Deciding Your Direction is back with another installment in the professional interview series! This week, Julia Ekstrom is featured. Julia is an expert in Corporate Communications and Human Resources Talent Development. She worked for 21 years as an HR executive at Caterpillar, and now serves as Manager of Communications at Samaritan Ministries in Peoria. Also, she's a Bradley University graduate! The transcript of our conversation is included below.
__________
Question: As a Manager of Communications, what does an average day look like for you?
JE: “My days consist almost entirely of meetings–at least six of them, if not more. Meetings include collaborating with various departments throughout the ministry, staff meetings, one-on-one meetings with my team, coaching & mentoring meetings with staff, conducting performance reviews, addressing social media emergencies, collaborating with other leaders in other areas of the Ministry to strategize message delivery to our members (our clients), senior leadership meetings, and every so often, writing. Meetings make up about 95% of my job.”
Question: What is the most difficult part of your job?
JE: “See the answer above… meetings! Okay, I’m joking to an extent. Because the organizational culture and personal relationships are so important in the ministry, there’s a real obligation to carefully balance tasks and people. As a leader–no matter the circumstances–I need to be a clear voice of reason and put the needs of my team first. While I truly love the environment, it can sometimes be tricky to know the best course of action and how to lead my team with grace.”
Question: What is your favorite part of your job?
JE: “My favorite part of my job is the organizational culture. At Samaritan Ministries, people and relationships matter just as much as (and maybe even more than) the work itself. Working in a culture where leaders care about the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of their staff is an incredible blessing. It's not about making a buck. It's about making a difference. Additionally, I really care about the people who report to me, so it's a real joy to see them grow and flourish and use their gifts at work.”
Question: How did your previous experiences in work, school, and life prepare you for what you are doing today?
JE: “Twenty one years of experience in the corporate world taught me a lot about the incredible importance of having established processes, clarity in roles and responsibilities, and creating a culture where people are important. These components are crucial for people to get their jobs done effectively. If you have a solid foundation of processes and clarity, you have the flexibility to cultivate an excellent and positive culture from there.”
Question: What advice do you have for students who are graduating from college and entering the working world?
JE: “Your college degree doesn’t define you. The thing about earning a degree is that so much of it is about hands-on experience with project management, writing, researching, teamwork, and discipline. My bachelor’s degree from Bradley was in English and Secondary Education. While I never held a full-time teaching position in a public school (which is what I thought I would be doing all through university & right after graduation), I've held every role in Communications and senior roles in Development at Caterpillar. Those jobs would not have been possible without my degree! The skills I gained in collaboration and management have helped me throughout my entire career. My time at Bradley really taught me how to work with others in teams and get things done through collaborative effort. So, it's okay to take a detour, be flexible, and try new things!”
__________
JE: “My days consist almost entirely of meetings–at least six of them, if not more. Meetings include collaborating with various departments throughout the ministry, staff meetings, one-on-one meetings with my team, coaching & mentoring meetings with staff, conducting performance reviews, addressing social media emergencies, collaborating with other leaders in other areas of the Ministry to strategize message delivery to our members (our clients), senior leadership meetings, and every so often, writing. Meetings make up about 95% of my job.”
Question: What is the most difficult part of your job?
JE: “See the answer above… meetings! Okay, I’m joking to an extent. Because the organizational culture and personal relationships are so important in the ministry, there’s a real obligation to carefully balance tasks and people. As a leader–no matter the circumstances–I need to be a clear voice of reason and put the needs of my team first. While I truly love the environment, it can sometimes be tricky to know the best course of action and how to lead my team with grace.”
Question: What is your favorite part of your job?
JE: “My favorite part of my job is the organizational culture. At Samaritan Ministries, people and relationships matter just as much as (and maybe even more than) the work itself. Working in a culture where leaders care about the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of their staff is an incredible blessing. It's not about making a buck. It's about making a difference. Additionally, I really care about the people who report to me, so it's a real joy to see them grow and flourish and use their gifts at work.”
Question: How did your previous experiences in work, school, and life prepare you for what you are doing today?
JE: “Twenty one years of experience in the corporate world taught me a lot about the incredible importance of having established processes, clarity in roles and responsibilities, and creating a culture where people are important. These components are crucial for people to get their jobs done effectively. If you have a solid foundation of processes and clarity, you have the flexibility to cultivate an excellent and positive culture from there.”
Question: What advice do you have for students who are graduating from college and entering the working world?
JE: “Your college degree doesn’t define you. The thing about earning a degree is that so much of it is about hands-on experience with project management, writing, researching, teamwork, and discipline. My bachelor’s degree from Bradley was in English and Secondary Education. While I never held a full-time teaching position in a public school (which is what I thought I would be doing all through university & right after graduation), I've held every role in Communications and senior roles in Development at Caterpillar. Those jobs would not have been possible without my degree! The skills I gained in collaboration and management have helped me throughout my entire career. My time at Bradley really taught me how to work with others in teams and get things done through collaborative effort. So, it's okay to take a detour, be flexible, and try new things!”
__________
If you would like to connect with Julia, you may visit her LinkedIn profile here.
In a 2015 article, the Society for Human Resource Management lists 10 things that HR professionals need to do in order to be successful, one of which is "be a good communicator." This highlights the unique value of pairing HR with Communications. It also lists flexibility as a desired trait, which is even more true now than it was seven years ago when the article was published!
At the end of the day, it's good to find peripheral experiences that complement your main studies and help you enter the professional world with confidence.
See you next week!
- JS
I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week! It is amazing to see what other people enjoy in their field of work and career. I know for me I would not be able to do meetings back to back but what others don't enjoy others cannot wait to get down and that is so amazing ! One thing that also really stood out to me was the fact that she had mentioned how she likes the physical, emotional and mental overall side of meetings as well! To me I thought meetings would be boring get to the point and on to the next. Great Blog and Read!
ReplyDelete