Rabia's October Week 1 Reflection
Please share how you feel about the onboarding process. What are some resources that were helpful, and what’s something you’d like to see implemented in the future?
The on-boarding for this week has been good so far. I was able to understand my position in the company and was able to get a handle on all things accounting. So far, I’ve learned all about grant applications and budgeting and am currently working or writing a grant for U+ with a project I will create on my own. I found Quick-book quite useful and have watched many different YouTube videos in order to broaden my knowledge in this area. Lastly, I was able to learn how to research a topic in detail after participating in Gary list and wish to implement that in future research type projects.
Describe your main tasks this week. Who did you work with? How did you approach the task? What did you accomplish?
My main task this week has been learning about grant applications and implementing that in our new assigned project where we have to create a new project and write a grant application for it and create our budgeting for it as well. I was working with one of my colleagues in the accounting department who also has the same task as I do and we’re able to come up with individual projects as well as find a way to start the project itself. So far I have done most of the project and only have the budgeting to accomplish!
What is one big challenge you faced this week? Who did you turn to when you needed support? Describe what you learned and what you would do differently the next time.
The biggest challenge I faced was figuring out what a grant was and all about Quick-books. My questions were answered after consulting with Kevin, Zhen, and also Tanya in our weekly meetings. Most of my knowledge of the topics came from the research I conducted on the internet and the many videos and websites I thoroughly looked over. In order to save time I would have asked my supervisors first thing when confused instead of searching and not being fruitful in said search then coming to my supervisors as a so called “last resort”.
What are three main skills U+/YRES allowed you to leverage/develop this week? Reflect on how each skill brings value to your professional development and propels you forward in the industry.
The three main skills I developed were research, writing, and lastly, communication. All these skills I was able to improve if not a little this week as I had many different tasks which allowed me to show and present these skills. I improved my research skills after doing the Gary list. My writing skill developed after writing my grant application. And lastly my communication skill developed after I was pushed to reach out to coworkers and supervisors when I need help the most. All these skills are needed to do any job in any industry as they are basic skills.
What personal motto or guiding principle would you bring with you to your role next week, and how do you see it helping you contribute to our organization’s mission?
My personal motto would be “always reach out”. Before starting my Co-op placement I was confident in my skills in this area. However, it seems I still don’t do enough. Reaching out when you need help is the most important part of any job as it allows you to perform your best work which allows me to contribute to the organization and help in the cause a little bit more. I will be bringing this new development next week in order to do better in my projects and work to create a better me by the end of my co-op placement.