Naeemah Shah
BA: Major in Political Science
Where did Naeemah work?
Work Term 1 and 2 (8 months):
HR Administrative Support, National Research Council (NRC)
What did Naeemah accomplish?
Main Tasks
In her position as HR Administrative Support, Naeemah assisted with many aspects of the NRC’s hiring process, including greeting candidates, conducting mock interviews and group tests, and receiving interview panel members as they arrived. Additionally, Naeemah helped with active recruitment for NRC by contacting candidates on LinkedIn, setting up phone conversations, and encouraging them to apply for the job. Lastly, although it was not part of her main task, Naeemah requested to help with projects related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), as she had an interest in equitable policy. “Working in EDI was a chance to help make the public service more inclusive for historically marginalized people,” Naeemah revealed.
Major Accomplishment
Naeemah was most proud of the additional EDI projects she took on. The goal for her EDI work at NRC was to create a welcoming space for everyone. Therefore, she helped with things such as accessibility checklists, by making sure all events were accessible for everyone, and working past any mobility issues. She also helped with creating a multi-faith room, by looking at what specifications the room would have, such as lighting. Lastly, she supported the development of a land acknowledgement at NRC and ways to make NRC more inclusive for Indigenous employees. She created a land acknowledgment and Indigenous employee retention plan and presented her research through a presentation to the team.
What challenges did Naeemah overcome?
Naeemah found it hard at first to find a balance between her original HR Administrative Support duties and the others she requested to take on. She went into the position knowing she had an interest in active recruitment and EDI due to having an interest in law and equitable policy. Therefore, she was thankful that NRC allowed her to take on work she was interested in, but she had to fulfill her original duties first. To do this, Naeemah developed the habit of having good time management skills by keeping a detailed to-do list to ensure she accomplished tasks by their designated deadlines.
How did Arts Co-op Benefit Naeemah?
Link between Academics and Work
Naeemah’s work term with NRC gave her the chance to apply her interests from her degree to the workplace. As a Political Science major, Naeemah was interested in a future career in policy. Working on equitable hiring policies gave her a chance to learn more about the intricacies of working in policy. Naeemah planned to attend law school after obtaining her degree but was unsure about what field of law to go into. After working at the NRC, Naeemah took an interest in employment law and is excited to continue learning about the field.
Preparation for Post-Graduation
Working at NRC allowed Naeemah to feel more prepared for post-graduation by developing new skills for her resume. “I am a more competitive person because of my work terms,” she claimed. Additionally, the UBC Arts Co-op program gave Naeemah the stepping stone to test out the field of employment law, which she always had in mind, and realize it is what she loves doing. “The EDI projects I did helped me figure out my path because it pertains to employment,” Naeemah expressed.
What is Naeemah’s favorite part of Arts Co-op?
“My favorite part of the Arts Co-op program is being able to explore different fields and roles before I graduate,” Naeemah stated. Before working at NRC, Naeemah knew her goal was to go to law school. However, she was not sure about what her focus in law school would be. Her work at NRC allowed her to gain experience in employment law and connections with coworkers who are in the field. By talking to labour relations specialists she was able to learn more about unions, hiring practices and handling of workplace conflicts. Naeemah reflects, “I now have more of a direction of what I want to study in the future.”
Naeemah Shah
BA: Major in Political Science
Where did Naeemah work?
Work Term 1 and 2 (8 months):
HR Administrative Support, National Research Council (NRC)
What did Naeemah accomplish?
Main Tasks
In her position as HR Administrative Support, Naeemah assisted with many aspects of the NRC’s hiring process, including greeting candidates, conducting mock interviews and group tests, and receiving interview panel members as they arrived. Additionally, Naeemah helped with active recruitment for NRC by contacting candidates on LinkedIn, setting up phone conversations, and encouraging them to apply for the job. Lastly, although it was not part of her main task, Naeemah requested to help with projects related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), as she had an interest in equitable policy. “Working in EDI was a chance to help make the public service more inclusive for historically marginalized people,” Naeemah revealed.
Major Accomplishment
Naeemah was most proud of the additional EDI projects she took on. The goal for her EDI work at NRC was to create a welcoming space for everyone. Therefore, she helped with things such as accessibility checklists, by making sure all events were accessible for everyone, and working past any mobility issues. She also helped with creating a multi-faith room, by looking at what specifications the room would have, such as lighting. Lastly, she supported the development of a land acknowledgement at NRC and ways to make NRC more inclusive for Indigenous employees. She created a land acknowledgment and Indigenous employee retention plan and presented her research through a presentation to the team.
What challenges did Naeemah overcome?
Naeemah found it hard at first to find a balance between her original HR Administrative Support duties and the others she requested to take on. She went into the position knowing she had an interest in active recruitment and EDI due to having an interest in law and equitable policy. Therefore, she was thankful that NRC allowed her to take on work she was interested in, but she had to fulfill her original duties first. To do this, Naeemah developed the habit of having good time management skills by keeping a detailed to-do list to ensure she accomplished tasks by their designated deadlines.
How did Arts Co-op Benefit Naeemah?
Link between Academics and Work
Naeemah’s work term with NRC gave her the chance to apply her interests from her degree to the workplace. As a Political Science major, Naeemah was interested in a future career in policy. Working on equitable hiring policies gave her a chance to learn more about the intricacies of working in policy. Naeemah planned to attend law school after obtaining her degree but was unsure about what field of law to go into. After working at the NRC, Naeemah took an interest in employment law and is excited to continue learning about the field.
Preparation for Post-Graduation
Working at NRC allowed Naeemah to feel more prepared for post-graduation by developing new skills for her resume. “I am a more competitive person because of my work terms,” she claimed. Additionally, the UBC Arts Co-op program gave Naeemah the stepping stone to test out the field of employment law, which she always had in mind, and realize it is what she loves doing. “The EDI projects I did helped me figure out my path because it pertains to employment,” Naeemah expressed.
What is Naeemah’s favorite part of Arts Co-op?
“My favorite part of the Arts Co-op program is being able to explore different fields and roles before I graduate,” Naeemah stated. Before working at NRC, Naeemah knew her goal was to go to law school. However, she was not sure about what her focus in law school would be. Her work at NRC allowed her to gain experience in employment law and connections with coworkers who are in the field. By talking to labour relations specialists she was able to learn more about unions, hiring practices and handling of workplace conflicts. Naeemah reflects, “I now have more of a direction of what I want to study in the future.”