Mills College

SAW Pod Leader

July 2020 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

I enjoyed connecting with students and serving as a resource and community builder for them. I also appreciated the personal growth I experienced in creating a curriculum around equity and inclusion.

What I wish was different

The hiring process and paperwork were filed incorrectly by the administrative offices. I wish the process was more organized and that my pay reflected what my hiring contract had stated.

Advice

Working with others means that you have to create and maintain the capacity to connect within yourself. Avoiding burnout and focusing on your own care outside the job is paramount.

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Barrett Research Scholar

May - August 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

Hands-on research experience.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

I loved being able to do original research mentored by both a professor and more experienced students. I also got to practice a number of procedures independently and gained experience, confidence, and independence in the lab.

What I wish was different

I wish that I could have worked longer hours and that there was more collaboration between labs.

Advice

Apply even if you’re not sure if you’re qualified. The Barrett Summer Research Program is far more accessible to students than it appears. Many people don’t apply because they don’t think they’re qualified for it but they are.

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Mills' Fitness Center employee

May - August 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

Working in a new milieu Meeting new people Regular hours Supportive team Feeling like I was the team lead.

What I wish was different

I wish Middlebury had had another week on campus. This semester, I wish I could have managed as many hours on shift as I did over the summer; I miss that feeling of connectedness.

Advice

Even if it means asking a dozen non-related questions, never assume anything.

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Peer Assistant for Hellman Summer Science and Math Program

July - August 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

This year the Hellman program and the SAW program collaborated together to create connections with one another. It was great that students, from each program, had the opportunity to take classes with each other and learn a little about social justice and the sciences.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Student Assistant, Donor Engagement and Stewardship

May 2017 - September 2019 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

worked closely with Director of Donor Engagement and Stewardship many opportunities to learn about donor stewardship and non-profit administration able to focus on projects I enjoy and learn more about things I am interested in (i.e writing, reporting, design) event planning

What I wish was different

more collaboration with other development team members metrics (for me + coworkers) to feel more directed/ know if what I'm doing has tangible impact more training opportunities (for me + coworkers) to utilize our existing resources more effectively

Advice

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fitness center

May - August 2018 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

- flexible hours - approachable management

What I wish was different

- more clear communication

Advice

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Summer Orientation Coordinator

June - September 2018 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

It's great to work closely with the pro staff. Also, the role has a lot of autonomy.

What I wish was different

A bigger budget would be great.

Advice

You have to plan early on and do as much of the more tedious, time-consuming tasks early in the summer. As orientation gets closer, it gets more hectic. And you must be hyper-organized.

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Art Gallery Assistant

May 2018 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

I loved getting to say hi to everyone visiting the museum, and getting to see art everyday. I had art books to look at, new people to direct on campus, and I even helped host a few events. I loved the social and art-appreciative atmosphere of the job without feeling hurried or overworked.

What I wish was different

I wish the supplies and storage space of the museum's kitchen-region would have been explained a little more clearly, or maybe just a little cleaner when I had to walk through the area. I wonder if it's ever cleaned at all. It was also hard to go to the bathroom on the weekends, since most doors are locked. On a side note, I might have preferred more hours on the job, at least during the summer.

Advice

Make sure you put on an engaging social persona when needed, and call ahead of time when opening or closing the museum, give some "wiggle-room time" for campus security to arrive with the keys.

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Barrett Summer Researcher

May - July 2018 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

Opportunity to participate in a research team and gain real world experience in data collection, establishing experiments, and scientific process as applied to natural systems.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to participate in other aspects of the team and gain more experience doing other tasks.

Advice

Ask questions to further your understanding and be self motivated in projects.

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Information technology

May 2017 • Oakland, CA

What I liked

I really enjoyed feeling welcomed to this team of wonderful people. They took me in and trained me well enough to go on my own with technical support. They have been very helpful in making sure I know what I am doing and understanding when things came up.

What I wish was different

There was a time in the summer where I wished I could have gotten paid to leave early on the Fridays like my supervisors :(. I genuinely love my job and my work environment. Everyone is so friendly and helpful.

Advice

Ask a lot of questions! My supervisors are so eager to have their brain picked at so I always ask questions for clarification or just because I want to know something

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