SPRING CO-OP REFLECTIONS Riley Kusnick Sociology & Philosophy Event Coordinator Assistant at Next Step Living 1/6/15 to 6/2/15
I worked as Event Coordinator Assistant at Next Step Living, an environmental/energy efficiency company. I interviewed for a different job at Next Step Living, but they offered me this job too. I accepted this one because it seemed I would enjoy it more. The Coordinator Assistant position was newly created and vaguely defined, so its description on COOL did not explain it well. Coordinator Assistant was a paid position, and decently above minimum wage. I don t think I would do an unpaid co-op I want to take full advantage of these work experiences, which should include learning to better save and manage wages.
I spent the most time finding, contacting, and coordinating events for our reps to attend. I did this alongside the full-time Event Coordinator and we were supported by our other 3 team members. I enjoyed my duties for the most part. I was treated as an important member of the team, with the same expectations, flexibility, and opportunity to grow as my full-time coworkers. After a few months, I gained more responsibility and took charge of organizing and distributing materials to our staff in the field. My Event Coordinator and I often traded tasks, so that we both could do more of what we enjoyed and what played off our strengths.
When I first went into co-op, I just wanted to gain job experience, both for my resume and because I d never had a job in a professional or office setting. But after co-op started, I realized how many things I had to learn, from addressing an envelope to how pay structures work. Luckily my office had a supportive atmosphere and friendly coworkers. Most of them were in their 20s and 30s, so they still remembered being inexperienced and new to the workplace. My teammates made it clear that I could ask their help about anything.
The most challenging part of my co-op was definitely calling people. I ve never liked talking on the phone and it can make me very anxious. Unfortunately, it was a large part of my job. The idea of calling my long list of people was intimidating, so I broke it up by making 2-3 calls at a time then doing other tasks. On the few occasions I couldn t put off my calls, I asked a team member to help. The experience taught me that sometimes the best I can do is face the problem and get it over with. It also showed me that it is okay to ask for help when overwhelmed or struggling.
I already knew that I prefer to work with more freedom and flexibility, and thankfully my manager gave me the space to do that. She had a hands-off management style, but was always there if I needed help or direction. I also knew that I learn best by having someone walk me through a task. My coworkers were happy to accommodate this. Among those I worked with directly, there was a lack of hierarchy I didn t realize I sat next to our state manager until he told me. I enjoyed this informal atmosphere. Thankfully, I never had to deal with the more hierarchical, more corporate structure near the top of the ladder. Since my work was self-driven, I learned to manage by time and keep track of the many different tasks on my plate. I also had to constantly check in with the other members of my team, since our work was often interrelated.
Sometimes, I was sent out of the office to do a field staff job. Field staff attend the events that Event Coordinators find, and they try to get people to sign up for solar power and take energy efficiency measures in their home. Trying to make strangers take action was a new experience for me. It was both challenging and fun. Many people thought I was selling something, or they just didn t want to talk. But it was enjoyable to go to these community events and meet all sorts of people, many who share my interest in protecting the environment. At first, I went to these events with an experienced coworker, so that they could show me how to approach people and what to say. Later, I attended events alone or with a new hire, and I would check in with my manager afterwards. I became more confident and more successful with experience.
Near the end of my co-op, our CEO announced our partnership with the oil company Shell. This posed an ethical dilemma for me. Our CEO thinks that we need everyone to change everything (a famous slogan of the People s Climate March). He wanted to work with Shell s small green-energy subcommittee to show them that clean energy is a profitable and viable plan for the future. However, myself and many coworkers felt uncomfortable associating with a company that actively harms the earth and its residents. Our CEO held an open meeting to answer people s questions we all appreciated this open communication, even though we were unhappy with his decision. I was one of the more confrontational questioners at the meeting, even though I knew it was too late to change anything. However, it led to some good ethical discussions and made me closer to some of my coworkers.
My co-op at Next Step Living definitely helped shape my ideas of what kind of job I want. I realized that I would hate having an office job in a corporate culture (as opposed to the young, informal, start-up environment of my office). I loved going out to events, so maybe I will look for future jobs that are more handson and social than an office job. I still don t have a solid idea of what kind of career I want, but I am getting closer to knowing. I enjoyed Next Step Living s focus on social and environmental service, and I will probably continue on that path of goodwill.
Academic Reflection Inequality Working at Next Step Living exposed me to some of the inequalities in our society, and helped me better understand them. Our solar/energy efficiency services can only exist because our state government requires utility companies to fulfill clean energy quotas. However, these utility programs mostly serve homeowners, and underserve people who can only afford to rent. Renters could benefit greatly from these programs, since being more energy efficient saves them money on their utility bills. However, people who can t afford to own a home often can t pay for the initial steps towards becoming more energy efficient much less pay for solar panel installation without aid. To combat this, Next Step Living started a community solar program an agreement between us, an energy company, and fellow green company to build solar panel fields west of Boston. Renters can sign up to get their electricity from solar instead of from gas/oil/etc. This popular program circumvented the requirement of owning a home, and allowed more people access to solar energy.
Academic Reflection (continued) Another social inequality I witnessed was the immense power of the fossil fuel industry, despite the large public support for clean energy. Many of my coworkers were involved in environmental activism, from solar policy to divestment. They constantly had to fight to not just get good laws passed, but to prevent a constant flow of anti-environmental legislation. This shows how much money gas and oil companies have on their side, and how much that can overpower democracy unless people fight against it. For example even though the public s view of solar is overwhelmingly positive, it took months of pressure to get our state government to raise the number of public solar projects allowed. Everyone in our office was encouraged to call our representatives and attend solar rallies to demonstrate our support. This may seem like an odd thing to ask of employees in a professional setting, but our work is directly dependent on the growth of solar power, and everyone recognized its importance. When significant antienvironmental policies were introduced, it was treated as an emergency.
Academic Reflection (continued) I was proud to be involved in activism while working at Next Step Living and to be working alongside others who care so much about their jobs, the earth, and the people affected by climate change. There was a constant focus on reducing carbon emissions and helping people live more comfortably, and this focus was often emphasized above profit. We worked to build relationships with local nonprofits, since their goals matched ours so similarly, and making money was viewed as less important than doing good. Noticing inequality in one area usually leads to noticing inequalities in other areas. The people in my office cared about economic, racial, and gender inequalities almost as much as they cared about environmental wrongs. While the TPP fast-track controversy was in full swing, there were office conversations about how this would affect workers conditions overseas. It gave me hope that, with enough people involved, positive change is possible.