Her Story
About Heather
Heather Parsons serves as a Human Resources Consultant and Partner in IMHR, a consulting company she helped start in 2021, while also managing operations for The Insurance Market, an independent insurance agency. Her professional journey includes 18 years at a small community bank, where she advanced from a seasonal bank teller to Assistant Vice President and Director of Human Resources. She earned a certificate in training and staff development, followed by a certificate in human resources, her bachelor's degree in 2017 while working full time and raising a family, and completed her MBA in 2020 during the lockdown period. Parsons holds a Professional HR Certification from HRCO and is a member of SHRM and the Beyond Insurance Global Network. She attributes a great deal of her success to the network, scholarships, and leadership opportunities she gained through SHRM, and values integrity, honesty, transparency, and going above and beyond in all her endeavors.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Heather
01What do you attribute your success to?
I truly attribute a lot of my success to SHRM and the network that I was able to build, and the friends that I was able to make through SHRM and the opportunities that I've been given. From scholarships to leadership positions, just growing as a leader and a person.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was a suggestion from my mentor and a past supervisor, and now a dear friend. She suggested I join SHRM.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When you're entering the insurance industry, you tend to think of it being dominated by gentlemen, and sometimes it is. We're very fortunate at the insurance market that we have 6 managers. We're all female, while our owners... They have definitely recognized the value of the perspectives that we bring, and definitely acknowledged and appreciate the hard work that we bring to the table and our experience.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In the insurance industry, we are having difficulty finding top talent that is interested in getting into insurance. I think a lot of times, folks see insurance as being boring... But what folks don't see is the level of critical thinking, strategic thinking, the problem solving, and how you got to help people. That is rewarding. You know, insurance might seem boring, but we are writing very complex policies, so we are using our brains every day, and helping people with very complex insurance needs. So that is very exciting.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say integrity. Making sure that you are presenting as the person that you truly are. Being honest and transparent. And just always going above and beyond, and doing the best that you can in everything that you do. And that would be both personally and professionally.
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