January Week 1 Reflection – Erin Tam

Erin's January
Week 1 Reflection

What movie/book (standalone or series) best represents your co-op experience at U+? Explain why.

To me, my co-op experience here sort of gave off the movie, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. That movie always provided me with a fun and joyful feeling and I believe my work as a Marketing Assistant here requires a lot of that creativity and fun in order to produce engaging content! Another connection to the movie would be my position like Charlie, walking into this place new, but eventually meeting many people with different personalities (like the movie)! Overall, it was a joyful experience where I was able to improve myself, collaborate well, and have opportunities for me to pursue great leadership/success in the future. 

 

What learning and/or skill development took place on the job that you wouldn’t have experienced in school?

A skill development that I particularly improved and took place in my marketing position would definitely be leadership. School often had team activities and group work, but almost never assigned a leader for projects. That led to more practices on collaboration rather than individual leadership skill. However, working at U+, I had my first opportunity to take the lead, which although was nerve-wracking since I do not often get the chance to, but it was a fun experience! I learned to take responsibility for the team, practice effective communication, constant problem solving, and be fully prepared for clear instructions for the team. It was a rewarding experience for me and I am glad that I was able to work with many people throughout this co-op journey!

 

Did your understanding of the world of work change as a result of your participation in co-op this semester? How so/why not?

To me, I have always thought that in the world of work, everyone would be extremely competitive, expecting you to know what to do, and the work would be fast-paced. However, it was actually not as extreme as I thought! Although it may get stressful when work piles up, everyone is welcoming and supportive at U+ which I am truly grateful for. In terms of learning, I realized that most of my learning came from the suggestions from coworkers so I would eventually learn something new in a friendly way. It should first begin with putting in what I can offer to the table and gracefully receive suggestions and comments so that I can continue to improve my work quality. Therefore, working at U+ as a co-op student was eye-opening for me where I was able to see a group of people supporting each other for success!

 

Your personal values shape the needs you require in a workplace and motivates you to make certain career decisions. With your U+ experience, what are the top three values that must be satisfied when you consider a future workplace? (For example, but not exclusively: advancement; altruism; autonomy; creativity; detailed work; leadership; fast-paced; friendships; high salary; problem-solving; solitary work; teamwork; supportive supervisor; variability/change; work/life balance.) Briefly explain why you chose those three values.

For my future workplace, the three personal values I have would be inclusivity, creativity, and collaboration. I believe inclusivity would be very important whether or not it is to provide a welcoming environment or be supportive from time to time. It is important for a workplace to lift each other up for a positive atmosphere in work, which I believe would lead to greater achievements as a team. Inclusion is a great goal for a workplace to strive for. As for creativity, I value that a lot because I truly want to work in a flexible workplace where everyone can foster new ideas and bring in creative thoughts. I would love to see how everyone’s ideas can contribute to something great and it would not only enhance the team’s potential, but also open doors to new changes for the company! Lastly, I value collaboration over everyone working independently. As independent work is equally important, I desire a collaborative workplace where I can meet different people and have a team to work towards the same goal. I believe it would be a fun experience and allow the workplace to be more lively and innovative!

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