For students, deciding where to complete an internship/co-op experience can be just as important as choosing a university. After all, working at a great company can make a big difference in helping get a career off to a promising start.
Many companies offer on-the-job learning and programs for students, but Kinaxis takes its intern/co-op program quite seriously. At Kinaxis, expand your professional horizons and nurture personal connections in a diverse, supportive environment where everyday life is more than just work – our work-life balance is the real deal.
Our students gain a lot of powerful experience while they're with us. Co-ops and interns are treated like permanent members of the team and are included in relevant meetings, brainstorming sessions and team building activities. Meaningful tasks and projects that add practical value are assigned so that students can contribute to the overall goals of the team and company. There is no busy-work here.
The Kinaxis team loves that students offer a fresh perspective and a unique sense of wonder that breaks the status quo so we can see things from a different point of view – after all, this diversity of thought contributes to Kinaxis’ overall success.
From taking part in Hackathons and connecting with valuable mentors, to enjoying lunch on the rooftop patio at Kinaxis' beautiful Kanata HQ with new friends, Kinaxis is a highly-sought-after co-op/intern destination for good reason.
Take a look at the firsthand experiences of three of our current co-ops to learn more about what it's like to be a part of the Kinaxis team:
Mohamad Radaideh
Mohamad is completing his co-op placement as an Intern Software Developer in our Product team. 
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis?
At Kinaxis, it feels like a second family. Your co-workers and everyone you interact with treat you with respect and kindness, as if they’ve known you for years. Even the highest-level staff will answer any of your questions with patience and gladly assist you with any roadblocks you face at work.
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis?
I learned how to be a professional Software Test Developer, running various tests and experiments to ensure a delivered feature meets high standards of quality and passes all metrics. I also learned how to write test scripts in C#/C++ for performance testing, end-to-end testing, and integration testing.
What are some of the highlights in your experience at Kinaxis?
Some highlights during my co-op placement at Kinaxis have been the friends and new people I’ve met. The other interns gather and plan activities outside of work, and each one comes from a unique background with an amazing story of how they joined Kinaxis. You become part of a friend group where you can network and have fun while at work.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement?
I didn’t work on individual projects; rather, I joined a team of full-time developers and worked directly with them on massive features for our product. My favorite experience was being the main tester for a feature that directly impacts the seasonal rotations of products in stores and fast-food restaurants.
What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/intern?
If you ever get imposter syndrome, ignore it. You worked hard to get into Kinaxis and should never feel intimidated while working with a talented, helpful, and friendly team. Learn the skills you need and make an impact.
Shikha Chowdhary
Shikha is working as a Community & Content Intern on our Global Customer Care group.
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis?
People really matter at Kinaxis, and the workplace is friendly and inclusive. There is a feeling of togetherness fostered by a community of empowered individuals who are always ready to help each other. A healthy work-life balance is made possible for employees by the company's dedication to hybrid work, which offers flexibility. Employees can successfully manage their personal and professional life because of this flexibility, increasing flexibility.
Additionally, Kinaxis highlights innovation, diversity, and inclusion heavily. Being a dynamic and forward-thinking organization, the workplace values different viewpoints and promotes ongoing learning and development.
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis?
I have had numerous opportunities at Kinaxis to grow professionally and learn new things. By learning how to use various communication and project management tools, I have significantly improved my productivity and effectiveness. Additionally, participating in professional training courses has enhanced skills like relationship building and breaking silos for productivity.
What are some of the highlights in your experience at Kinaxis?
Working at Kinaxis comes with great benefits, including a variety of programs and tools to support employee growth and well-being. The mentoring programs are open to co-ops/interns and promote both professional and personal development, offering valuable advice. Additionally, the on-site gym provides excellent fitness programs to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle.
As part of its commitment to lifelong learning, Kinaxis offers a wide range of training courses and certifications to help its staff improve their skill sets for both present and future opportunities. John Sicard, the CEO usually says, you seize to exist when you stop learning; we’re all lifelong learners.
Additionally, Kinaxis promotes "K-days," which means employees have an extra day off every month. This allows them to rest, recover, and strike a good balance between their personal and professional lives.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement?
I worked on several important initiatives, such as migrating and recreating courses within our new employee learning experience platform. The courses and certifications I had the chance to complete gave me the technical skills required to deliver this project on time. Resolving customer issues using Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) has shown me the value of knowledge as a foundational building block of an organization. Other than a keen sense of always enhancing the user experience, KCS has undoubtedly improved my writing and process documentation skills.
I have also been fortunate to participate in many user story testing scenarios for our community platform to ensure a seamless experience for all members when new features are released. I have grown to appreciate a keen eye for detail, quality assurance, and an understanding that all designs should start with the customer at the center.
What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/intern?
I encourage new co-op/interns to take advantage of each opportunity they come across to grow both personally and professionally. Enjoying live shows at Kinaxis InConcert events with colleagues and being involved in activities organized by the dedicated team of co-op coordinators, you can build your network, improve your abilities, as well as further your personal growth. These will enhance your co-op experience and push you to greater heights to develop yourself holistically. In short, accept challenges, look for fresh educational possibilities (aka Lean In), and never stop trying to get better. Learning is a constant process.
Andrey Gerasimov
Andrey has returned for his second placement as an Intern Site Reliability Engineer within our Cloud Services team.
How would you describe the culture at Kinaxis?
Kinaxis has an innovation-friendly culture due to working with so many different companies, each with unique needs. This requires adaptability, creativity, and always looking for solutions.
What have you learned in your time at Kinaxis?
Working in Site Reliability Engineering at Kinaxis has taught me the essential tasks of maintaining and improving system reliability. I've gained hands-on experience in monitoring, automation, and incident response, which are crucial for ensuring platforms run smoothly.
What are some of the highlights in your experience at Kinaxis?
A unique highlight of my time at Kinaxis was attending a Kinaxis-sponsored case competition last fall. I had the opportunity to answer questions from participants about my internship experience, which was a great way to engage with the community and share insights about the company's direction.
What are some of the projects that you have worked on during your placement?
I had the opportunity to work on scripting projects, including one that automated profile creation in Syncovery for Baremetal deployment. Apart from the regular day-to-day, I also participated in the Kinaxis hackathon, where I helped create the video for a license key validation project.
What advice would you give to an incoming co-op/intern?
My advice to incoming co-ops and interns is to try stuff out, even if you’re not initially excited about it. Engaging in different projects is fun to look back on.
If these personal insights sound like the kind of professional experience you’re looking for, be sure to check out our current co-op/intern opportunities by visiting https://www.kinaxis.com/en/open-positions.
Check back often, as more roles will be posted soon!
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