Mercy Nyoni Reflects on Her Experience as a Graduate Associate in the Office of Career Development
Written by: Hannah Fischer, Student Assistant for Employer Engagement | Interviewee: Mercy Nyoni
Mercy Nyoni started working for Career Development in September of 2023 and has been a wonderful asset to the team! She is the Graduate Associate for the Internship Program. She will be graduating at the end of this spring semester, and everyone at the office could not be more proud of the work she has done. Keep reading to hear about Mercy’s time working for Career Development!
What were your initial impressions of the Career Development Office?
“My initial impressions of the office was that it had a lot of friendly and accommodating individuals. Someone's background did not matter, the supervisors made sure that all student employees were treated with respect. My initial impressions did not change.“
What project or experience are you most proud of?
“I am proud of the improvements that I made to the Internship Program. One of the things was forming and maintaining effective communication between the Internship Site Supervisors and the Office of Career Development. This increased the rate at which Internship Site Supervisors responded and completed the midterm and final evaluations.
What is something you learned from working at career development?
“I learned that if you need good and tangible results you must trust your team. I'm sure it was never easy for the office supervisors to put that kind of trust in students, but that trust is what made the office more resilient. Trusting your team/subordinates makes them feel confident in doing their tasks thereby improving the end result.”
How will your time here impact your future endeavors and lead you closer to your professional or personal goals?
“My role in the office helped me to be more confident in myself, this means I can speak in front of an audience without feeling too nervous because I have been given the opportunity to be able to take charge. I feel this is a good skill because all jobs need someone who can effectively communicate. This role sharpened my research, analytical and presentation skills which I think are very useful in the business field.”
What would you tell your younger self when they first started their Chatham/career development journey?
“It's ok to ask when you don't know, don't try to figure things out on your own because people are always willing to help. I would have also told my younger self to have fun, explore the city and not to be too focused with school and work.”
What advice would you give to someone first starting out?
“To someone just starting out, I would say that it's okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s normal if you can’t balance schoolwork with your on-campus job. It’s also perfectly fine to take a step back, breathe, and enjoy some music or take a walk. That small act will not lead to failure.”
What message do you have for the supervisors and coworkers who helped you grow?
“To my supervisor, Hannah Su Hepler, thank you for the support, encouragement and trust. She saw my potential and gave me a chance and she made sure I was always in a position where I can improve or showcase my skills. To my coworkers thank you for showing me the American corporate decorum.”
Thank you for all of your contributions, Mercy! We will miss you so much.