When I began my first real job at the ripe age of 25, I was rather proud of the gig I landed.
I was one of the youngest HR Managers in an organization of over 2,000 professionals. The company had well over 450,000 employees and I was responsible for just about 300 of them.
Now rounding the corner to age 40 in the next few weeks, I figure now is a good time to reflect on my experience and attempt to prepare goals for the next decade of my professional work.
In Reflection:
I’ve been blessed with many incredible experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and learn from some of the best names in corporate HR. I have failed at times and took chances that didn’t always pan out. As a result, I’ve been able to dust myself off and keep forging ahead with greater knowledge and understanding.
On to 2011:
I recall responding to an ad Pepperjam placed on Careerbuilder. (Remember that site?)
The company had the attention of the local media as the place to work and their website was filled with beautiful, happy faces of employees having fun. I wanted in. Who wouldn’t want to be the HR support of a group like this? Blessed again, I was selected for the role and was proud of the gig.
Fast forward to now:
While I may be bringing a few years of life experience to the office on the daily, I’m learning more than ever from the 20 and 30 somethings I’m surrounded by. I can even create a Snapchat story with a geotag. Before I ask a question about excel, you bet I’ve done the tutorial on YouTube.
And in return, I’ve helped some people learn to “adult” (which is now both a verb and a noun). I can talk health insurance all day long with employees if they’d let me and I’ve also helped resolve issues by guiding folks to chat. And I mean actually chat face to face—not just inside google hangouts.
It’s become clear that regardless of rank or title and especially age—we all have some knowledge or talent we can share to help lift one another up.
It’s with this guiding principal that I’m confident in the outlook and goals I’ve set for my next decade's trip around the sun. I’ll continue to support and lift others while staying open to new information and ideas that come with being surrounded by so many smart and wonderful people.
With this, we are excited to announce the launch of our Intern Spotlight series. While our leadership team will continue to share their valuable industry outlooks and expertise on this blog, it’s become evident our internship program continues to flourish with the best and brightest students. We would be remiss not to showcase those who keep us young and in touch with what the future has in store.
