[SFU OLC Experience] Building Skills Outside the Classroom

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Karen Kuang

SFU Student Undergraduate

Health Sciences

Program:

Co-operative Education

Work Term 1

Work Term 2

Organization

Metrotown Family Chiropractic and Massage

Position Title

Client Services Assistant

Location:

Experience Faculty

Front view of the clinic

Over 8 months, I had the opportunity to work at a chiropractic and massage clinic. I have learned valuable experiences and skills that I will carry out with me in my future career.

Experience Details

Semester

Fall

Spring

Year

2023

2024

Application and Interview Tips

During my work-seeking term, I researched the organization before the interview. By researching the company beforehand, it gave me a sense of the company’s values and work culture. Investing time in getting to know the company is helpful because it also shows the employer that you are eager and interested in being part of their team. Before the interview, I thought of possible questions they may ask me and wrote down potential answers. I had a rough outline of potential responses that I could say during the interview, but I didn’t put all my effort into memorizing it, as I wanted to be as natural as possible. A reminder that being nervous for an interview is normal and alright - this means you care!

Introduction + Preparation

Previous Experience

Much of my co-op position involves customer service. In the past, I have had many experiences that centered around customer service, such as fast food jobs, and volunteering positions that required assisting others. Having these experiences helped me to excel in my position.

During my Experience

Orientation and First Weeks

A couple weeks before the official work term started, I had the opportunity to shadow and learn the job from the previous co-op students. There is a lot to unpack and learn in the first several weeks, and it can get quite overwhelming. I found it helpful to keep a notepad and pen with me. This allowed me to write down reminders and any questions I had about my tasks. During my first month, I’ve made many mistakes on the job. However, I quickly acknowledged my mistakes and learned from them, which allowed me to grow and become a better problem solver.

Day to Day

My typical responsibilities and duties of the job consist of greeting patients, scheduling patients, answering email/phone inquiries, direct billing to different health insurances, charting for patients, folding laundry, performing a basic history and range of motion on patients, and scanning and uploading documents. Depending on the day and the amount of time, other office administrative tasks can be assigned to me.

Learning and Adaptation

It took me approximately 2-3 months to become proficient and fully understand every aspect of the job. There was a learning curve in the beginning, but once I got over that it felt gratifying.

Accomplishments and Challenges

As a person who is quite introverted and reserved, I found this position has pushed me outside my comfort zone. I was able to communicate and connect on a more personal level with patients, strengthening my interpersonal skills. A challenge I have faced during my work placement was multitasking. It can become quite hectic during patient care time while trying to schedule patients, direct the flow of the clinic and answer phone calls. During these peak times, I try to remain calm and focus on the bigger picture. With practice and time, it became easier to multitask in a constantly changing environment.

Reflection & Tips

Reflection

I had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people throughout the 8 months. It has been exciting and interesting to interact with so many different people. This placement has taught and strengthened my communication, teamwork and people skills. Although these skills are important and useful, they often aren’t taught in the classroom.

Advice for Future Students

Advice I would give to future students is to enjoy the process and journey. Sometimes we can be so focused on the outcome that we forget to acknowledge the effort and energy we are constantly putting in. Looking back to when I first started, I can say that I have come a long way.

Tags:

Co-op Reflections