Jonah Kirkwood and Hrag Kozadjian at Agilent Technologies in Montreal, where Kozadjian was able to merge his interpersonal and science skills.
“With a degree in biochemistry, there are so many options that it’s important to learn the landscape,” says Kozadjian, listing possible professions in immunology, toxicology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and petrochemicals.
He enjoyed his work placement in a Montreal crime lab, with the Ministère de la Sécurité publique's Laboratoire des sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale, where he was part of a toxicology team building an express method of analyzing blood and urine samples. Kozadjian appreciated the opportunity to learn good laboratory standards and good manufacturing practices.
“While I liked the team aspect and working with people, I learned that pure R&D isn’t for me,” he says. “At the crime lab, I really enjoyed when we’d get sales reps giving technology presentations about their new products. I thought, ‘This is how science advances’ — with better equipment.”
Kozadjian hit his stride while working at Agilent Technologies in sales and marketing for the Chemical Analysis group. “It turns out, I really love the business end of things,” says Kozadjian. “I like being a frontline sales scout, contacting clients and learning about the instruments.” He also valued the chance to work on soft skills in a science environment.
“It’s important to know how to ask for a favour from a different department. What’s the etiquette and how do you word the email?” says Kozadjian, who also credits the Co-op program for making him realize he didn’t want to continue on to graduate school. “I’m already armed for the workforce with a resumé and a job.”
Yes, a real job. Agilent Technologies offered Kozadjian a permanent position the day after he graduated. Agilent takes Co-op students (including from other schools) year round, providing an on-boarding program to help them make the transition.
“We see that co-op students bring a direct benefit to our bottom line of $150,000 to $200,000 in sales a year,” reports Jonah Kirkwood, national sales director at Agilent. “In fact, a student just facilitated a $285,000 deal for one of our new products. I’m certainly glad we devoted 17 days to on-board training.”
Kirkwood praises his own Co-op undergraduate experience for helping him excel in his career. “I learned patience, among other things, and the right way to train people,” says Kirkwood, who believes it’s worth the effort to mentor students because of what they give back to the company. “Students bring a lot of enthusiasm and fresh eyes. They’re not jaded, or set in their thinking. This gives us a pool of candidates to replenish our workforce and build our capacity.”