Completed on September 1, 2020
I am currently entering my second year as a computer science major at UBC. This was my first year working with FACTSnet. This year, I worked as a member of the IT team to develop and update the blogger websites to display the content provided by other FACTS teams.
My summer job working for FACTSnet has been an excellent experience. Although I am officially a part of the IT team, I have worked on numerous projects with various different groups within FACTS. A substantial portion of my first 7 weeks was spent completing the COVID-19 school web review initiative. This included the creation of web reviews for schools across Alberta as well as the sending of emails to each school. In addition to the web reviews completed for the COVID-19 school initiative, I also created reviews on both schools and organizations for the Alberta/Japan network.
Although the former half of my summer was primarily spent on menial tasks, as I grew more familiar with the way in which FACTSnet operates, I took on a larger responsibility in updating and organizing the blogger websites. As a result, the latter half was dedicated almost entirely to creating new blogger websites for Global Soul Wellness and Global Soul Care as well as making improvements to pre-existing networks for Alberta/Japan, Mental Health, FACTSnet Canada, and the Spruce Grove Heritage Network. Alongside creating the websites, I was also responsible for updating each site with the content provided by their respective groups. Through the continuous development of the themes and formatting of the websites, I was able to attain a more comprehensive understanding of front-end programming, CSS, and HTML. Being my first job, this experience has also provided me with an array of skills that will undoubtedly be beneficial in upcoming job prospects. By working and having to frequently communicate with a diverse group of individuals, I gained valuable experience in working as a team and practicing clear communication.
In spite of all the benefits that this job has provided me with, there was also a minor issue with organization. In the beginning, instructions were frequently unclear resulting in me having to contact my supervisor regularly to receive clarification on my responsibilities as an employee. However, the update to the Guidelines and Standards combined with the assignment to go over it while answering a set of related questions increased the clarity significantly and eliminated all prior confusion.
All of my current tasks have been completed, but there are still improvements that can be made to the blogger websites. Content also has to be added as it is created and made ready for publishing. In particular, the Alberta/Japan network has the content for an additional anime related blog that is ready for publishing. For further details, the IT summer 2020 planning doc has a list of tasks that still need to be completed.
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