Diary of a Marketing Co-op: Giving Back with Telus

If you’ve been following along with my Co-op blog (and if you haven’t been, what are you waiting for?) you may have noticed that I've veered off topic while writing the last two posts. Yes, Tina Fay is fabulous, but that’s not quite the point of this blog.

So if you’ve been eager to hear more about my adventures at TELUS, you’re in luck. Last Friday my team took part in the TELUS Day of Giving. It’s a company-wide event where everyone is encouraged to spend a day (or part of a day) doing something to give back to the community. Finding an event is really easy, there’s hundreds of options listed online, and you just need to pick one and show up.

I spent my Friday afternoon in a storage locker working with some girls from the Arts Club, helping them with their costume inventory. I quite enjoyed sorting blouses from Evita and vests from The Producers, although when it came to sewing labels...well let’s just say that I hope whoever wears the costume next doesn’t tug too hard.

Anyway, the point of this post isn’t to brag about my afternoon of community service, nor promote my lack of sewing skills. It’s about the aspects of a company that go beyond the job description. At both of my co-ops I’ve had the privilege of working for companies that send their employees out to do some community work – sometimes even during working hours. The cost of organizing these events can’t be cheap, not to mention the loss of productive work-hours felt company wide, but they still hold them every year, and I think it says something about the company’s values.

Sending employers out to do some good shows that a company cares not only about giving back, but also puts a premium on team engagement. Trust me when I say that being taught basic sewing skills by your co-workers does something to bring a team together, as does racing to finish the most labels.

I think these things are important when you’re picking the company that you want to show up at every day. While flipping through job postings it may not seem like a big deal, but when it comes to a career, your company represents you just as much as you represent them. So make sure you pick one that says something good about yourself.

If you'd like to hear about something specific from my co-op leave a comment or tweet me at @lizzmoffat or @SFU_OLC. Plus, make sure you check out the rest of my Diary of a Marketing Co-op series.