My guest this week is Christina Cantu who managed to secure her first HR job at the start of 2022. After a whirlwind 12 months, seeing her nominated as Emerging HR Professional of the Year, Christina has learnt a heck of a lot and kindly shares her story and experiences with me.
Christina is the first person in her family to attend University and since she can remember she has had a plan of achieving her Bachelors degree, then a Masters, and finally a PhD. Having secured a BA in Psychology, she is about to complete her MA in Public Administration.
HR came on to her radar after her Mother first suggested it but at that time Christina’s perception of HR was that of most – the department that just hires and fires people. However, it was through a module within the Masters study course that she learnt about the wider remit and impact that great HR can have.
As she entered the job market Christina found it extremely tough. She was applying for entry level HR roles but consistently found that she wasn’t getting any form of response or feedback from any applications. Christina is very candid and open about just how difficult a period this was and how she started to doubt herself and have a lot of negative thoughts, wondering if she was being overlooked because of her age or because of career choices she had made.
However, Christina finally secured an Internship and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Coming to the end of her first year in HR she explains what she has learnt and how she has developed her skills and knowledge.
This is a superbly helpful discussion for anyone looking to enter the HR profession covering the highs and the lows! I hope you enjoy listening.