PHOTO BY ZACH GARDNER | Staff Photographer
By CAITY ARIAS Freelancer
The student chapter of Western’s Human Resource Management welcomed guest speaker Ophelia Yan in the Columbia room Tuesday, Feb. 17. Yan presented career advice for students to use during and after college, and how to achieve opportunities in the field of human resources.
Yan’s advice can be applied to students looking into an array of career paths. The vice president of SHRM, Reina Morgan, a senior psychology major, said after college she wants to “pursue a career in industrial organizational psychology.”
SHRM’s president, Tyler Potter a senior political science major said he seeks to secure success after graduating. The varied majors among the students in the room showed that any major is applicable for working in HR.
Yan studied at Willamette University where she earned her degree of liberal arts in business. As an undergraduate, Yan was a sociology major. She now has her MBA and is certified as a senior and global professional in human resources.
Yan insists that students work while attending college for the experience. “You don’t want to graduate and start at $10 an hour just because you don’t have any experience.”
In her own experience, Yan worked at a bank and then transitioned to the HR aspect of banking.
Now, Yan works as the college relations director for the Oregon State Council. She describes her job as “securing happy and healthy employees”: helping people dispute differences and secure an enjoyable workplace environment.
During her presentation, Yan used a Venn diagram outlining what is best suited for students looking for happiness and success. In the left circle are “Things I love doing.” In the right circle are “Things I’m good at.” In the middle circle are “Things that society values.” Yan explains that an inclusion of all three circles must be met to ensure a successful career.
When seeking a career, students are advised to conduct an informational interview. An informational interview is where a person finds information about an employer to better help that person with guidance in building their own careers.
One of the best questions to ask an employer of interest, Yan suggests, is “How did you get where you are?” Gathering information about an employer will not only give ideas about how to be successful, but a connection will also be built with that employer.
SHRM allows students to dabble in the world of HR. Student chapters can plan treks where students can visit employers and companies. Guest speakers, like Yan, can also be brought in to bring more understanding to the field. Certain conferences are held for students to gain opportunities to exhibit and adapt their HR skills. These resources are just some of what are available to students that are interested in building a career in HR.
