Co-op provides a break from classes and an opportunity to apply classwork to ‘the real world.’ And for some, it can also provide a job offer. Just ask 2015 grad Ranjita Bhattacharyya, who will be starting work at her former co-op employer, HP, on Sept. 8.

Ranjita earned her B.S. in electronics and telecommunications in India, at Maharishi Dayanand University, before joining Northeastern to pursue her M.S. in computer science. In June last year, she joined HP for a co-op. In August 2014, HP offered her an internship for the following summer – she responded with a request for a full-time position. Ranjita’s gamble worked. She received a verbal offer from the company in September, and signed her offer letter the same day she received it in December.

“It feels good,” Ranjita says. “I’m excited. It’s going to be a new phase of life. I enjoyed my time there completely, I learned a lot, so I’m going to continue the same – work and enjoy.”

HP hadn’t been Ranjita’s only choice for a co-op. When she was choosing a workplace, she had three options and three days to make a decision, but she says that picking HP was a no-brainer.

‘“The main reason I chose HP was the kind of work – I could add new things to my résumé,” Ranjita says. She already had experience in web development from previous jobs in India, so she wanted to a new challenge. “The work at HP was completely different from where I’ve worked and what I’ve learned at Northeastern. I really wanted to have a good time while working, and I wanted to learn new things.”

And her position lived up to her expectations. Her work focused on angular web development, which included working with JavaScript TypeScript – a brand new experience for her. When challenges arose, her team and manager quickly stepped in to help and guide her, and Ranjita appreciates that her manager trusted her with the same responsibilities given to full-time employees.

Just one week before joining HP as a full-time employee, Ranjita describes her time there fondly and says she is excited to re-join the company’s Southborough office.

“It was exciting, challenging, fulfilling, satisfying and a great experience overall.”