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Work Term Report 2

Learning Objectives Reflection#

When I last reflected on my learning objects four months ago, I said that I had gained a better knowledge of databases. Since then I have continued to learn more and my knowledge has expanded even further. However, I would say that this particular objective has since been expanded.

Moving beyond databases, my focus has grown to encompass more layers than just the raw data. In my current project, there are three main layers that have my attention: Business, Logical, and Physical. Business is the layer with which I have the least amount of experience. I still do not fully understand it, but I know that it will be important once I have a mastery of the other two. Physical is simply another term for the database. Logical, however, is my primary focus of the project and of new learning. The logical layer is an abstraction of the physical layer. It strips away all of the technical specifications and just leaves the most important details. It's two main focuses are structure and content; how are things laid out, and what are their attributes.

The main struggle I've had in this new directive is distinguishing the layers. What separates the three of them and what do they each bring to the table? Physical is quite clear, but the other two are somewhat ambiguous. I'm undergoing a lot of training but it doesn't seem as though there are clear definitions.

Going forward, I think the best strategy is to take advantage of all of the resources at my disposal. Both reading online and speaking to those more knowledgeable than myself will hopefully give me the skills I need to both complete this learning objective as well as the project. I'm quite confident I'll be able to accomplish this and learn a great deal in the process.

Work Term Reflection#

I've found the transition somewhat easy. I didn't take a gap year, so prior to my placement, I had been in school for 14.5 years continuously. This afforded me somewhat of a break from the more formalized learning of school. In addition, Sanofi has had nearly all staff working remote since before I joined. This meant that I didn't have to transition back to working/studying in person. They adapted to work-from-home very well and the on-boarding was a lot smother that I anticipated. All of these factors combined, culminated in a fantastic transition from school to work that I would have no qualms about encouraging others to experience.

In the first half of my third year, prior to the start of my placement, I took a course called EECS3421: Introduction to Database Management Systems. Despite not having an incredibly flashy name, it was nonetheless incredibly informative. The course mostly focused on theoretical knowledge more than application. At the time, I thought this to be an incredibly fruitless endeavor and a waste of my time. Seeing as though it was part of my degree requirements, I trudged along and tried to do my best. I ultimately finished with a mark that I was happy with but still had a craving for more hand-on learning and/or an application of my newly acquired knowledge. Lo and behold, that what I got just a few months later. In quite a surprise to me, my main assignment at my placement has been the documentation of a central database. I've had to apply nearly everything I learned in Database Management Systems to the real world. From reading database flow and UML diagrams to writing and understanding SQL queries, I've gotten quite the use out of my knowledge. It has been an invaluable asset to me and would have made my current job much more difficult having to learn an entire course worth on content on the fly. It is by far in my top 5 most useful courses, despite thinking I wouldn't use half of what I learned.

Sanofi's corporate culture, from what I've experienced, is a very progressive one. People are very understanding and forward thinking. From personal experience as well as discussions from my peers, management at this level is fantastic. You are treated like a real person and not just a number. I feel like part of a team and everyone wants everyone else to succeed. This works really well with my style as I do a lot better when I'm able to work on my own but with the support of others. I know that if I ever run into an issue, somewhere will find the time to help me, no matter how busy they are.

Skill Reflection#

Skill 1: Problem Solving#

  • S: Testing out a new platform for data mapping
  • T: I was struggling to understand how the platform worked
  • A: Instead of just pressing random buttons and hoping something worked, I utilized a two-pronged approach. I first reached out to a support representative who could give me a tour and walk me through how the software worked. Since he wasn't available for a few days, I relied on a second strategy: read all of the available documentation. I was initially somewhat hesitant to read it as it was highly technical and not very clear upon first glance. But seeing as it was preferable to just pressing random buttons, I read it.
  • R: Although a somewhat difficult read, the documentation did prove helpful to further my understanding of the platform. A side benefit of reading it before my meeting with the rep was that I was more knowledgeable when we finally met. I was able to ask more sophisticated questions having handled the basics on my own.

Skill 2: Listening#

  • S: In a meeting for a new software platform
  • T: I was unable to focus on the discussion at hand and getting distracted by my surroundings
  • A: Instead of continuing to get more distracted, I opened a new word document and started taking notes. Simply listening alone was not working for me. I wrote very detailed notes and found this helped to keep the distractions at bay. Writing notes forced me to pay attention and to actually comprehend what was being said. Before I started writing, a lot of what was being said sounded like background noise. Writing things down brought that conversation back to the forefront.
  • R: As a result of my active listening, I had a much better understanding of what the platform had to offer to us as a team. In addition, I now had notes that I could go back and reference what I needed to write up a justification for the software. Overall, it was a very beneficial strategy to both be a better listener and better retain the knowledge being presented to me.

Skill 3: Interpersonal#

  • S: Multiple events throughout my placement
  • T: Wanted to create relationships with other members of the team
  • A: At our daily meetings, different people from the team would occasionally be struggling with a small task. Some examples include: finding the internal website slow, being unable to format an excel document a particular way, and data cleanup. I would offer to help people with these problems as my technical knowledge made it much easier for me to do it than for them to keep struggling.
  • R: Thanks to these relatively small acts, I got a lot of one-on-one time with different members of the team. This helped me to build better bonds with these people and feel like a bigger part of the team. They were always appreciative as these tasks tended to not necessarily line up with their skill set and I will willing to offload a bit of their work. An overall win for everyone!