teaching assistant

postdoctoral fellow

research assistant

graduate assistant

administrative assistant

University of Ottawa

Depending on the time I start, I would come from my last class to work since that my job was at the campus bookstore. Sometimes, I would have to walk up at 6 am on a Saturday, have my shower and eat breakfast. I would have to be out of the door for 7 am to drive up to the university of Ottawa bookstore for 7:45 am, because I started to work at 8 am. I have worked there during the rush hours for students to get their textbooks for class. When we open, it was packed. I was spending a lot of time cleaning up the store by putting textbook back where they come from, hang back up clothes at the right spot and even getting stuff from the cashier to bring back to the back so we can put them out again for somebody to buy it. After the store closed, we had to stay until the really last customer to leave and clean up before we were allowed to go home. 

I have learned how to communicate with customers and how to help them with what they were looking for. This also though me how to give customer service in general (like looking for a textbook, need another side of hood and a lot more..). Also, I did cashier a bit so it has though me how to do some returns, even how to do some exchange and even to count my cash to make sure that I have balance the amount need after each shift. I mostly learn my weakness after each shift to improve to do a better job the next one.

the management was a bit difficult at this job, because you never know if she is here or not. Other than that, I was able to organize myself to make sure that I was doing something and not being there doing nothing. When I was doing the floor and I finish what I was suppose to do, I would go help others who need it even without being asked. I just offer and they accept it. 

I always get allow well with my co-workers. We would laugh together, make up jokes when nobody is around and also talk about our day. When someone comes to work on a bad day, I offer to listen to them and see if I can help with anything. I have also learned a lot about them and it got me to learn a lot more how to respect privacy and not laugh at them.

What it was hard at that job is to be patient. Since it was the rush, you need to be patient and calm even if the customer is in a big rush. Sometimes, we would have to stay for more that we expect to clean up because they have left everything everywhere. I would also say that getting information for customer was difficult. A lot of students wait after the first week of class to buy their textbook and a lot of them are gone by that time. Some of them can be angry and even stress because they have a homework to hand in for a class where the homework was in the textbook and it was due the next day. 

What I have enjoy with this job is making new friends, learning a lot more about myself and even deciding for my next job what should I apply for and what should I not apply for.

My personal experience at the Faculty of Social Sciences has been amazing, but your experience will vary LARGELY depending on your work group. There are dozens of little 'mini-cultures' scattered throughout the university, so it is difficult to determine whether you are getting a good environment before starting. Overtime is very common across the uni, and I regularly receive emails on the weekend and at 11pm, but I personally do not need to work overtime very often. 

The university does offer a lot of amazing benefits, and in my opinion, they really do care about their employees. They gave us the day before Victoria Day and the Day after Canada day as university-wide holidays, to compensate for the difficult working environment during the pandemic. They also had many free lunches/activities across campus all summer for the staff. 

Unfortuantely,  if you are looking for a cutting-edge and innovation WORKING environment, this is not the place. They are VERY slow to adapt to change, so do not expect modern policies, efficient programs, and innovative managers! In this way, the uni is just like other government institutions; inefficient and unnecessarily difficult to get certain things done. Things eventually become modernized, but don't expect it to come quickly. 

For me, shift usually begins around mid-day as my schedule becomes less chocked up at that time. for the most part, the job gets really active after sunset as people begin to head home and would need assistance getting to areas of town which had really low security. our job was to ensure their safety as we walk with them to their various destinations. By we, I mean myself and whomever was available for shift that day as we work in pairs of two. It was important that we built a strong and reasonable relationship with the co-workers as this helped to build a more conducive working environment. I was able to experience and learn quite a few things being exposed to this job. Reliability and trust was an important virtue bestowed upon me as a result of this job, that was i was able to communicate better, rely on my instinct and so on. The hardest part of the work was having to leave an assignment in progress to go assist someone with security needs but i knew what i signed up for and the price I had to pay. Besides that, it was a lovely and fun working environment which was also conducive for studying as well. A perfect fit for a part time worker

No two days are alike. One can never tell who you will meet that is in need of your help. People from various background and all walks of life pass through this institution. I have learned to be even more appreciative of another person's stance/status in life. Providing guidance, information or simple handing out a flier to individuals and then to see the sigh of relief on their faces, is enough to know that I was able to help someone. This experience makes you feel proud of your accomplishment.

Working with my fellow colleagues and also the management is priceless and very rewarding. You get the chance to be apart of a team whose ultimate goal is to provide the help to those in need.

The hardest part of the task is when someone who is having a bad day wants to have you as their companion. It is in these trying times that one has to exercise patience, tolerance and a smile and bear it attitude whilst still providing excellent customer service.

Working as a teaching assistant at the University of Ottawa has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. The collaborative and supportive environment fostered by both faculty and fellow TAs has made my role exceptionally rewarding. The university's commitment to academic excellence is evident in its diverse and engaging curriculum.

The opportunity to assist students in their learning journey has allowed me to witness their growth and academic achievements firsthand. The University of Ottawa prioritizes innovation, and I've had the privilege of contributing to cutting-edge educational practices. The resources and professional development opportunities provided have further enhanced my skills and knowledge.

The sense of community within the teaching team and the dedication of students at Uottawa create a positive atmosphere conducive to effective learning. I am proud to be part of an institution that values education, collaboration, and the holistic development of its students. Working here has not only enriched my professional life but has also reaffirmed my passion for education.

Worked at UOHS for 2.5 years. It started to go very down hill over the last year. Unable to keep nursing and reception staff at this point. Extremely poor managed office. Lack of professionalism by all upper management. Nursing Team Leader and Reception Manager lack maturity and proper ethics to effectively run the department. No HR team in place currently. No room for advancement as an RPN. Currently not offering any type of raises to any staff or performance review. Toxic work environnement. Very little to no positive feedback from Nursing team lead. Job posting looks good on paper but please remember to read reviews on other websites as well to really understand what is going inside that clinic before wasting your time. Sending good luck to all those RPN's looking for a positive job change but this place is not where you will find that. This is coming from a someone who left and it was the best choice I could have made. Only regret is not leaving sooner.  


This company has an incredible work environment filled with fun, supportive, and talented individuals. From the moment you join, you feel welcomed and valued as part of the team. The workplace culture encourages collaboration, creativity, and open communication, making every project an enjoyable and enriching experience.

Colleagues are not just coworkers; they quickly become friends who inspire and challenge you to do your best. Leadership is approachable and genuinely cares about employee growth and well-being, offering opportunities for professional development and recognition for hard work.

The positive atmosphere makes coming to work exciting, and the balance between productivity and enjoyment is well maintained. Team events, social gatherings, and a shared passion for success contribute to a dynamic and energetic workplace.

If you're looking for a company where you can thrive both professionally and personally while working with amazing people, this is definitely the place to be!

my typical day starts at a particular day depending on the schedule where i have to book a room for discussion groups and run the discussion groups. I have to help students answer questions and quiz them whenever a quiz is provided from the professor.

What i've learned:
Time management,
The thought process behind Marking papers,
use of Microsoft office to document grades and comments is very useful.

The hardest part of the job is marking papers, as it's time consuming and one must be unbiased when marking the papers and must remember to treat all the students the same in terms of deducting marks.

The most enjoyable part of the job is helping the students understand the course content and running the discussion group.

Great opportunity to work with students who are in different disciplines! The beginning of the Fall semester is always somewhat hectic because of Orientation Day presentations and other important events but after that it is just the greatest... you get to meet new students and help them with finding a class, registering for a class or abandoning one, providing effective reading and study strategies, helping with procrastination/motivation, time management and stress management. Not physically demanding at all... It only requires that you figure out how to balance your school life, social life and 'work life' (although it is only 10 hours per week!)

Developed proactive and effective marketing and web communication strategies to promote services 
Designed promotional material (e.g. posters, bookmark, brochure, crossword, visuals for the annual report and social media ads) 
Improved the office’s visibility by expanding network with student clubs, associations, faculty members and event coordinators
Helped develop/implement/promote online contests at corporate events
Redesigned website using Web 2.0 best practices in alignment with the University’s corporate website to improve usability, accessibility and findability (i.e. search engine optimization and metadata)						

Environment: PC/Mac, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Internet research, Gmail, Google sites, and Photoshop

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Teaching assistant 18 salaries reported	$39.94 per hour
Postdoctoral fellow 7 salaries reported	$52,143 per year
Research assistant 8 salaries reported	$42.83 per hour
Graduate assistant 4 salaries reported	$45.00 per hour
Administrative assistant 4 salaries reported	$26.55 per hour

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