Jessica's January reflection
What was the highlight of your month from work? Discuss your major contributions, interactions, achievements, etc.
January, marking the beginning of a new year has brought many highlights, whether it be inviting the new team and opportunities to practice leadership. Personally, leading Chloe and Fairooz, our volunteer coordinators, has been a joy. They are determined and hard-working, seeking out ways to support me. My biggest achievement and challenge would be in March Break Camp volunteer recruitment, such as outreach, confirmation, and scheduling. I’m extremely happy that currently we are nearing our target number of volunteers per location. Secondly, representing U+/YRES has been wonderful whether it be at the networking breakfast or LAUNCH event at UTSC. I’m extremely excited for YRES to have been a Finalist for the Richmond Hill Business of Trade Award and being there to receive that interview. I believe this is an achievement that we’ve worked together for.
If you could give advice to yourself on your first week, what would it be? Consider what you’ve learned about workplace expectations, communication, or career growth.
Looking back, welcoming the new winter-summer team would be my first recap of my fall work term. Funnily, Alisa has asked me this same question after one of our team meetings, I believe my answer was to pace myself. Oftentimes, you’re hoping for immense growth at a new workplace, especially here at U+/YRES where we receive immediate feedback working with different departments. However, I believe it’s best to not overwork yourself and have career goals laid out. If you know what you want to gain from this experience, it’ll make your journey a lot smoother. My motto is that communication is key to meeting expectations.
Describe a moment when teamwork played a crucial role in the success of a project you worked on. What did you learn about collaboration, and how has it shaped your approach to working with others?
For me, teamwork is the core to reaching success, many projects cannot be completed without the delegation of tasks to others, incorporating diverse ideas and combining talents. Moments of teamwork have taught me that collaboration is being open to different approaches to tasks and seeing the person for who they are. It is built on the basis of mutual respect for your teammates and a strong sense of responsibility. If one person does not play their part within the time frame, it pulls back the entire project and another individual will have to stand in. This doesn’t help with the tightening of bonds that cooperation fosters. Overall, having a leader that is kind, knowledgeable and helpful is crucial.
