Macy's Reflection
What were your initial expectations coming to work at U+, and how have they evolved after your first month on the job?
My title at U+ is Project Coordinator and Teaching Assistant. When I first entered the company I thought that my responsibilities would be more focused on the latter (teaching). I soon discovered that my responsibilities are more project-focused and marketing-based. For example, my current projects are to manage our social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter) and to hold tabling sessions at libraries. It was interesting to become more involved with marketing as this is a new field for me.
What were your first interactions with the team and how have you been working to build relationships between you and your fellow team members?
When I joined this team, I already knew a handful of people – Tina, Annabel, Zhen, and Catherine. This was nice, but I tried to not stay in my comfort zone by only interacting with people I already knew. I remember individually reaching out to Aminah and Winnie online, and then when we talked and met in-person at the office on the first Sunday, Vicky joined our conversation!
On most weekends, I work in-person and alone at libraries and on weekdays, we work from home. We often receive new assignments and collaborate with new teammates. Thus, the majority of my first interactions are online (Vicky being an exception) and begin that way. From there, we become close colleagues and friends after finding a common ground. For instance, I started working with Aminah and Megan to analyze and rank submitted videos and graphic designs. This was my first interaction with Megan and it was pleasant but purely professional. Nothing is wrong with having a purely professional relationship with a colleague but having a friendship instead is much nicer! As the three of us continued to work together we realized that we share a common interest outside of work: K-pop. It was nice getting to know a new side of my colleagues who are now my close friends! 🙂
How do you envision your term at U+ contributing to your personal and professional growth?
So far, U+ Education has helped me improve my networking and multi-tasking skills. There are many projects for me to work on and many people to coordinate with, so I have met many new people!
I hope to make even more friends for the rest of my term at U+! Judging by how many friends I have made in the first month alone, this is definitely achievable!
Professionally, I hope to grow by gaining experience in Human Resources. I would like to host interviews to understand better what interviewers look for.
Who do you want to show some appreciation to the most and why?
I want to show appreciation to my parents for (almost) always driving me to and from libraries and the offices. Each weekend, I am needed at a different location and my parents have done the most to support me by (for example) packing my meals to make sure I am still fed. They make my life much easier.
Choose a meme (or funny picture) that encapsulates your first month/experience at U+ so far
