Macy's Reflection
Keywords:
During these past 2 months, what were your major duties and how did they relate to your academic studies?
My major duties were to design graphics and review others’ graphics for social media. As a psychology student, I was able to apply many psychological principles to my designs. For example, aligning text to one side instead of aligning to the center. Aligning text to one side is supposed to be easier to read. I have also used colour psychology (while still following the brand’s colours) to increase appeal. For example, red and yellow are known to be colours that signal danger. Thus, people tend to look out for these colours. I used these colours in our posts to attract attention.
In May you were asked to envision how U+ would contribute to your growth. How has your time here contributed to your personal and professional development? Were there any unexpected challenges or benefits?
Personally, U+ has helped me become more outgoing. Whenever I host tabling/information sessions at libraries, I feel comfortable talking and connecting with the families. Since this responsibility was similar to a previous experience, I was already quite comfortable but doing these sessions has allowed me to form deeper connections with the parents I talk to. At the same time, I want to appear professional so these sessions remind me of interviews. Parents ask a lot of questions and I want to be able to answer them all. Despite being knowledgeable about our company, some questions are new and catch me off guard. In these cases, I give myself a little time to think/recall, answer their question cautiously, and still provide accurate information. In this way, U+ has helped me become better at thinking on the spot.
Describe 2-3 projects from your co-op that you’re particularly proud of, and how they have helped you grow academically and/or professionally?
I would say I am proud of my graphic designs and social media projects in general. I have learned a lot of new features available on Canva and Instagram by working on these projects. For example, I frequently make collages on Canva and recently discovered that there is a “Space Evenly” function. These new features have encouraged me to look for more ways to make my life easier or “work smarter” to be more efficient.
I would also say that I’m proud of my information sessions. I have witnessed a handful of parents registering their kids for our advertised Summer Camps and volunteering opportunities. I love it when they immediately fill out the form in front of me. It’s rewarding in that I feel like I am personally seeing the results of my work. This is similar to a psychology study I learned about (although I don’t remember who it was conducted by) where the study participants received the most motivation by meeting someone in-person that they helped in comparison to a letter from that person, for example. Interacting with the parents and first-handedly receiving that positive feedback gives me great motivation.
Please nominate someone who deserves the employee of the month award and explain why briefly. You can nominate more than one person.
I would like to nominate Aminah, Tanya, and Dorothy for the employee of the month award. Despite having busy schedules themselves, they all make time to support and review my work. I’m very thankful for their advice and feedback. They make me feel comfortable when I reach out to them.
Share photos of fond memories you made while at work.
