The Morrill Tower Front Desk

Welcome to Morrill! How can I help you? This year, I was an office assistant, or OA, for Morrill Tower. I began working in October and will return to the job in August to help open the building for residents. My job duties include helping to sort the 100+ packages that Morrill receives daily, managing keys for residents so they can get into their rooms, answering the phone to both students and parents, solving any problems that residents may bring to us, and keep the tower secure and safe.

In this job, I learned customer-service based skills, such as communication and thinking on-the-spot as I served the residents. I also learned time management and teamwork skills as my deskmate and I worked to complete shift tasks. Most importantly, I learned about diversity and inclusion. Of our 1300 residents, many of them are international students and speak multiple languages. I loved learning about different cultures from them and my coworkers. Working at Morrill has been such a rewarding experience, and I am so glad to have had it.

I had never had a job in high school, so it was very different for me, learning how to balance work and school work. I was allowed to study during my shifts, but it was always the last priority. You could never trust you will have time to finish a really important assignment, so anything vital had to be done on your own time. This time management skill has really helped me with prioritizing my homework, and I hardly ever feel rushed or panicked now.

My critical thinking skills also have improved drastically. When you have a person on the phone, you can not tell them, “well, give me a few minutes to think.” You have to immediately have an answer, or know which direction to head for a solution. I no longer say “um” anymore, or get nervous when people ask me questions I do not know the answer to.

I am really glad that I got this job, and I am grateful for everything I have learned along the way. I work with a lot of great people from all over the world. I will never forget this experience.

How I chose my path: English-Professional Writing

Image result for professional writingI have always loved reading. In the third grade, I read more than a million words on my hour-long bus rides to and from school. English has always been my easiest subject, and my favorite.

As I got older, I began to write in my free time. A poem here, a short story there, mostly to share with my sister. I always loved making her laugh with my stories.

When I came to college, I knew I wanted to continue writing in some form.  I wanted to explore my interests, but I also wanted to develop a valuable skill that would be used the rest of my life. At first, I just added the professional writing minor. But, as I took more classes, I realized just five writing classes would not be enough to satisfy my love of language. So, I added a second major in English, making professional writing my specialization.

How I chose my path: Operations Management

Image result for operations managementAs you grow up, there is a lot a talk about what job you will have. In school, you go to class, and learn about subjects such as science in history. So, where did I learn about Operation Management?

In truth, I began looking into business not because I knew  what I wanted to do, but because I knew what I did not want to do. I did not want to be in a S.T.E.M. field, I did not want to work with children. That helped me narrow down my search to a few categories. From there, I started researching different business degrees.

As I browsed the internet, trying to decide what would be my future, I came across a list of different careers in business. There was accounting, finance, all the ones I had heard of time and time again. But, I saw something that was unfamiliar to me- supply chain management.

Curious, I delved deeper. There I found a degree that put on the perfect path for what I wanted in the future. It was analytical, but it also dealt with people. It was a field that thrived off of innovation and technology. Most importantly, it was a field that held hundreds of distinct jobs with different responsibilities. I was instantly hooked.

The more I learn about Operations Management, the happier I become with my career choice. I know its strange to be so sure, even before starting college, but I know through Ohio State and Fisher, I’ll be able to find a job that I love.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]