Learning how to cohesively work together in our SAF Crew

Thursday, April 23, 2020
by Jane, Srija, Jia, Ayden, Harry and Danial, SAF

Jane Li, Srija Maddipatla, Jia Park, Ayden Sahib, Harry Soo, Danial Zaidi
We’ve had to work with our Crews a lot over these past two terms. And when I say it’s a lot, it’s a lot. It can be tough, even down right irritating sometimes! But it can also be so, so great. Working in Crews has taught us so much, ranging from learning how to cohesively work together as one, to finding all the best places for Shawarma in town.

On a more serious note, teamwork is one of the best attributes of the Crew system in the School of Accounting and Finance. This term all six of us have been taking a course called Introduction to Global Financial Markets and having a Crew to work with in tutorials is a godsend. We work on the complicated and super hard worksheets together—learning and teaching each other in the process. As a result, everyone has a deeper understanding of the concepts as they have both taught and been taught the concept on a micro level.

As well, strong teamwork skills are one of the most frequently looked for quality in a potential employee. If you have this on your resume (and you can prove it), you can set yourself apart from the competition. Simply because it means you’re great at interacting with people, working in uncomfortable situations with a team you may not know that well, and can communicate and collaborate with people easily. It means you’re a great fit! So welcome to the company! (You know, maybe with a few other considerations too…)

We have learned all of these skills by working with our SAF Crew. Are you interested in doing the same?


Individuals perform better and get more from their experiences when they are supported by a group of their peers. That’s why learning teams are used at Columbia Business School, work teams are used at Google, and training teams are used by Olympians. SAF Crews are groups of 5-6 students that support each other through the first year SAF experience. Crew members build strong working relationships with each other, attend events together and support each other’s professional awareness and academic success.