Zhenyan's October Reflection
What goals have you set for yourself during your work term at U+/YRES? What steps did you take to make sure these goals are on track?
Some goals I have set for myself during my work term at U+ are to gain more experience working with children (with special needs), project management work, and HR management work. So far, my first goal has been progressing well. From the summer term, I have gained ample experience working with special needs children in a classroom/summer camp setting. Even now, I continue to cultivate these skills from monthly PA camps, which I am happy about. As for the latter two goals, I have taken on a lot more projects since the summer, with the most focus on virtual program management, high school co-op management, and zoom recording management. I have also taken active steps to reach out to my supervisor and fellow HR coordinator to take on more responsibilities in HR, including attending networking events, taking more interviews, helping with onboarding new hires, and managing our monthly/weekly reflection blogs for employees.
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 developed over this term so far is HR management. Initially, I wanted to work with special needs kids during this term, but because the camp wasn’t running anymore, I decided to ask for HR work instead. I was excited going into it because for the first time, I would be in the recruiter’s perspective of an interview. This is an incredible opportunity for me to understand the ins and outs of interviewing and screening candidates because it also gives me an idea of what a recruiter looks for in a good candidate. Career wise, I can use what I’ve learned and apply it to my future interviews. Being in HR also has helped bring me outside of my comfort zone by attending various networking events and talking to experienced people in the field. Thus, I’m glad that I took the initiative to ask for an alternative responsibility when the previous one didn’t pan out as intended, and I’m grateful that my supervisor is very willing to provide these opportunities of career and skill development when asked.
If you could have a super power that’ll increase the efficiency or quality of your work, what would it be?
If I could have a superpower to apply to the workplace (and in general), it would be the ability to stop time. If I had this ability, I would be able to get uninterrupted time to focus on tasks that require deep concentration or lengthy effort. For example, I could take my time refining program flyers, sift through Uni/HS blogs, or update all the details with our 11 RES Eventbrite accounts without the pressure of deadlines or distractions. Not only would this help me produce higher quality work, it will also ensure that I complete tasks on time and double check a lot more of the details before I send things off for review. Another benefit of this ability is that it allows me to plan ahead, organize tasks more effectively, and balance multiple priorities without feeling overwhelmed. Ultimately, this ability will help me with time management and pacing my work effectively.
Please give a shoutout to someone who deserves employee of the month and briefly describe why.
Jessica – her learning speed is impressive! I was impressed by how quickly she can adapt to new projects that are given by her and she always has a positive attitude when interacting with anyone in the company. I believe it definitely was intimidating for her to be the only new full time hire among the team, so I applaud her for keeping up and thriving.
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