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By: Janice Bandick
Published On: January 13, 2016As the Executive Assistant to the Nak'azdli Band Chief, Maureen found that her colleagues often came to her for help with their professional and personal troubles. “Because there was no Human Resources department in our small office, it was decided that I would take over that role. This felt like a natural progression for me, as a large part of my job consisted of addressing employee concerns, developing internal documents, coordinating job competitions (promoting job opportunities, receiving and reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews and so on), basically serving as an HR generalist.”
The Nak'azdli Band’s main community is located near Fort St. James in Northern British Columbia. “I live and work in a rural area, where the closest post-secondary institution is over two hours away, so I knew that an online program was the best academic option for me. My employer and I researched several different options but there were some that required students to travel down to Vancouver for two weeks or were more expensive and less flexible, so Ashton was the best fit for what my company and I needed.”
Maureen enrolled in Ashton’s Online Diploma in Human Resources Management (DHRM) program in October of 2014. “At first it was difficult because I didn’t have any experience with online education, but once I got used to it I felt that it was a lot easier than conventional methods.”
“Flexible scheduling and recorded webinars allowed me to balance work with the program and I was able to complete my coursework when it suited my schedule.”
“I travel quite a bit for work, so I completed classes in Calgary, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The DHRM program was a great option for me as a busy professional who did not have the option of going to school on a full-time basis.”
After completing the DHRM program on June 30, 2015, Maureen was quickly promoted to the position of Human Resources Manager for the Nak'azdli Band and is now looking forward to continuing her education. “I’ve joined HRMA [Human Resources Management Association] and I'm researching colleges that offer online degrees so that I can pursue the CHRP [Certified Human Resources Professional] designation.”
“So much of what I do now is directly related to my academic instruction: learning about organizational effectiveness, staffing, and training and development. I am able to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical way on a daily basis, and I want to continue to grow as an HR practitioner.”
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