Stephanie Reczka
BA 2011: Major Anthropology, Minor Music
Where did Stephanie work?
Work Term 1 (8 months):
Diamond Ball Assistant, Canadian Cancer Society
Work Term 2 (4 months):
Museum Assistant – Curatorial, Langley Centennial Museum
What did Stephanie accomplish?
Canadian Cancer Society
As a Diamond Ball Assistant for 8 months, Stephanie’s main responsibility was to organize the silent auction at an annual fundraising event, the Diamond Ball. In order to ensure the silent auction’s success, she utilized her abilities to multi-task when calling and corresponding with auction donors, getting forms signed, and arranging for the timely pick up of auction items. In addition, her writing skills were put to the test when writing short, engaging descriptions for all silent auction items in the auction catalogue. Her most memorable experience was the night of the Diamond Ball, when she was able to see all that she accomplished over her 8-month work term.
Langley Centennial Museum
Stephanie was able to combine her academic studies with her work experience in the position of Curatorial Assistant. She helped out with exhibits and assisted with the set up, including making decisions regarding placement of the art work, getting an opportunity to meet some of the artists. In addition, she worked with the museum collection and database; and was responsible for the cleanup of the data base, entering donated items into the system, successfully clearing up the backlog.
What would Stephanie tell others about Arts Co-op?
To prospective students Stephanie says, “In co-op, you can see a variety of jobs and try different things without committing to a career. After working in fundraising for 8 months with people who were very passionate about their jobs, I was able to see that I didn’t have the same passion and that this wasn’t where I wanted to be in 5 or 10 years.” Stephanie understands “how important it is to try out different things, even if it’s not your dream job. Co-op gives you the opportunity to learn a variety of transferable skills that will help you get jobs in the future. Even though I had previous experience in a museum, it was the transferable skills I gained at the Canadian Cancers Society that put me ahead of the other candidates when I applied for the position at the Langley Centennial Museum.” Her writing, organization, and communication skills that she gained as a Diamond Ball Assistant will be a great asset to Stephanie in her future career.
How did Arts Co-op benefit Stephanie?
Discovery of a Career Path
Over the summer of 2010 Stephanie dreamed of obtaining a job in archaeology and decided to conduct a self-directed job search. Due to the limited opportunities and the difficulties she had finding this type of work; she applied to positions in museums as a backup. She decided to accept a position with the Langley Centennial Museum, where she enjoyed the challenging tasks her position entailed, and began re-evaluating her career plans; upon graduation, Stephanie would like to pursue Museum Studies and eventually work at a museum.
Skills & Experience for a Head Start
Stephanie values the relevant work experience she has gained so far, as it is something most people don’t have an opportunity to obtain this early. Stephanie truly understands the stepping stone process that Co-op provides. Her experience at the Canadian Cancer Society, combined with archaeological field school at SFU gave Stephanie the skills to obtain a paid work study position in the Laboratory of Archaeology at UBC. The skills she gained at the Lab, combined with her previous experiences made her a strong candidate for the job at the Langley Centennial Museum. Finally, her work at the museum and experience working at the lab gave Stephanie an opportunity to take on more responsibilities at the Lab of Archaeology. In this way, Stephanie has been able to build on her transferable skills to obtain positions which are more challenging, and related to her academic studies.
Stephanie Reczka
BA 2011: Major Anthropology, Minor Music
Where did Stephanie work?
Work Term 1 (8 months):
Diamond Ball Assistant, Canadian Cancer Society
Work Term 2 (4 months):
Museum Assistant – Curatorial, Langley Centennial Museum
What did Stephanie accomplish?
Canadian Cancer Society
As a Diamond Ball Assistant for 8 months, Stephanie’s main responsibility was to organize the silent auction at an annual fundraising event, the Diamond Ball. In order to ensure the silent auction’s success, she utilized her abilities to multi-task when calling and corresponding with auction donors, getting forms signed, and arranging for the timely pick up of auction items. In addition, her writing skills were put to the test when writing short, engaging descriptions for all silent auction items in the auction catalogue. Her most memorable experience was the night of the Diamond Ball, when she was able to see all that she accomplished over her 8-month work term.
Langley Centennial Museum
Stephanie was able to combine her academic studies with her work experience in the position of Curatorial Assistant. She helped out with exhibits and assisted with the set up, including making decisions regarding placement of the art work, getting an opportunity to meet some of the artists. In addition, she worked with the museum collection and database; and was responsible for the cleanup of the data base, entering donated items into the system, successfully clearing up the backlog.
What would Stephanie tell others about Arts Co-op?
To prospective students Stephanie says, “In co-op, you can see a variety of jobs and try different things without committing to a career. After working in fundraising for 8 months with people who were very passionate about their jobs, I was able to see that I didn’t have the same passion and that this wasn’t where I wanted to be in 5 or 10 years.” Stephanie understands “how important it is to try out different things, even if it’s not your dream job. Co-op gives you the opportunity to learn a variety of transferable skills that will help you get jobs in the future. Even though I had previous experience in a museum, it was the transferable skills I gained at the Canadian Cancers Society that put me ahead of the other candidates when I applied for the position at the Langley Centennial Museum.” Her writing, organization, and communication skills that she gained as a Diamond Ball Assistant will be a great asset to Stephanie in her future career.
How did Arts Co-op benefit Stephanie?
Discovery of a Career Path
Over the summer of 2010 Stephanie dreamed of obtaining a job in archaeology and decided to conduct a self-directed job search. Due to the limited opportunities and the difficulties she had finding this type of work; she applied to positions in museums as a backup. She decided to accept a position with the Langley Centennial Museum, where she enjoyed the challenging tasks her position entailed, and began re-evaluating her career plans; upon graduation, Stephanie would like to pursue Museum Studies and eventually work at a museum.
Skills & Experience for a Head Start
Stephanie values the relevant work experience she has gained so far, as it is something most people don’t have an opportunity to obtain this early. Stephanie truly understands the stepping stone process that Co-op provides. Her experience at the Canadian Cancer Society, combined with archaeological field school at SFU gave Stephanie the skills to obtain a paid work study position in the Laboratory of Archaeology at UBC. The skills she gained at the Lab, combined with her previous experiences made her a strong candidate for the job at the Langley Centennial Museum. Finally, her work at the museum and experience working at the lab gave Stephanie an opportunity to take on more responsibilities at the Lab of Archaeology. In this way, Stephanie has been able to build on her transferable skills to obtain positions which are more challenging, and related to her academic studies.