Orientation and First Weeks
The most disorienting period was, frankly, during orientation and the first few weeks into the role. It was a big adjustment partially owing to my lack of prior Canadian office work experience, so it was important for me to recognize that and give myself time to warm up to the team and become familiar with my tasks and responsibilities.
Day to Day
Maintaining the balance between work and my full-time studies pushed me to further strengthen my organization and prioritization skills. Working with limited hours usually means I have to be prepared to hit the ground running when there are a lot of tasks lined up for the day, diligently maintaining a to-do list is crucial for me to keep things moving.
As I got to know my colleagues better over time, I count myself as extremely fortunate to have such wonderful colleagues to depend on and converse with day to day.
Learning and Adaptation
I quickly learned that adaptability and flexibility are important skills to develop while working with, and providing support and services to students. Prioritization is key when dealing with new, time sensitive tasks that crop up when there are still ongoing tasks that must be completed. Having a supportive team/supervisor and being able to communicate my situation effectively (e.g., these are what need to be done, this is how I plan to go about it and how I would like to be supported, ask for feedback on resources and approaches I can take, etc.) really helped smooth out the process.
Accomplishments and Challenges
One of my main accomplishments was helping put together the WUSC SFU World Refugee Day. I gained valuable experience in volunteer coordination and event organization, including overcoming the logistics for venue booking, catering selection, event promotion, and inviting guest speakers and a panel host.
Cultural and Environmental Observations
The work culture and environment in my role seems to be more casual, though still professional, which makes sense considering that we mainly work with students and volunteers. The line of communication with my supervisor is more open than expected, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to voice my ideas/perspective and get more regular feedback on work assignments.
