teaching assistant

research assistant

postdoctoral fellow

graduate assistant

assistant professor

Carleton University

Days would usually begin with signing into the work station and getting an update from other co-workers about any pressing matters or daily objectives. The remainder of the day consisted of helping students or faculty with account or card requests at the work station, while completing tasks for supervisors and the manager as they came. I took pride in maintaining a clean work environment. At the end of the day, myself and the remaining team member would take down all photo equipment and settle all cash machines before leaving.

I learned how inter-office issues arise and can be resolved through team work. I gained further experience with authority hierarchies within an office setting, as well as with cohesion among a large team. The most important lesson learned relates to the massive undertaking that was Fall orientation and the beginning of the school year - setting up mobile work stations across campus, taking them down and working long daily hours to aid a student body of nearly 20 000 with their UPASS pickups. Though daunting, the task proved more than possible with strong team work.

Management was highly effective, directive and could aid myself and the team in any delicate situation. Though at times it could be stringent, it was necessary for such a large team of students working any hours they could in between class times, assignments and exams.

My fellow student team members are definitely the most enjoyable part of this job. I gained many meaningful relationships during my remaining time in student employment. I also became more aware of cultural diversity through these relationships as management did a wonderful job of recruiting individuals with a wide range of backgrounds. Positive reinforcement and encouragement was rampant during the hard times of the school year.

The hardest part of the job must be the reliance on the campus computer network in order to fully assist the needs of students and faculty. When a technological problem would surface that required the aid of our Tech Supervisor, and the individual was out of office, the team would need to use alternative measures. These situations sometimes proved difficult.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I want to say the people are the best part. My research team is talented, approachable, and always open to collaboration. Having a supportive leader who encourages me in all new ideas makes a huge difference, too.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There are busy periods that can feel stressful — especially before major deadlines or publications. But the supportive team culture here really helps; people are willing to step in and help each other out when things get intense

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The lab environment is very professional and cooperative. Everyone is passionate about their projects, but also willing to share techniques and offer advice. It’s a place where you can learn continuously and feel supported simultaneously.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day in the lab starts with checking plant samples or experimental setups, followed by preparing and running experiments such as DNA extraction or gene expression analysis. or other required experiments. I usually spend part of the day analyzing data or reading relevant papers to stay updated. There’s also regular collaboration with lab members to discuss progress, troubleshoot issues, and plan next steps in the lab meeting. It’s a nice balance of hands-on work, data interpretation, and teamwork.

A typical day at work depended on the availability of facilities or what was required to be completed. This may mean that a typical day would include time in a machine shop, programming, installation, calculations, documentation or meetings. 

This project was a major learning experience. This project allowed me to experience a large scale engineering project with different design challenges. I have learned, among technical skills, interpersonal skills required to better work with people in a professional environment. 

Co-workers were other students that signed up for the same project. 

Management consisted of a single project manager who served as overall head of the project. Directly under him were two project leads leading separate groups of students to work on various, yet similar aspects of the projects. I was a member of the Actuation Team which  was responsible for all motion aspects of the project. 

The hardest parts of the job were maintaining a proper work/life balance and navigating university rules and procedures. The most enjoyable aspect of the job was witnessing the completion of parts and the completion and installation of systems.

This job requires you to be available constantly, it is difficult to schedule time off.

If you are looking to work here as a student, know that the scheduling is imperfect. You will end up fighting to get an exam date covered, or running from the pool to class with no time in between.

The management team is overworked and difficult to deal with. In a fit of stress or rage, our boss "fired" all 40-something Lifeguards and told them they had a few weeks to work harder to earn their jobs at the pool. 

I did enjoy the intense in-service trainings, and a lot of the Supervisors' depth of experience. 

Teaching lessons at Carleton was difficult. The pool is cold and the class sizes were often really large (especially during the summer camps). The support from the Supervisors (Carleton's version of Head Guards) was lacking due to the number of classes and other work they had to get done during lesson blocks.

The facility itself was a lot of fun to be at. Ropes, dive towers, and spring boards were all present.

Overall, I chose not to return based on the aggressive management and well-below-average pay.

Carleton University is highly respected for its outstanding academic reputation and unique geographical location. This university located in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, not only integrates modern teaching facilities, but also makes full use of its geographical advantages close to government agencies, international organizations and technology companies to provide students with unparalleled learning and internship opportunities. Carleton University focuses on cultivating well-rounded students. Its courses cover a variety of fields from humanities to engineering technology. It is particularly famous for journalism, public affairs, international relations and engineering. The school also attaches great importance to research and innovation, and has advanced laboratories and research centers, which provide important support for academic exploration and social progress. In addition, Carleton's campus environment is beautiful, and the Rideau Canal passes through the school, providing teachers and students with a quiet and vibrant learning atmosphere. This university is undoubtedly an ideal place to achieve dreams and create the future!

Typically, I would check to see if anyone had registered to take place in our study, and be at the lab before they arrived. From there, I would set the website condition for them ahead of time and greet the participant warmly, and talk them through the study. They would use the website and after they were debriefed, I would enter the data found into a spread sheet for later review.
I learned that people don't always show up when they say they will, so have a book handy to read.
As far as management is concerned, I mostly managed myself and had to ensure I was conducting the experiment on school premises and during lab hours so I had access to equipment.
I did not have any coworkers, other than other experimenters who I'd occasionally strike a conversation with while waiting for participants.
The hardest part of the job was ensuring I did not give away too much information about the study.
The most enjoyable part of the job was the flexibility of being able to meet participants at a time that worked within my schedule.

It is very difficult to land a job at Carleton University even if you are the most qualified person in the world. You need someone to sneak you in. Then to get permanent post you need to satisfy your bosses ego. it does not matter if you are good at you job or not, you need to know how to satisfy your boss ego. As at Carleton university, there is no accountability for the manager or directors. It is public money that no knows how it is spent. The university is now shifting more toward casual and term assignment as it gives managers and directors the freedom to fire their employees whenever they feel like it. And the employees union will do nothing. The union behavior is very shameful. The university administration toys with the union as they want and the union never did anything.

I have been working at Carleton university for several years. While I like the type of work I do, I do not like the management system. Most of the university departments lack qualified project managers. Money are being wasted on creating new projects with no sustainability planning or long term sight.The university is over staffed on the top management position but critically understaffed on the support services. Getting hired in a permanent position is almost impossible if you have no active connections to sneak you in. qualifications required are only on paper, but it who you know that gets you in regardless of qualification. And if you are part of minority group, then good luck getting a permanent job

Working in Carleton University is the most important and memorable work experience of mine because it enlightened me of working as an administrative assistant can be so much fun. The working environment was great because everything is well organized and I felt myself can fit in that environment very well. The faculties were very knowledgeable who taught me how to work in a fast pace and how to work under the minimal supervision. Sometimes I worked in the front desk as a receptionist. I found myself a lot of enthusiasm in communication and working either independently or in a teamwork. Communication and perform multitasks are the most enjoyable part of this job. My interpersonal and teamwork skills got practiced during that work. I value the experience of working in Carleton University a lot.

A typical day at work consists of selling memberships, day passes or anything that is available at our facility. I learned to have patience and always provide the best customer service that I can. My manager is great and very understanding. Working with students is always a bonus because I am a student as well. The hardest part of the job is probably that we are expected to remember so much information regarding program changes, memberships etc. What is enjoyable about my job is that it is pretty easy going and is in a nice environment. I also enjoy working in a health promotion setting, this is always very motivating.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Teaching assistant 21 salaries reported	$30.90 per hour
Research assistant 3 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour
Postdoctoral fellow 3 salaries reported	$60,000 per year
Graduate assistant 12 salaries reported	$40.48 per hour
Assistant professor 3 salaries reported	$126,667 per year

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