Natalie's January Reflection
What was the highlight of your month from work? Discuss your major contributions, interactions, achievements, etc.
The biggest highlight was getting to know the team. Being able to collaborate so easily with different individuals has been so fun. I felt very supported when starting in this new role, and it was thanks to the team environment. It got to the point that I was sad on my days off as I wouldn’t be able to work with them in person. I also enjoyed going to in-person school days when we were representing the company. As a student myself, I can see and understand other potential hires’ points of view. Being able to relate to them in that capacity brought a sense of familiarity in the brief moment we interacted with one another. Something else that made me feel like I achieved something was the team telling me that they enjoyed my energy, it uplifted me and inspired me to continue to work hard as I am.
If you could give advice to yourself on your first week, what would it be? Consider what you’ve learned about workplace expectations, communication, or career growth.
Some advice I would give to myself during our first week would be that some things are genuinely out of your control and that you’re a part of a team, it’s not just you. I remember freaking out over the smallest things that weren’t done up to standard or something like that and I would beat myself up over it. However, there was nothing that could have been done and it already happened, what mattered was that I understood what happened, moved forward and made sure it didn’t happen again. I need to be easier on myself, especially because I just started; there was no way I would be a pro right away. It’s a new company with different people; it takes time to fully adapt. Another thing to note is that I’m a part of a team of other co-op students who might also be struggling just as I am, so we can help each other out. At first, I was too afraid to say anything to them, but if I’m going to be working with them for the next few months, I should get over all of my overthinking and set a foundation to be able to interact with them.
Describe a moment when teamwork played a crucial role in the success of a project you worked on. What did you learn about collaboration, and how has it shaped your approach to working with others?
A time that teamwork played a crucial role was when I had to conduct Uni co-op interviews for the first time. I’ve done interviews before, but this level of professionalism was a first for me. So, when I had to do it for the first time, I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I was nervous and scared I would say the wrong thing. Luckily for me, I had Mikayla with me, and we were able to work together to get through interviews. We would alternate taking notes and asking questions, we were able to give each other constructive criticism and be overall support for one another. It was thanks to our collaboration that we were able to come together and complete all the interviews for that week.
