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Pathways Alumni Intern

Rhea photo.jpg

RHEA


York University, Concurrent Education, History & Psychology (BEd/BA)

Human Resources Intern
Northbridge Financial

 

In summer 2018, Pathways alumna Rhea worked at Northbridge in the Human Resources Department. Her time spent working with the Human Resources team opened up her eyes to a world of career opportunities in Learning and Development.

“I ended up with a lot of skills after [my internship] – I didn’t know how to use Excel or Sharepoint. So after they taught me how to use their platforms, I was able to build out training plans to suit [the company’s] needs, and use what I knew from my teaching background to add to the company.”

In particular, Rhea took initiative to develop several training presentations on mental health, diversity, bias in resume reviewing, and awareness training. She also introduced more interactive elements in order to facilitate more meaningful conversation amongst her Northbridge colleagues. This experience helped her to realize that she could use her skill sets as a teacher outside the classroom and transfer them into adult learning and corporate settings.

“If I didn’t go to Northbridge, I never would have known that I could teach adults, and I never would have known that I could be using Excel to generate important business analytics. Now there’s always an opportunity for me to possibly pursue learning & development and adult education as an avenue.”

Reflecting back on her summer, Rhea recognizes firsthand the importance of organizations offering internship opportunities to Pathways students and alumni. “The job market is really competitive, and opportunities to explore avenues beyond your skill set are even harder without connections,” Rhea says.

She also knows the rewards from the experience are mutual. “We’re coming in to learn, but it’s always a two way street. We can also contribute back to [these companies.]”

Today, Rhea is continuing to work on her degree at York University with a stronger belief in herself and a fresh viewpoint on her potential career.

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