Question: Think about ONE co-worker who really excels at this job, goes above and beyond our expectations, or brings a unique skill set or worldview to this position. Shine a light on those little things that might not always be noticed, but that definitely make The Commons a better place. Spread the love!
Answer: I am so grateful for Rick Kelly, that man is a godsend who has taken me under his wing in learning everything from very specific computer problems to what to expect in a masters program. He knows everything about The Commons and is a very friendly and open person. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t know half of the knowledge from my short time here as I do now. He helps clients with an ease and has a very calm manner that I have tried to replicate both at work and in my day to day life. He has gone out of his way to be helpful to me and is an amazing asset to The Commons.
Question: Think back on your SMART goal from week 1. Were you successful in achieving this goal? If you didn’t achieve it, why not? How can you MEASURE your success?
Answer: I think my goals were achieved. I worked hard and have learned so much in the short amount of time that I have been employed here. I am semi independant now and can handle most problems on my own without the help of coworkers. I have learned how to use many programs including but not limited to Photoshop, Excel and many Adobe products. I have also learned things that I would never have known about Word and PowerPoint. Going into the next semester I am confident that I will be able to handle even the toughest questions on my own.
Question: Imagine a new employee starts working at The Commons, and you are chatting with them about some of the challenges of this job. What client behaviour or attitude do you find most challenging to deal with? What’s one tip or trick you would share with them about dealing with difficult/challenging clients?
Answer: I agree with Ryan in that the most challenging clients I’ve dealt with refuse to work with you to solve the problem and want an immediate fix which is not always possible. I’ve also had very aggressive clients who become frustrated very quickly if a situation is not resolved immediately. Although, this can be understandable if the problem needs a solution in a very time sensitive manner, I just try my best to help them as quickly as possible with minimal collateral damage.
Question: We are always preaching the importance of “owning the problem”, and during training I always say that this job is less about knowing the answers, and more about effectively finding the answers. Describe a time when you really took ownership of something for a client. How did your thoroughness help prevent further work for them?
Answer: A client recently came up to me asking to import an audio file from her voice recorder to her computer. I’ve never encountered working with voice recorders before and we both worked together to save it to her computer. Afterwards she needed to erase the recording from the voice recorder and we both couldn’t figure out how to do so. So, I looked up the model of the recorder and so I used google to help me figure out how to delete the audio file from the voice recorder.
Question: Log into Brightspace and enter the course called Commons & DMC Training (you should all have access. If you don’t, message me ASAP!). Complete the quiz called “Work Diaries Fall 2017 W6 – Policies & Procedures”. Comment below when you have completed the quiz. You should be able to see your grade immediately.
Answer: Status- Completed
Question: In three words, how would your coworkers describe you? How does this differ from how clients would describe you? How your friends would describe you?
Answer: Coworkers: New, Outgoing, Curious
Clients: Happy, Patient, Dependable
Friends: Loyal, Funny, Conscientious
Question: This ol’ chestnut.Time to share your knowledge! What’s a technical trick you’ve used this semester to get a client out of a bind?
Answer: A client was having trouble printing a PDF from his BrightSpace account. There were 10 pages in total and only 4 printed with words cropped out of the margins, so I got him to download the PDF onto the desktop and print it from there. It worked like a charm and I refunded him for the 4 pages in the first attempt!
QUESTION: What is a personality type that you are most likely to conflict with at work? (This may refer to a co-worker or a supervisor). What difficulties do you encounter when working with this personality type? How do you keep yourself motivated when you encounter this personality type and ensure that everything runs smoothly in the workplace?
ANSWER: I find it difficult to work with people who look down on others for not knowing as much as them. It is difficult to learn when others are making you feel unqualified for the job by not immediately knowing everything there is to know.
I keep myself motivated by not focusing on their negativity and learning things to the best of my abilities. It’s best to ignore their need to make you feel inferior in place of learning how to work with the programs to the best of my abilities.
Question: Focus your energy by setting a goal for yourself this semester. This goal doesn’t need to be technical, but it does need to be SMART:
S – Specific
- What exactly do you want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? HOW will you achieve it?
M – Measurable
- How will you track your progress? How will you know when you have achieved your goal? What is the concrete evidence of success?
A – Attainable
- Is this goal something that you can realistically achieve in the defined time frame?
R – Relevant
- The goal must be important to you, right now. Decide on something that’s meaningful to you.
T – Timely
- Give yourself a deadline – for you, it’s the end of the semester! Select a goal that can realistically, measurably be achieved within the next 10 weeks.
ANSWER:
S– I want to be more independent and not have to rely on coworkers for help with difficult questions. As a new employee, I find myself leaning on coworkers a lot as they have plenty of experience with much of the software that I am not equipped in. So, I want to become knowledgeable in all the programs in my field so that I don’t rely on my coworkers as much and can solve problems on my own. I will achieve this by learning how to work Bitrix and the MUN Lab Assistant Tool as well as learning the programs through CS challenges and working with clients.
M– I will track my progress through what programs I feel confident in and what programs I need more help in. If I do not feel confident with a program then I will make a point to learn from my coworkers as well as use my time at the desk to properly understand different programs such as Photoshop or Excel so that I have a more broad knowledge. I will know that I have achieved my goal when I am able to independently answer clients questions with confidence and without the help of my coworkers. The concrete evidence of my success is me being a good employee who is helpful and knowledgeable.
A-Yes, my goal is achievable because I have a good work ethic and a strong desire to learn and to assist others. I am constantly taking notes and learning something new every time I walk through the library doors.
R– This goal is important to me because I want to be able to confidently assist people. It is also beneficial for my future, computers and technology run our society’s infrastructure. To have knowledge in these programs can open many doors and provide me with multiple opportunities in my future.
T– I know I can achieve this goal by the end of the semester as I continue to learn and work effectively with my coworkers and on my DMC/CS challenges.