After getting a bit of a head start on my university coursework, I decided to dedicate some time today to work on polishing up my other skills and also learning some new ones.
For starters, I learned some important tips regarding proper email etiquette. I always thought I was pretty good at writing professional emails considering never really learning how to do it. Even so, I still found room for improvement and took my emails to a whole new level.
Another thing I learned is just how much seemingly little tasks matter. I learned the importance of taking notes of your work and reflecting on it as a way to improve. Starting to develop habits like that may not seem like a lot, but it truly feels like I am preparing for a real workplace experience. This way the transition will be more seamless when I do start working after I finish my degree, something I feel university classes don't prepare you for.
Lastly, the highlight of my lessons was getting into the habit of doing stand-ups, as well as familiarizing myself with retrospectives. Stand-ups are a great way to practice communication with your team. These short updates of what you're up to when you're working really bring out the feeling that even though you may be working independently, you and your coworkers all work as a team. Retrospectives serve a similar purpose, but they are done at the end of the week, or each sprint. In this case, your task is to reflect on your work and figure out what went well and what could have gone better.
There are also one-on-ones and planning sessions. The first one focuses on your personal development and achievements, while the second is a reserved time for you and your team to plan out the work that is to be completed in the upcoming sprint.
Taking this break from studying computer science theories all the time and starting to learn some real world career tips was a much needed refresher. I hope to learn more as I move forward.
Top comments (0)