Her Story
About Alexis
I've been in the HR field for about 10 years now, and what really drove me here was motivation from people saying 'oh, are you sure you want to do that' or 'you can't do that.' That understanding and drive pushed me forward. What I love about the particular HR field is it's something different every day. A lot of the time when you walk down and talk with employees, they think 'oh man, HR's coming, gotta be quiet, gotta behave.' Sometimes HR does bring bad news, but it's not always that way. So I'm trying to break that rapport and be more alongside the employees. As a generalist, I do recruiting, I help out with interviews, I do employee relations, so I have my hands in many different areas. My days are ever-changing - we always need people like everybody else since COVID, so that's the main priority. But I'm also completing onboarding, assisting with any different reports, helping those that are approaching retirement and working on their pensions, and handling any type of leave of absence, whether it's unpaid or paid. I spend more time at work than I'm at home, and I want to make the best of it.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alexis
01What do you attribute your success to?
I definitely attribute my success to friends and family - that's my biggest motivation and my biggest supporters. The reason for that is they know it takes a lot of time and dedication for the different opportunities that come arise, and they're very patient because it's a lot of long hours. Even the number one goal that I'm working on actively, and I just started a couple weeks ago, is studying for my PHR, so there's a long road ahead, but we're gonna give it a try. Their support through all of this has been invaluable.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was from my career coach when I was in between jobs in 2024. I had a portfolio that had everything I've ever accomplished, and she said, 'Alexis, it's 2024. You need to create a website.' And I said, 'I have to do what?' So after long hours and lots of networking and reaching out to people, I've created my own website. That advice really pushed me to modernize my professional presence and adapt to how things are done today.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would honestly say, put yourself out there. Make those connections. If I could have all the advice that I have now, even 10 years ago - I'm much more open, much more willing to make those small elevator conversations. In school I would not have done that, so I'm glad that I broke out of my shell. Those connections and being willing to engage with people, even in brief moments, can make all the difference in your career.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the biggest challenge and opportunity is the ongoing change with AI. I was just telling a coworker that recently started to just embrace it and get familiar with it, because it's something she doesn't have a lot of exposure to. I gave her a little example - try one or two sentences a day and just become familiar with it. Even if it's something that we don't care for, either way, we might as well just embrace it, because it's coming whether we like it or not. That's probably my biggest overcoming challenge right now.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and collaboration are most important to me. I'm a big believer that even if I don't agree with somebody, I can still collaborate with them and be professional. I spend more time at work than I'm at home, and I want to make the best of it. That means working well with others and maintaining integrity in everything I do.
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