Matthew's November Week 2 Reflection
Reflect on the responsibilities you’ve taken on so far at U+, what project(s) are you most proud of and why?
Looking back on my time at U+, I’m proud of how much responsibility I’ve taken on and the progress I’ve made. One of the projects I’m particularly proud of is the recent sponsorship project. Leading the team to complete a detailed 15-page sponsorship outline, then starting the design for the sponsorship brochure, was a rewarding experience. I’m proud of the project not only because of the amount of work we accomplished, but also because I got to play a leadership role by organizing the tasks, delegating them, and helping with revisions to ensure quality. This experience helped me improve my teamwork and communication skills as I collaborated with my team on each step, and it gave me a deeper understanding of what it takes to coordinate a successful project from start to finish.
Think back to the goals you set for yourself near the beginning of your co-op term. What steps have you taken to achieve these goals? (if you haven’t started yet, what steps are you going to take?)
To work on my goal of improving communication, I’ve been focusing on keeping inContact with my coworkers, especially on projects where teamwork is essential. For example, during the sponsorship project, I made it a point to share updates frequently, ask questions to clarify any uncertainties, and encourage team input on revisions. This helped our team stay on the same page and ensured we addressed any potential issues early.
What’s an unexpected skill you developed over the work term so far and how do you envision this bringing a positive change to your career?
An unexpected skill I’ve developed over this work term is project management. When I started, I mainly expected to work on individual accounting tasks, but as I took on projects like the sponsorship outline and brochure, I found myself managing different aspects, from splitting tasks to ensuring timely revisions. Learning to break down large tasks, set timelines, and coordinate with team members has helped me see the bigger picture of how a project progresses from start to finish.
If you could change one thing about your working environment, what would it be and how would it positively impact the quality of your work?
If I could change one thing about my working environment, I’d add more collaborative workspaces or team-building activities. While we work well together on projects, most communication is project-focused, and there are limited chances to build stronger connections with the team outside of specific tasks and weekly meetings.
Please upload a picture that describes your week.
