With a little under a year left of school, Human Resources student and Sault Ste Marie native, Taryn Ross, has successfully secured employment in the HR field and is ecstatic to start her first day of real experience. When she began her studies in the fully online Certificate in Human Resources Management program, she embraced big dreams of launching a career in HR, but did not expect to obtain employment in the industry before graduation day.
We caught up with Taryn to learn more about her exciting work placement opportunity, her chosen career path, and how her studies are accelerating her success.
Congratulations on your job placement! What does this achievement mean to you?
Thank you very much! This achievement is such a reward after the hard work and time spent furthering my education. It is another step closer to my future career goals. My cooperative education (co-op) will be in the hospitality field at the Brookstreet Hotel and The Marshes Golf Club in Kanata. Brookstreet consists of over 300 employees during peak season and offers many services that interest a wide variety of guests.
What will your new role entail?
As the Brookstreet co-op student, I will receive hands-on experience in many aspects of the company’s human resources functions. The HR department has expressed their objective to demonstrate the intricacies of various job roles within HR so that I become a more generalized professional, rather than receiving specialized training in one area of the field.
What skills have you acquired from your Human Resources continuing education program?
I have learned a tremendous amount so far that I plan to utilize during my placement. I have expanded my knowledge of recruitment and selection, compensation, HR planning methods, forecasting, and HR management techniques. I am looking forward to exercising my skills and gaining experience in various training programs, employee relations, and employee investigation. My current certificate program is also a great way to bridge my education from a bachelors to a masters.
What influenced you to study HR?
I have always been fascinated with business functions, and what makes companies run smoothly and effectively. During my undergrad at Nipissing University, my favourite course was Organizational Psychology. I knew then that HR was the field for me. I am very social, approachable, and outgoing. I love interacting with people, and I feel as though these skills will help me succeed.
Why did you choose to continue your education at York?
The online option was a great opportunity to further my education in the field, enabling me to work full-time. Additionally, in my undergrad, I had many professors who attended York. I met with several of them to discuss the university, and all had nothing but positive experiences to share.
What advice would you offer prospective students thinking about continuing education?
Experience combined with continued education demonstrates to employers that you are motivated and driven to career success. Placements, co-ops, and internships are all exceptional ways to gain experience in your field of interest. They allow you to get your foot in the door with working professionals and really enable you to land your dream job. Furthering my education with the Human Resource Management Certificate was the best decision I could have made to attain my personal goals.
Taryn will be walking across the graduation stage in June 2020. We wish her the very best in all her future endeavours.
