| Name: | Jennifer Fron |
| Current Role: | Coordinator, Human Resources, Harris®* and Bank-Wide Student Training Program Graduate |
| Location: | Chicago, IL |
| "I was offered the full-time role in Human Resources because of my successful summer work terms and part-time experience." | |
I’ve been at Harris for about five years now, including my time during school for my undergraduate and Masters degrees in Personnel and Human Resources Development. I started out as a summer Project Intern and was then offered a summer role in BMO® Financial Group’s Bank-Wide Student Training Program in an HR role supporting the Technology group in 2006. I knew I wanted to work in Human Resources, and asked my manager if I could stay on in a part-time role during the fall. When a full-time position became available within my current group that December, I was offered the role because of my successful summer work terms and part-time experience. | |
| "My role is very rewarding because a lot of my deliverables are end-to-end, so I can see the results of my work and really feel a sense of accomplishment." | |
My role has a lot of variety and I’m exposed to all of Harris’ lines of business, which is a great learning experience. I have input on which projects I work on, so I’m always doing something different and interesting. This has helped me steer my career where I want it to go. My role is very rewarding because a lot of my deliverables are end-to-end, so I can see the results of my work and really feel a sense of accomplishment in seeing my ideas come to fruition. For example, one of my most recent projects was designing and implementing an employee recognition program that is now used across Harris Community Banking, our retail and business operations. It’s a good balance between day-to-day and long-term work. | |
| "Informational interviews… give you the chance to show what you know, what you’ve done, and what you’re interested in." | |
Communication skills and professionalism are the two most important attributes to have in this job. It’s important to know how to carry yourself and present your ideas, particularly for students or new graduates who are new to the workforce. I’ve also learned the importance of networking in order to make contacts and find out about new opportunities. Informational interviews are a great way to do this, and I’ve been fortunate to have managers who have introduced me to people for this purpose These interviews also give you the chance to show what you know, what you’ve done, and what you’re interested in. I’m now working for two of the people I met with in my last role, and I know I’ll continue networking as I progress in my career! | |
| "I found BMO®’s Bank-Wide Student Training Program really helpful because it’s a very structured intern program." | |
Webinars and lunch and learns, many of which are cost free, are a great way to learn new things and learn about the organization. I’ve also joined professional organizations, like the Society for Human Resources Management, in order to network outside of the bank and participate in their training opportunities. As far as formal programs, I found BMO’s Bank-Wide Student Training Program really helpful because it’s a very structured intern program. I really enjoyed being able to meet and network with the other students across the Bank at our orientation and other activities. Many are working here full-time now and I am still in touch with them. | |
| "My short term goal is to continue to develop my skills by taking on different challenging projects in Human Resources." | |
My short term goal is to continue to develop my skills by taking on different and challenging projects in Human Resources. My managers are very open to me undertaking special projects or job shadowing in other groups, such as BMO’s Institute for Learning. In the future, I might consider moving into a more generalist role, or doing work in recruiting, benefits, or succession planning for a specific group. For now, I’m going to keep expanding my network and learning new things in my current role! | |
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