When I choose a co-op placement, I look for a workplace that has a welcoming work culture, that cares about me and my future and gives me work I look forward to doing. Luckily for me, all these things and more have been provided by the EPICentre. From the moment I sat down at my desk my two co-workers warmly welcomed me into their office by talking about themselves and inviting me into there discussions. I find myself struggling to talk to new people and their initiative and friendly attitude made it easier for me to work, ask questions and discuss a variety of topics. The warm work environment extends to the rest of the office everyone I have interacted with from fellow co-workers, mentors and start-ups have always been very friendly and insightful. Being treated as an equal among these impressive people fills me with a sense of pride and motivation to work even harder not only at work but on personal ventures as well.

Speaking of personal ventures, I founded A business called What’s In Windsor which aims to bring focus on the lesser-known restaurants that help make Windsor feel special. When I mentioned it to my co-workers everyone was supportive and offered their advice on how I could grow it. Their response and willingness to help me has made me feel like they care about me as an individual, which not only says wonders for the company culture, but it also shows that your employer cares about you and in turn, makes you care about the company. Everyone has been very helpful in giving me advice on my future from pointing out things to add to my resume, inviting me to workshops or going out of their way to introduce me to people who can help me out in the future. For the month that I have spent, I can say that I am beyond happy with where I work and who I work with.

We covered where and who, now it’s time to discuss what. At any job, I look for a variety of tasks and responsibilities to perform. This way I can stay interested in my work and don’t get bored of doing the same repetitive task, with the multiple programs and competitions the EPICentre has I am always moving from one task to another keeping me engaged and excited to see what’s next. I am also given the freedom to complete work on how I feel it should be created and give my own creative insight. They are always open to my ideas and suggestions and give me the freedom to choose how I want to solve a problem. The work I am given is also important for the success of a lot of their programs such as the Discovery and VentureWoman programs. Every day at the EPICentre is full of fun, hard work and learning. I can fully recommend this co-op position for anyone who wants challenging, diverse and important work. In a welcoming, encouraging and motivating environment.