Q&A With SSU Customer Service Representative Tristan Ung
If you’re curious about the experience of working at the SSU for the full duration of your program, Tristan’s Q&A is for you! Take a deeper look into his position, the connections he’s made and what his personal journey working as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) has been over the years!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at the SSU?
A: “Hi! I’m Tristan, a Software Development & Network Engineering student and I work as a CSR and Building Host here at the SSU. My job consists of answering any inquiries about SSU services and helping monitor the marquee in the evenings!”
Q: How did you first hear about the position, and what was the application process like for you?
A: “I first heard of the SSU from our promo team, who had a booth set up in front of Tim Horton’s! They seemed enthusiastic about their role and told me that the SSU hires students for a variety of roles, so I looked up the SSU job page shortly after and applied to the CSR position!”
Q: What was your first impression on your first day in the role?
A: “I was a bit nervous going into my first shift, I wasn’t too sure what I was expecting but during my first day I quickly learned that everyone in the office is super nice! After that I was excited to keep working at the SSU and interact with everyone to help anywhere the best I can.”
Q: How long have you worked at the SSU, and what’s been your favourite part so far?
A: “I’ve worked at the SSU for roughly three years. Honestly, my favourite part of my job here is the people, everyone here is extremely passionate about their work and it really shows.”
Q: If you could go back to the beginning of your program, what’s one thing you wish you had known?
A: “If I had the choice to go back in time, I’d probably spend less time playing games and spend more time working on projects, that would’ve made my life 100 times easier. Oh, and PRIORITIZE SLEEP!”
“I consider myself really lucky and have had the opportunity to collaborate with each team, which allowed me to learn everyone’s unique stories and perspectives which have stuck with me and made my time here memorable!” - Tristan Ung
Q: What does a typical day working at the SSU look like for you?
A: “It depends on what role I’m working as! If I’m a CSR typically, I punch in, prepare the desk displays and answer student inquiries and live chats for the remainder of the shift. On top of that I help with regular inspections of our offices to make sure everything is in working order. During a building host shift, I would make sure the marquee is in operational order during the evenings and help out at events from time to time!”
Q: What’s something you’ve learned about yourself or about life while working at the SSU?
A: “I learned that I genuinely look forward to meeting new people! At the SSU, I collaborated with a wide range of students and internal staff, all with their own stories and perspectives, which made every interaction memorable and unique!”
Q: What program are you studying, and how has your experience in that program been?
A: “I'm in Software Development and Network Engineering. Prior to starting the program, I had no experience in coding, which led to plenty of late nights staring at my monitor for hours on end debugging! Imagine trying to debug your code after a long day of work and classes just to find out that the bug was because you misspelled a simple line of code hours ago... But thankfully with the help of good friends, patience, and google it's made my experience manageable and rewarding.”
Q: What are you passionate about outside of Sheridan?
A: “I love anything gaming related, I’ve been developing my own gaming side projects for some months now, and I love every part of it. It’s been a longstanding dream of mine to launch a game of my own on major platforms, so that’s something I’ve been looking into!”
Q: Who at Sheridan has had a lasting positive impact on you?
A: “Some of my closest friends are coworkers I had while working at the SSU, a big shout out to Cally and Dexter! We’d always yap about table gaming stuff and made our own tradition after work called “Get some grub Wednesdays.”
Q: When things get overwhelming, what helps you stay grounded or motivated?
A: “Honestly I like doing pixel art! I’m still pretty new at it, but it helps me unwind and gets my mind off anything overwhelming.”
Q: What habit or daily ritual can you not live without?
A: “A habit I picked up is going to the gym or any kind of physical exercise. It’s really helped in keeping me feel good mentally and not to mention it makes me sleep like a rock at night lol. On my breaks you can find me walking around campus just to get some steps in, or at the Sheridan gym which we get a member ship included in our fees!”
Q: What words of encouragement would you give someone who’s trying to choose a program or is about to start college?
A: “Pick a program that you’re passionate about! That’ll really streamline the learning process and make it a lot easier to handle. Also, during your time here, I’d recommend just being involved in the community! Making friends by joining a club or going to any of the SSU events has really made my time here worth it.”
Q: What genuinely excites you about what’s next in your life?
A: “What really excites me are the possibilities that the future holds! Whether that's by advancing my career, meeting new people, or creating and launching my own game. I’m excited for any opportunities that come next!”
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