My first job was as an administrative assistant for Baker Real Estate. In this position I noticed that the company had a very strong human resources department, which made my first employment experience much more enjoyable and eased my transition into work life. There was a significant age gap between the human resources team and administrators like myself, so the relationship between the departments was focused on mentorship and guidance. The next job I had was as a boutique associate and cashier for a clothing store called Aritzia. The company employed a very young workforce, and I experienced a much different relationship with the human resource department and my co-workers. All departments worked collaboratively together on a day-to-day basis rather than remotely from different offices. From these two experiences, I am interested in understanding the effects that differing nature of relationships between departments and co-workers impacts employee satisfaction, company culture, and the overall success of the organization.
The particular aspects of employment relations that I am interested in are human resource management and understanding human behaviour in organizations. With regards to human resource management I am particularly interested in learning more about talent acquisition. Specifically, how to identify the best hire for a position, tools to integrate new hires into the company culture, and understanding the fundamentals of interviewing from both the managerial and applicant perspectives. In terms of human behaviour in organizations, I am passionate about the implications of mental health awareness in the workplace, and how to use mental health as a tool to maximize workplace efficiency. Lastly, I am interested in learning more about maximizing relationships with subordinates and superiors to develop relationships that benefit not only an employee’s career, but also their mental health and job satisfaction.
Alexandra LeBoeuf 
Hi Alex! So nice to see you on here. I too am interested in human resource management. Looking forward to doing this course with you!
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Hi Kylie! Thanks for replying to my blog post. I look forward to working with you as well!
Cheers!
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Hi Alex,
So interesting your experience with working in two very different environments. I have only ever worked in a restaurant, so I appreciate your input on the comparison between age gaps and workplace cultures.
I completely agree with your comment on the importance of the implications of mental health awareness in the workplace. I feel like learning more about it will make me more conscientious of my co-workers, as well as myself, regarding health. This will benefit not only myself but also my place of works effectiveness and efficiency.
Goodluck this semester!
Rachel
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Thanks for commenting on my post Rachel! If you are ever interested in learning more about mental health resources at Queen’s, Jack.Org and Queen’s Commerce Mental Health Association are great executive teams with a lot to offer.
Goodluck to you too!
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Hi Alex,
Nice to meet you! It was nice hearing about your different experiences in the work environment, which is oftentimes so different from school and academia and offers much more hands-on experience and knowledge. I also have a lot of diverse part-time retail experiences, which has definitely shaped my interest in human resources on a more practical level as well.
I look forward to learning with you!
Ashley Jeon
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Thanks for replying to my blog post Ashley! I would be interested in knowing how your retail experience was and if you would ever want to work there again?
All the best this semester!
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