postdoctoral fellow

professeur

research assistant

teaching assistant

professeur adjoint

University of Waterloo

Excellent place to work and gain experience in life building skills. I thought research is a two-way experience where the mentor and the student learn together, share their ideas, and create novel work. From my previous work experiences, I have worked with teams where they share ideas, know the strength and weaknesses of a colleague and support each other. But here, you work alone without much support from mentors or colleagues. You don't even know what is going on within your team. 

I had won several prestigious research grants, and awards, presented at conferences, and made publications in many peer-reviewed journals in my prior institutes. Unfortunately, the department at the university of waterloo where I worked doesn't promote your ideas or talents, and doesn't provide growth opportunities. The supervisors are terrible; they don't know how to manage projects.  I will never recommend an international research student to work here. A lot of promises will be given during the interview but none would be kept. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are only on the advertisements to attract international students.

20 minutes before every exam, the economics class professor, the other proctors and I carried the examination materials from the professor's office to the examination location. Together with the other proctors, I placed the exam papers in every two desks, so there is enough space between students. The room was fixed accordingly into an exam-writing environment. Once students arrived, the exam rules and guidelines were explained to them, they were told to leave their things in the front of the class, their identification were checked, and they were asked to turn off their cellphones. During the exam, if students had any concerns, which did not give them an unfair advantage over others, I would help them. We would offer students any extra pencils or pens in case theirs were misplaced or nonfunctional. I walked by the students around the room to make sure they were following the rules and not cheating. When students finished their exam, they would raise their hand for approval, raise from their seat, and hand in their exam paper. By the end of the examination period, all exams were collected and the rooms were left as they were before. We would walk back to the professors office to leave the exams and the examination materials.

I learned about discipline, organization leadership, conflict resolution, and better speech skills when managing a large audience.

We were managed by the class professor. It was a fair and relaxed treatment.

My co-workers were very supporting and willing to cooperate, for everything to flow. Everyone played a different role.

My hardest part of the job might have been knowing when to successfully identify students who tried to cheat.

The most enjoyable part was being able to manage such a huge group of students successfully, and knowing that I could have such organizational leadership skills based on my effective communication skills. I enjoyed knowing I helped keep a fair examination environment.

Best.
The University of Waterloo stands as a shining exemplar of the best employer in Canada, celebrated for a multitude of reasons that make it an exceptional workplace.

Firstly, the university fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, consistently ranking among the top institutions for research and development in the nation. This commitment to cutting-edge research extends to its workforce, offering employees opportunities to engage in groundbreaking projects, enhancing their professional growth and job satisfaction.

Furthermore, the University of Waterloo places a strong emphasis on work-life balance, offering flexible schedules and support for employee well-being. It provides comprehensive benefits packages, including health and dental coverage, retirement plans, and ongoing professional development opportunities, ensuring the holistic needs of its staff are met.

The university's commitment to diversity and inclusion is another standout feature. It actively promotes an inclusive environment, valuing diversity of thought and backgrounds, which fosters a welcoming and equitable workplace for all.

Lastly, the University of Waterloo's location in the heart of Canada's tech hub, coupled with its strong ties to industry partners, creates unparalleled career opportunities for its employees.

In sum, the University of Waterloo's dedication to innovation, work-life balance, diversity, and industry connectivity makes it a prime example of the best employer in Canada. It continues to set the standard for academic institutions as an ideal place to work and thrive.

Working at the University of Waterloo was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. The culture is built around innovation, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on the world. Every day felt purposeful — surrounded by brilliant minds, ambitious students, and colleagues who were passionate about advancing knowledge and building a better future.

As a communications professional, I had the opportunity to tell incredible stories about entrepreneurship, research, and the people who make Waterloo such a dynamic institution. The collaboration between departments, the openness to new ideas, and the university’s commitment to excellence made it an inspiring environment to grow and contribute.

Leadership encourages creativity, professional development, and autonomy, and there’s a strong sense of community and shared mission across campus. It’s an environment where you feel both challenged and supported — a rare and valuable combination.

Waterloo is a place that truly lives its values: innovation, impact, and integrity. I’m proud to have been part of an institution that continues to shape Canada’s future and empower the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.

My recent co-op as a research assistant has showed me the significance of always being ready to learn and to be able to adapt to dynamic environments. When I was put up to the challenge to synthesize a type of electro-catalyst using biomass precursors, the lack of prior experience did not deter me from this opportunity to learn.  I investigated various publications/online-resources and sought aid from professionals, which, as a side-effect, enhanced my research skills and ability to learn new material quickly. As a result, I was able to delineate my findings for a suitable bio-mass precursor for the synthesis of electro-catalysts, later used for supercapacitor and other novel battery applications.This also afforded me many opportunities to heighten my research and analytical skills. As a research assistant for a professor at the University of Waterloo, I perused through many research papers and other literary sources to erect my foundations. I then summarized the information and presented my findings via MS PowerPoint to my supervisor. I also conducted a series of electrochemical tests on electro-catalysts for fuel cell applications followed by data analysis/organization, which was eventually used in my supervisor’s manuscript.

•	I enjoyed the people I worked with. 
•	A friendly and fun atmosphere and I actually enjoyed going to meetings each week. 
•	I felt the leadership team was great as well. 
•	They knew all of the members on a first name basis and tried to make those personal connections, like what program we were in and what midterms or exams we have. 

•	I liked how you could express anything on your mind about the topic at hand. 
•	Everyone’s opinion was discussed no matter how silly the idea was. 
•	The leader of the meeting would love to hear everything we had to say. 
•	I felt very welcomed there.

•	I felt I was not challenged enough at the job. 
•	While I did enjoy working there and appreciate the skills I developed while with the board, 
•	I felt my skill set could be better utilized elsewhere. 
•	Mainly focused on marketing, but I am an accounting and finance student with capable knowledge of using excel, word and working with numbers such accounts receivables, internal costing decisions and reconciliations.

•	There was no room for advancement in the board. 
•	Even if you gave the most creative ideas to dramatically improve the marketing of residence, there was no higher position to promote to. 
•	Wanted the opportunity for more responsibility if the team leaders saw that I could handle it.

- typically there were few of field days where I actually got to go out in field and take measurements at the test plots. Other than field days, most of the time was spent plotting contour maps of apparent conductivity and filtering them into simplified versions. Moreover, I analyzed different phenomena happening within the subsurface with contour maps.
- I learned the proficiency and efficacy of electromagnetic survey in forensic investigation, as well as the shortcomings of it in certain situations. Moreover, I learned how to use various equipments such as EM-38, as well as software called Surfer 10.
- My co-worker was one of the graduate students in the department, who was extremely helpful with all the knowledge and experiences he had. 
- The hardest part of the job was carrying out the survey even in harsh weather conditions (heavy snow, low temperature, etc)
- The most enjoyable part of the job was getting invovled in the forensic investigation, where pig cadavers and firearms were buried and results of contour maps coincide with expected outcomes

The University of Waterloo is an outstanding institution known for its innovative approach to education and research. With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, the co-op program provides students with invaluable real-world experience, allowing them to apply their knowledge in practical settings and build professional networks. The campus is vibrant and welcoming, fostering a collaborative atmosphere among students and faculty. Waterloo's cutting-edge research facilities and strong industry partnerships enhance the academic experience, making it a leader in fields such as engineering, computer science, and environmental studies. The diverse range of programs and extracurricular activities ensures that students can explore their passions and develop holistically. Faculty members are not only experts in their fields but also dedicated mentors who support students' academic and personal growth. Overall, the University of Waterloo prepares graduates to excel in their careers and make meaningful contributions to society, making it an excellent choice for prospective students.

My experience with the employer in this Teaching Assistant role was overall positive and supportive. Expectations were clearly communicated, and I was provided with the necessary resources to effectively carry out my responsibilities. The instructor and department were approachable and responsive, which made it easier to seek clarification and stay aligned with course objectives.

The work environment encouraged professionalism and collaboration, allowing me to develop both my teaching and communication skills. At times, clearer guidance on grading expectations and timelines could have further strengthened consistency, but overall, the support provided enabled me to contribute meaningfully to the course.

This experience was valuable in building my confidence as a Teaching Assistant and enhancing my ability to support student learning in an academic setting.

I had a horrible experience working here. The work environment was extremely toxic, as my supervisors did not train me but expected me to know everything automatically when thrown into my work environment. When I would ask for help, I wouldn’t receive any. As a result, I would have to put extra time into doing work as I had to figure things out myself without and assistance from my supervisor. This caused me to have to take home work over the weekend and have no work/life balance. This took a severe toll on my mental health as I began to hate my place of work and when I asked if they had any mental health support for staff, they said no. Overall awful experience and would not see myself working here ever again. Everything they say about this place not caring about peoples mental health/well-being is true. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Postdoctoral fellow 11 salaries reported	$59,045 per year
Professeur 11 salaries reported	$189,227 per year
Research assistant 8 salaries reported	$24.88 per hour
Teaching assistant 16 salaries reported	$34.00 per hour
Professeur adjoint 12 salaries reported	$115,625 per year

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