Seventh week is beginning (did anyone else just go into fight or flight mode after reading those words?), which means that I’ve now had well over a month to settle in to my first term as a DHA. Initially, I was going to write that I had spent the first several weeks of this job learning the ropes and getting the hang of how it goes (because I have indeed learned a great many things about a great deal of stuff), but then I realized that that’s not really true. More accurately, I’d say that I’ve jumped in headfirst, taking a “sink or swim” approach to this new job, so now seems like a great time to come up for air and do a bit of reflecting.
In short, I think I can confidently say that I have not utterly failed (I joke, I’ve actually done quite well). I owe this success in large part to the people I work with, who are intelligent and always helpful. But there’s another tool that has been key in learning quickly how to tackle a new project: the documentation.
The nature of student jobs and participation in organizations is that the turnover is fast – jobs and organizations are looking for new employees and members every year, so making training efficient can be essential. I’ve participated I some student organizations where it seems like every week we’re saying, “I’m pretty sure so-and-so did a project like this a couple years ago, but then they graduated…do you have idea how we could get their contact information to see if they’ve still got that information? Or maybe I still have an email about it from freshman year…” Yes, sifting through emails from 2014 is one of the warning signs that something went wrong…
Student turnover can be a logistical nightmare, but this job has been proof that it doesn’t need to be. It’s been so easy for me to access project history, familiarize myself with all the relevant tools and information, and then quickly jump into new projects. Not all of it is perfect, but the effort was made and I am reaping the benefits. If better (or any) documentation is something you think your job or organization could benefit from, here are some tips I’ve gleaned from my experience:
- Be specific and consistent when naming documents. “Meeting 3/5/15” is not helpful. “Initial Meeting with Web Developer” is helpful.
- Note specifically who has done what. If you need to contact someone about work they’ve done, you don’t want to be guessing between 10 different people.
- Take the time to organize. The point of documentation is that it makes everyone’s lives easier down the road. Make everything easy to find using section headers and bulleted lists.
- Note things that did and didn’t work. For example, if you’re reflecting on how an annual event went, a note that says “Next year get catering order in 1 week before event” can save planning time and prevent disasters in the future.
- Keep everything in one place. This seems obvious, but it can be very easy to for things to go missing, especially if there are a lot of people working on one project. For example, having one big Google Drive folder ensures that everyone knows where and how to access everything.
Now go forth and document!
