Cal Poly Humboldt

Marine Naturalist

April 2018 • Trinidad, CA

What I liked

I love having the opportunity to teach young people hands-on at our Marine Laboratory about the wonders of marine life!

What I wish was different

I wish that I had been able to involve more people and groups throughout the community.

Advice

One piece of advice that I would share is that the opportunity to create something entirely new for children and all people to learn from and enjoy is something that everyone should cherish.

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Field Assistant

May - August 2018 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

Gained valuable hands-on experience. Applied techniques learned in the classroom to the field.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Field research assistant

May - August 2018 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I was able to exercise wildlife field techniques I've learned in classes and gain some new ones on the job. I also enjoyed all of the hiking and time spent outside.

What I wish was different

I wish I was more in shape at the start of the internship.

Advice

Definitely get to know the people you are working with and for. It could lead to opportunities in the future by creating a network of colleagues.

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student assistant

July 2017 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Takes commitment to the learning process

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Wildlife summer intern

May - August 2018 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

It was related to my career path and gave me additional experience which will make me more competitive as i enter the workforce

What I wish was different

I wouldn't change anything it was an awesome summer job

Advice

Make connections with professors in your major

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Archivist Intern

June 2018 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I enjoyed learning about library and archive science, and being able to network with people within my college and throughout the local community. It was also incredibly cool to be able to handle documents and restore and preserve them so that others in the future can learn from them.

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to have more structured hours, since we were allowed to schedule our own. It was sometimes difficult to collaborate with my coworkers.

Advice

I would tell anyone who is interested in doing a similar project to be diligent about scheduling hours and keeping track of them, and to have a good playlist available. As fun as it was to restore and digitize old materials, some of the process could get tedious after awhile!

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Robotics camp counselor

June - August 2017 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I liked that I was able to work with disadvantage kids and give them a fun summer experience they would not have had otherwise.

What I wish was different

I wish the summer job lasted longer.

Advice

Be confident when conducting an interview and dress appropriate. Put time and effort into your cover letter and make it unique to every job you apply to.

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House Cleaner

June - August 2019 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

It was a very good job in terms that it had flexible hours. Assistant leads tended to be very understanding when other obligations appeared or emergencies occurring.

What I wish was different

HSU’s communication with its leads and assistant leads is very poor.

Advice

Be prepped for a lot of confusion.

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Chemistry Research Intern

May 2019 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

Lots of independent lab experience; developing problem solving skills and confidence with lab techniques

What I wish was different

More real time briefings and updates between project members

Advice

Get involved with a research early in your college career!

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Research assitant

July - September 2019 • Central Valley, CA

What I liked

I loved the opportunity to have hands on experience alongside graduate students as an undergraduate. Getting to gather the equipment and learn how to use it will prove very beneficial when I embark on the field, giving me a boost on my resume. Also getting to receive one on one mentoring from a graduate student was incredible.

What I wish was different

Nothing at all, I was content with the responsibility assigned and the support I was receiving from all of the staff on board. My housing and travel cost were covered, making it a pleasant experience I looked forward to being part of again when this global pandemic clears up.

Advice

You better like bugs, the heat, and the road!

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Care services intern

September 2020 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

Flexibility

What I wish was different

More face to face.

Advice

You will work with some amazing people and gain great experience.

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Student Caller (Fundraising)

May 2020 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I worked with a great group of people and made great connections with alumni in our phone conversations.

What I wish was different

I don’t think I would change anything. There was a lot of adjusting to the new remote workflow but we adapted and learned a lot of new things that will be helpful moving forward.

Advice

Don’t be nervous about asking for donations and be yourself. The phone calls to alumni are mostly about learning about their experiences as a student and sharing ways they can help current and future students. Just have a good conversation and form relationships!

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Eel Grass Monitoring Technician

May - August 2019 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I loved being introduced to the world field and lab work for the first time. This experience made me realize that I am going down the right path. Because of this experience, I discovered a passion for field and lab work.

What I wish was different

Toward the end of the summer, hours were scarce, so I did not get paid very much. I wish that there were more hours in the slow parts, but I still loved my job!

Advice

I would advise people to apply for jobs even when you feel like you are not entirely qualified! You may end up pleasantly surprised that you got the job even though you technically did not fit the job requirements.

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Admissions Ambassador

October 2021 - August 2023 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

Amazing people, a great work environment.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Student Research Assistant

February - August 2023 • Arcata, CA

What I liked

I loved working with my professor on a research project together. The work was flexible, tailored to my interests, and very interesting.

What I wish was different

Getting paid was very difficult. I only got three checks over the course of my 9 month employment, and had to fight to get the last one, almost two months after I had completed the work. You don’t get paid weekly, biweekly, or even monthly. I was paid at the end of two pay periods.