Jessica Bischoff, President of Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Jessica Bischoff is the outgoing president of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). The organization assists in the Annual Career Fair.

Gavin Farber: What made you join the organization?

Jessica Bischoff: I would say I seriously joined Society of Human Resource Management at the end of my sophomore year when I decided to switch my major to human resources. I became the career fair chair junior year, and president senior year. The main reason I joined was so I could become involved on campus, and be updated with the latest information in meetings, and learn from the best.

GF: What were the biggest accomplishments your organization did this year?

JB: I would have to say our Career Fair. Our Career Fair allows for Rowan to get their name and students out there. What we do is we sell tables to companies to come in, which not only gives the students an opportunity to speak to a group of companies, but also provides an easy solution for companies when they are looking for interns or recent graduates. We had the biggest turn out their year with over 120 companies at our career fair. With the money that we made from the career fair we are sending almost our complete eboard to the national SHRM conference this summer, which is a great opportunity for the recent graduates.

GF: What made you want to become president of the organization?

JB: I was on the eboard the year before, and I thought that the job would be great. It would give me great opportunities to go out there and speak to employers to get them to come in and speak to the students of Rowan. I thought it would look great on a resume. And it would provide as a great networking opportunity because when you run something, more people know who you are.

GF: What did you learn from taking on this position?

JB: I learned what it would be like to run an organization. I went to all the meetings, and learned how to run a meeting effectively. I learned that a lot can get done when you have great teamwork. And I learned why it is important for your team to bond, and how much better a team will work together once they have bonded.

GF: Would you change anything from this past year?

JB: I think SHRM works really effectively together. But something I would like to see in the future years would maybe be the business organizations coming together and planning something. I know that this year they tried a Salsa banquet, where students were encouraged to learn how to salsa and attend a banquet. But I think maybe the business programs can all get together and raise money someway.

GF: Was this position stressful?

JB: At times the position was found to be stressful. Juggling a full course load, internship, and being a president, and well as a treasurer of a different organization definitely can take up some time. But I think I learned how to manage my time successfully, and learned how to prioritize and juggle events. But I do have to say SHRM’s advisor was great! He was always there to answer any questions I may have had, and he was great at taking some pressure off my shoulders. He was always very eager to help, and I think SHRM is very fortunate for having him. I am not sure SHRM would run the same way or quite as effectively if he wasn’t there.

GF: What is your advice for future presidents of your organization?

JB: Don’t take anything too seriously, and just make sure you have fun with it. I know that at times I was bummed out and upset that we didn’t always get the greatest turn out at meetings. But I think it is important to remember that not many people are interested in HR if they are not in the program, and since our major is so specific we can’t always have the biggest turn out. But have fun with what you have. At times I would makes cookies or brownies for the meetings, and just tried to make sure everyone had fun within the meetings. If they have fun, then they tell their friends, and through word of mouth maybe we can get a bigger turn out.

GF: What are your future plans? Do you plan to stay in contact with members and advisors of the organization?

JB: My future plans are to graduate and get a job with in the HR field as a recruiter. I haven’t obtained these plans yet, but I am definitely in the process. At our last SHRM meeting, we elected next year’s president and I gave her my contact information. I wanted to make sure they feel comfortable emailing me about anything so I spent some time with them, and talked about both the good times and bad times so they knew what to expect. I do plan on keeping in touch with the new president, and I hope she keeps in touch with me. I am also planning on keeping in touch with our advisor who was also my academic advisor.