Facilitating community recreational programs on co-op
Musabbiha Meghjee (she/her) is in her fourth year of Recreation and Sports Business with a minor in Event Management. She discusses how she honed her skills and discovered her career path through her four work terms.
Musabbiha's co-op journey:
Work terms one, two and four: At Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS), Musabbiha was a community recreation facilitator. She planned and ran various recreation programs for adults with brain injuries, ranging from exercise and music, to travel and art programs. She also ran a writing and Toastmasters program.
Work term three: As an operations intern at Sporting Life, Musabbiha helped with inventory pricing, marketing and warehouse in store. Additionally, she got to work with the corporate team in the head office and report her improvement suggestions to her supervisor.
Q&A with Musabbiha:
What accomplishments are you proud of from your work terms?
“Since I went back three times to CHIRS, I realized that over time I grew and was able to hone my skills. I got more comfortable and my colleagues trusted me more. Especially during my third work term with them, I was handling a lot of different responsibilities and taking on a lot of work that I didn’t get to do during my first term. It made me more confident.”
“During my second term there, I started a writing program which is still running. That was how I wanted to leave my legacy at the organization. The staff now run it for the clients and that was a big accomplishment.”
“I was trusted with a lot of tasks from different departments, and I got to try my hand at things that maybe weren’t necessarily in my area of expertise but taught me a lot.”
"At Sporting Life, I was able to work with different teams efficiently and got comfortable with presenting and analyzing my in-store observations.”
How has co-op helped you with your career goals?
“It’s helped me gain confidence, which is necessary for when I go into the workforce. I can trust myself and not be shy while sharing my ideas. I also learned collaboration skills because I worked and communicated a lot in a team.”
“I learned adaptivity because you don’t really know what to expect with co-op and I was adapting every day. I learned how to constantly be on my feet and keep up with timelines and stressful situations. All these skills have prepared me as a worker and bettered me as a person.”
What advice would you give to someone to ace their interviews?
“Just be yourself and put the most authentic version of yourself out there. What personally helped me was researching the job that I was interviewing for and trying to link my own skills and approach to their needs.”
“Practice questions and mock interviews always prepare me for the interview and calm my nerves because there are certain standard questions that you will be asked in most interviews, so preparing those answers helps.”
“Just try your best and don’t be too hard on yourself. It may take a few tries, but practice makes perfect.”
“Be open and honest and something will work out for you. Don’t worry too much!”
How did you collaborate with your colleagues effectively?
“Open and consistent communication was an important skill at both my co-op jobs. My coworkers and I would update each other frequently in our group chat and eventually built a relationship beyond the workplace. We were more like friends than colleagues which is part of the reason I wanted to keep returning to CHIRS. We would have regular meetings where we could brainstorm together and I was quite comfortable pitching different ideas to the group.”
What’s next for you?
“I’m graduating soon and I want to do something in the sports industry. I enjoy coaching soccer, so I may get a full coaching certificate and work with little kids. I have also always dreamed of working at a big sporting company such as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, like most people in my program do. I was also thinking of completing a master's in Recreation and Leisure to be able to work my way up. I want to gain relevant experience to find what my true passion.”