In a previous post I have given my readers a short list of jobs that help with my professional and personal development. What I am trying to show is that even with the work gap on my resume I was constantly working on improving myself. Today, I would like to describe what each of those little jobs had to offer me in return for my time.
Working part time: I think this is the most obvious choice for many people. It is usually easy to find a part time job. I found one only a few weeks after I have left the office. Bigger corporations also take a long time to get you started. Nevertheless, I have found myself working for Starbucks. It had partly to do with my love of their coffee and to some degree I always wanted to try being a barista. I’ve enjoyed working at fast speed and with a constant smile on my face… The time went by very fast, especially those 5am morning shifts, and my mind had a chance to relax. After a few weeks I felt like I have learned a ton of new stuff and making drinks became a no-thought-involved-mechanical process. Simplicity of that particular job made me feel that I was adding happiness to a day of every customer. Who doesn’ t want a cup of tea or coffee before their busy day in the office? I was once one of those people: working downtown and getting excited about my coffee break every single day. The location of the coffee shop also made it very convenient for my break to be short and to the point! Working at Starbucks was a refreshing experience. I have re-learned how to be a valuable member of the team. I also got to experience how other people run business, how they supervise, what type of feedback they give, and in what ways they try to create a healthier, more efficient work environment. Although I can not share any of that secret Starbucks information with the readers, I myself learned a lot from my part-time work experience. The biggest lesson learned: I am a very ambitious person, with or without tasty lattes
Researching social media: This was lots of fun. Great way to learn about myself, other people, search for resources, books, and opinions of others. Plus, it keeps me in the loop of current events and community involvement. There are so many different ways to connect with people. Some of the ones I got to learn anout: Blogs, Micro-blogging: Twitter, Social Networking: Facebook and LinkedIn, Photosharing: Flicker, Videosharing: Youtube… and many others! Learning about Calgary’s networks was a plus, too. Biggest benefits for me: keeping in touch with my creative side, sharpening my PR skills, and increasing my typing speed via constant practice!
Education *taking university courses*: I guess this needs the least information; I had more free time so I chose to use it! Now I am only 4 courses away from getting my degree. I have done a lot of research on what other upgrading courses were available to me, but chose to finish my university education first. My plan is to be done by the end of this year, or as soon as it is humanly/monetary possible for me. It is always a good idea to see what other options are available. I have found many courses that I would love to take at Mount Royal College. You can visit their site at http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/ContinuingEducation/index.htm. In 2007 I have takes two courses in order to explore what I like. One was from Mount Royal College and the other from University of Calgary, but both as a part of non-credit course work. Lesson learned: setting goals and priorities, as well as budgeting.
2007
Introduction to Residential Decorating at Mount Royal College
Interior Design: A career! at University of Calgary
Event organization: I have been participating, strongly, in organizing two wedding events. My organizational skills are very good, as I have discovered through this process. In the future I might even consider becoming an event coordinator. Planning a big event can be stressful, but it pays off at the end. This event was planned for about 100 people, with a sit down dinner, dance, and included anything from planning out a seating chart and had written invitations to flower arrangements and looking for proper space, place, catering companies… so on and so forth…
- Helping others with job search/translation/documents
- Miscellaneous errands
- Unpaid work
- Personal shopping
- Babysitting
