Paige Westerman
Meet Paige Westerman:
About Paige
Paige Westerman is a 5th year Marketing Management Co-op student at the University of Guelph, and we had the pleasure of working with Paige on her last co-op work term in Winter 2021 at The Experiential Learning Hub. Paige worked with our Marketing and Communications team, supporting social media and email communications, analytics, our weekly e-newsletter, event planning, hosting, presenting, and preparation, and more! Paige quickly became an integral part to the team during her short co-op work term with us, and she is now working with Student Experience for the Summer as a Social Media Ambassador. Paige shares with us her favourite projects, most valuable takeaways from all her co-op work terms, advice for other co-op students, and tells us about her next steps as a Career Services Peer Helper in the Fall!
What was your favourite project that you worked on at the Experiential Learning Hub? Why?
“My favourite project at the EL Hub was developing various online events along with a colleague from CCS for co-op students. Due to the pandemic, many students worked remotely and had little interaction with co-workers or friends. The online events were used as a tool to create inclusion, entertainment, and a sense of community. I really enjoyed creating these events and seeing the students enjoying them.”
Do you have a favourite memory from your EL Hub co-op?
“One of my favourite memories from my co-op at the EL Hub was participating in Campus Day, I was one of the first student representatives from the department and it was a pleasure to talk about the benefits of co-op to prospective students.”
What other co-op positions have you held? What did you learn from those roles?
“My first co-op experience was at Danby Appliances as an Inside Sales Representative. In this role I mainly worked on data entry and communications with sales reps. I was grateful for this learning opportunity but knew I wanted to explore my options after this placement. My second placement was at United Way as a Community Engagement Officer where I worked with community partners and volunteers on the United Way Campaign. I learned I loved event planning and wanted to pursue this in the future. I also supervised a pharmacy as one of my co-op placements at the beginning of the pandemic, where I learned to adapt on a daily basis.”
What has been the most valuable thing for you from co-op?
“A takeaway from all of my co-op placements is learning about myself. Each placement is an opportunity to learn more, grow your skills, and improve upon yourself. I have learned so much about myself especially what I enjoy doing. It is because of co-op experiences I have figured out what type of role I would like to pursue after graduation which is in Social Media/ Event Marketing.”
Tell us about your work at Student Experience this Summer! What will you be helping out with?
“In my role at Student Experience as a Social Media Ambassador, I create and develop content for our social media accounts. I also help promote various programs and events the University runs in addition to working directly with the O-Team to help transition students from high school to their first year.”
Why did you decide to become a Career Services Peer Helper?
“I wanted to become a Career Services Peer Helper because I really loved my work at the EL Hub and sharing information on co-op. I enjoy sharing my wealth of knowledge with other students and I also wanted to get more involved, I thought this was the perfect way to do this.”
What's the thing you're most looking forward to about being a Peer Helper?
“Helping other students with their resumes. interviews, and job searching skills! It will be amazing to see other students succeed.”
Do you have advice for anyone starting their first work term, or for anyone thinking about taking co-op in the future?
“My advice is to always take on new opportunities, get outside your comfort zone, and ask lots of questions throughout your placement. Co-op is full of opportunities to explore your future career path and you need to make the most of each placement to get the full experience. It truly is in your own hands.”