Summer Students Share Their Experience with Circle of Care
Circle of Care is a proud supporter of student learning opportunities, and partner with numerous colleges and universities in the Toronto area to give students the ability to learn and grow in the healthcare field. As the summer comes to a close, we asked our students to share their perspectives on what it was like working at Circle of Care. Here are some of their responses:
“While in my position working with the Volunteer Resources Department, I worked with Bereavement, Hospice and Social Work clients. I helped facilitate the bereavement intake process, developed care plans for clients, supported counselling phone calls, and co-facilitated support groups. I not only learned the importance of building trust and rapport with clients, but I was also provided with a valuable opportunity to further develop my active and attentive listening, counselling skills, putting into practice organizing strategies that assist with balancing a caseload, and resourcefulness strategies that assist with connecting clients to resources and services. Overall, it has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience to learn from my colleagues and clients.”
– Iris G., Volunteer Resources Summer Student
“I was a Human Resources (HR) Summer Student Staff Training and Development Officer. I worked with both the Training and Development and Communications departments. There are many great opportunities for expanding your knowledge in many different subject areas. For example, I was in HR but I also developed valuable communication and research skills. In addition, I expanded my healthcare knowledge through researching mental and physical diseases, educating employees on different types of mobility devices, and how to care for clients. Something that brought meaning to my work was realizing how much my work benefits clients and employees through the education and resources it provides them. Working at Circle of Care brought me out of my comfort zone and, in turn, helped to foster my personal and career growth.”
– Stefanie M., Training and Development and Communications Summer Student
“Over the past four months I had the pleasure of working as a summer student with the Quality, Risk, and Performance team at Circle of Care. This placement marked my first experience working in the health industry, and I could not have asked for a more positive introduction to work in this sector. As a member of the Quality, Risk, and Performance team, I appreciated the freedom I was given to take the lead on projects, while also feeling supported by members of the quality team during times of need. One thing I really enjoyed about my work this summer was the opportunity to virtually lead meetings with other staff members from different departments for one of the Quality team’s projects. These conversations allowed me to gain an understanding of Circle of Care, which I would not have been able to achieve by sifting through documents or analyzing data alone. Thank you to everyone who helped make my experience with Circle of Care a great one!”
– Colleen K., Quality, Risk, and Performance Summer Student
“I worked as a student on Circle of Care’s HR team. In this position, I had an amazing role that involved supporting the recruitment process and liaising with colleagues and new hires. Each day, I stepped out of my comfort zone and got involved with projects providing various means of exposure that is crucial and beneficial not only for the professional expansion, but it also helped me learn to cope with the current reality. It helped me realize the areas I excelled in and at those I needed to develop more.
One of the things that I liked when working at Circle of Care is finding that sense of purpose that enables me to build a new skill-set and put everything I have learned into action. It is rewarding to see candidates I spoke with begin their new roles at Circle of Care. I realized that whatever I worked on, big or small, had an impact on the community and organization’s goals which gave me a huge sense of pride and satisfaction. It’s one of the many things that I find intrinsically motivating.
To the future students of Circle of Care, do not be afraid to take on more tasks, utilize all your resources when needed, and put forth your best effort. The only way that you will be able to get a firm grasp on your professional responsibilities is to learn how to do it properly from others who know more. I feel that the knowledge I have gained and the overall experience has prepared me for my next HR role.”
– Elka Z., Human Resources Summer Student
“Working as a student with Circle of Care’s Communications team this summer has been an exciting, invaluable, and unforgettable experience. This position has taught me the importance of communication between an organization and its external and internal stakeholders in a healthcare environment. Communication is the core aspect in bridging together many individuals, including Circle of Care staff, clients, caregivers, volunteers, and students. I am grateful for the opportunity to help maintain that connection. Over the past 4 months, I had the pleasure of maintaining weekly web content for our Personal Support Workers, redesigning website pages to meet AODA compliance, designing digital advertising materials for clients and our corporate employees, and writing articles. Nonetheless, I am appreciative to be a part of an organization and team where creativity was not limited but rather encouraged. Thank you to the Communications team for your mentorship and guidance this summer!
– Pooja S., Communications Summer Student
“Working as Circle of Care’s Client Services team this summer has truly been a rewarding experience. From day one, Circle of Care has created a welcoming and caring work environment. I had the opportunity to work with some amazing staff members and I appreciate the time and effort my team has put into training and helping me throughout these past few months. I encourage future students to continue to ask questions because Circle of Care staff are always happy to help. I had a great summer and I hope to return to Circle of Care in the future!”
– Kirsten S., Client Services Summer Student
“As a student studying Social Work, I worked with Circle of Care’s Volunteer Resources Department and was lucky enough to be on the Hospice and Bereavement team for the past summer. Circle of Care gave me invaluable client-facing experiences; from co-facilitating groups, to managing my own caseload of clients. I loved being part of the close knit team and the feeling of being valued and appreciated by my supervisors. Without a doubt, my favourite memories from my time at Circle of Care is seeing all of my clients smile whenever I showed up for a home visit.”
– Nicola F., Hospice & Bereavement Summer Student
“My time as a HR student with Circle of Care has provided me with an opportunity to learn and grow in many more ways than I had anticipated. I am so grateful to the HR team for allowing me to get involved in so many aspects of their department, from participating in Health, Safety and Wellness initiatives, assisting with Talent Acquisition, to sitting on various committees and contributing to department projects. I really feel like I’ve been granted a unique opportunity with Circle of Care in terms of the variety of learning experiences I’ve been exposed to. Kai, Allison, and the rest of the HR team were wonderful guides throughout my time with Circle of Care. I feel lucky to have had the chance to work for a team that is willing to help me learn, encourage my growth, and brought me on to new things to help develop my knowledge and skills. My experience with Circle of Care has introduced me to a work environment where people are passionate about their work and dedicated to constantly strive for improvement. Being surrounded by that energy is so encouraging and inspiring to see as someone who was new to the job and industry.”
– Chloe L., Human Resources Summer Student
“I worked with Circle of Care’s Client Services team as a student this summer, and I am really grateful for how welcoming all staff has been. A memorable moment for me was getting to meet the team in person at a dinner and get to know more about them as this was my first time meeting everyone in person.”
– Harshi B., Client Services Summer Student
