Students to Marketing – Week 2: Navigating Marketing and Creativity at U+

Students to Marketing - Week 2: Navigating Marketing and Creativity at U+

In the dynamic world of high school co-op experiences at U+, each week ushers in a new set of challenges and opportunities for growth. As high school co-op students immersed in the realm of marketing and creativity, this week has been particularly enlightening. 

Our tasks have revolved around enhancing the U+ websites, including Education, Careers, and Toastmasters, along with the YRES and Gifted People Service websites. These tasks are not merely about aesthetics; they are pivotal to U+’s overarching objective of creating informative and visually appealing websites that captivate visitors, encouraging them to explore further and potentially join the U+ community.

What were the most significant tasks or projects you worked on this week, and how did they contribute to U+'s goals and objectives?

Samuel Leung – Marketing Assistant: The most significant tasks I worked on this week was researching different ways to improve the U+ websites (Education, Careers, Toastmasters) as well as the YRES website and the Gifted People Service website. This contributes the U+’s goal of improving their websites so that consumers who are visiting for the first time will be amazed by the informative and attractiveness of the websites. This will make them more likely to browse more, learn more, and maybe even sign up.
 
Maria Poulimenos – Marketing Assistant: The most significant task I began this week was completing three storybooks for future students. This project requires a lot of thinking and creativity as I want the books to entice the readers. This could range from use of diction to imagery and colour variation. This project greatly reflects U+’s goals and objectives as they have a mission to educate the youth and enhance learning using creativity.

Describe a challenge you encountered during your work this week. How did you approach and overcome this challenge, or what steps did you take to seek assistance and learn from it?

Samuel Leung – Marketing Assistant: I don’t think I really had any challenges this week but if I had to state the hardest part of working is the repetitiveness of some of these tasks. It was non stop research and recording down what I observed. To overcome this challenge I took a few breaks in between to help me to reset and to continue my work more efficiently after the reset.
 
Maria Poulimenos – Marketing Assistant: A challenge I encountered this week was learning how to navigate and use Canva. I had to look over the U+ Brand Kit and learn the names of the mascots. To combat this, I sent questions in Slack, as well as read through the marketing SOP and Brand Guideline.

Reflect on the skills you utilized or developed this week. Which skills were the most important for your tasks, and how do you see them benefiting your future career aspirations?

Samuel Leung – Marketing Assistant: I don’t really know if this was a skill but I made sure to not rush my tasks but to take my time with them and make sure I do them to the best of my abilities. I put more time and effort into them trying to incorporate more detail into all my tasks instead of just rushing and doing the bare minimum. Quality is more important than quantity.

Maria Poulimenos – Marketing Assistant: I developed the skills of problem-solving this week since I had to create storie’s that would be geared towards youth. When I was stuck on what to write, I would take a mental break and then get back to it.

What interactions or collaborations with colleagues or supervisors stood out to you this week? How did these interactions enhance your understanding of the workplace and the industry?

Samuel Leung – Marketing Assistant: I didn’t really have too many interactions or collaborations this week since this was just my first week working. But what I really appreciated were some of my co-workers took the time to send me a message reminding me what was due and that if I needed help I could ask them. As well as the meeting that I attended about the U+ websites and what U+ is all about. I think that was really cool to hear and I’m happy to see that U+ is making a great impact in our community.

Maria Poulimenos – Marketing Assistant: I enjoyed the Organizational meeting on Tuesday of this week. I never knew many of the other websites excited, such as U+ Toastmasters. This is a great website to promote and exemplifies U+’s mission of educating.

Consider any insights or lessons you've gained about U+'s industry or the professional world in general. How do these insights align with your career goals, and do they influence your perspective on your future path?

Samuel Leung – Marketing Assistant: Some lessons that I’ve learned is that when you have a question, always ask. Asking questions and clarifying what you are supposed to do if you are not sure is better than doing all of the work and then realizing that you did it all wrong because you did not ask. Always ask questions. No one will be mad if you ask. It is a normal part of work, especially the first few weeks of work.

Maria Poulimenos – Marketing Assistant: In my future career, I want to pursue marketing and being part of this program has helped to enhance that. I have learned how to create projects for consumer interest and communicate effectively with others.

As we draw the curtain on this week’s reflections, it’s clear that our high school co-op journey at U+ is shaping our understanding of marketing and creativity. Samuel Leung’s commitment to quality work and Maria Poulimenos’ exploration of creativity in storytelling reveal important principles—attention to detail and the power of creativity—that will continue to guide our path. 

We’ve also learned that in the professional world, seeking clarity through questions is not a sign of weakness but an essential tool for success. These insights align with our career aspirations, fostering skills and a mindset that will be invaluable in our future endeavors in marketing and creativity. With each task, interaction, and collaboration, we inch closer to our goals in the professional landscape.

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