frameworks quickly.
Expanding Business Perspectives Through International Study
While co-op placements build tactical skills, international study experiences develop strategic thinking and cultural intelligence. In an increasingly globalized economy, an HR professional in Canada must be equipped to manage diverse workforces, understand international labour trends, and support employees from various cultural backgrounds.
Deslippe expanded her perspective beyond the borders of Windsor, Ontario, by participating in an exchange program in Sweden and study-abroad courses in Brazil and Oxford, England. These experiences pushed her far outside her standard academic routine. In Sweden, she was exposed to different models of entrepreneurship and corporate governance, which inherently shape how organizations view their employees. The Swedish approach to work-life balance and flat organizational structures offers a stark contrast to traditional North American corporate hierarchies, providing valuable context for an HR student.
Applying Classroom Concepts Globally
The academic value of international study is maximized when students actively apply their classroom learning to their new environments. During her time in Brazil and England, Deslippe was required to analyze business cases and apply management theories within unfamiliar economic and cultural contexts. This kind of experiential learning builds confidence. When an HR professional is asked to roll out a new company policy or lead a workshop for a diverse team, the ability to draw upon a wide range of cultural and business observations is invaluable.
Furthermore, navigating the logistics of living, studying, and collaborating in foreign countries develops soft skills that are difficult to teach in a lecture hall. Problem-solving, communication, and adaptability are all tested when a student is removed from their familiar support system. Employers actively seek out candidates who have demonstrated the initiative to study abroad, as it signals a high degree of self-motivation and resilience. Explore our related articles for further reading on the impact of international study on career trajectory.
Developing Leadership Skills on Campus
Academic and international experiences are vital, but leadership experience within the university ecosystem provides immediate, tangible proof of a student’s ability to manage people and processes. Deslippe did not limit her involvement to the classroom; she took on significant leadership roles that directly paralleled her career aspirations.
Serving as the Vice-President of Human Resources for the Odette Commerce Society was a particularly strategic move. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing the HR functions of a student-run organization. This involved managing team dynamics, facilitating conflict resolution, organizing professional development events, and ensuring the society’s members were engaged and supported. It is one thing to study organizational behaviour; it is another entirely to manage the behavioural dynamics of a peer group.
Additionally, her positions on the Faculty Council and the EDIBR (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Reconciliation) Committee provided her with a seat at the table during high-level administrative discussions. Participating in EDIBR initiatives is especially relevant for modern HR professionals, as equity and inclusion have moved from peripheral concerns to central pillars of organizational strategy. This specific experience gave her a nuanced understanding of how institutional policies are drafted, debated, and implemented—knowledge that directly translates to the corporate sector.
Transitioning from Student to HR Professional at AAR
The culmination of these varied experiences—co-op terms, international study, and campus leadership—positioned Deslippe to transition seamlessly from a Co-op Student to a full-time HR Professional. During her final semester at the University of Windsor, she returned to AAR for a co-op placement. Because she had already established a reputation for competence and curiosity, the company was inclined to bring her on permanently once she completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree.
In her current role as a Human Resources Coordinator at AAR in Canada, her responsibilities reflect the diverse skill set she cultivated as a student. She supports complex recruitment efforts for a highly specialized industry, assists with strategic HR projects, and leads employee engagement initiatives. Notably, she serves as the chair of AAR’s Engagement & Recognition Committee. In this role, she is tasked with designing and implementing programs that foster a positive workplace culture, improve retention rates, and ensure employees feel valued for their contributions.
Chairing a committee requires a deep understanding of what drives employee satisfaction. It requires the ability to monitor employee feedback, analyze engagement survey data, and propose actionable solutions to management. Deslippe’s ability to step into this role immediately upon graduation is a direct result of the practical leadership and HR-specific projects she managed during her time at Odette. Have questions about transitioning from a co-op placement to a full-time role? Write to us!
Actionable Advice for Aspiring HR Professionals
For current students looking to replicate this kind of success, the path requires intentional planning and a proactive mindset. Deslippe’s career progression offers several actionable lessons for those entering the field of human resources.
Embrace Discomfort and Take Calculated Risks
Growth in any profession, but particularly in HR, requires stepping outside of established comfort zones. Deslippe explicitly advises current students to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.” This applies to accepting a co-op placement in an industry you know nothing about, speaking up in a Faculty Council meeting, or moving to a foreign country for a semester.
Taking calculated risks allows you to test your limits and discover capabilities you may not have realized you possessed. If you only accept roles or projects where you know you will succeed easily, you will stagnate. An HR professional must be comfortable navigating ambiguity, whether that means mediating a conflict between two senior employees or rolling out a new company-wide software platform without a clear playbook.
Cultivate Curiosity in the Workplace
The second critical piece of advice is to maintain an insatiable curiosity. In the fast-paced environment of a global aerospace company, processes and priorities shift rapidly. An HR coordinator who simply follows instructions without understanding the underlying business strategy will not advance. By asking questions—why a certain recruitment strategy is being used, how a specific engagement metric ties into broader business goals, or what challenges a department head is facing—you demonstrate a commitment to the organization’s success, not just the completion of administrative tasks.
Curiosity also drives continuous learning. The field of human resources is heavily regulated and constantly evolving, with new developments in labour law, remote work policies, and diversity initiatives emerging regularly. Professionals who actively seek out this knowledge, rather than waiting for it to be handed down by management, position themselves as invaluable resources within their organizations.
Conclusion
The journey from a Co-op Student to a trusted HR Professional is built through a series of deliberate, strategic choices. As demonstrated by Ashley Deslippe’s experience at the University of Windsor, relying solely on classroom lectures is insufficient for standing out in the Canadian job market. Students must actively seek out co-op placements that challenge them, pursue international opportunities that broaden their worldview, and take on campus leadership roles that test their management skills.
By embracing discomfort, maintaining curiosity, and taking calculated risks, business students can build a foundation that not only secures an initial post-graduation role but also establishes the trajectory for long-term career advancement in human resources. Share your experiences with co-op placements and campus leadership in the comments below.
