Attinder
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Attinder Sidhu came to the Yukon from Vancouver to be with her younger brother who got into Yukon University, but she had her reservations about the move. She couldn’t find much information online about the Yukon, and wasn’t sure what it would be like compared to Vancouver. She even remembers crying the first night she arrived, in the middle of winter when it was dark and snowing.
Fortunately, what initially seemed daunting became a pivotal chapter in Attinder’s career. Moving from her roles in retail and part-time office work during college, she has now flourished into a Human Resources Consultant at the Department of Community Services. Through a connection in a former job she held, she met someone at Yukon University who saw something special in her, and wanted to help her find the right job opportunity. She helped Attinder polish up her resume, and offered to hand it off to some people she knew around town.
It landed in the hands of a hiring manager at the Department of Health and Social Services, who was staffing the COVID-19 testing centre at the time and needed administrative support. Attinder happily took the position, and started to build connections to other HR staff who were working on the pandemic response. This led to a role monitoring the COVID-19 infoline, where Yukoners would reach out for non-medical information and support – and eventually a health and safety coordinator position in the Department of Community Service’s HR office. Guided by the director and managers in that unit, Attinder further honed her skills by shadowing other Human Resources Consultants and handling various tasks, leading to her first official HR position.
Reflecting on that journey, Attinder expresses deep gratitude for the support she received, recognizing the impact of mentorship in navigating unfamiliar terrain. “I feel incredibly fortunate for the support I've had along this journey. It not only showed me the ropes but also inspired me to be that guiding force for individuals like me who find themselves uncertain about navigating the system. In any role, there's always been someone ready to lend support,” she says, underscoring the profound influence of mentorship and community in her transformative career experience.
Fatima
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“For me, it was kind of lifechanging coming up here after living in Calgary for 16 years. Here, it helped me slow down and enjoy life while gaining experience and working in the field that you desire,” Fatima Salama says.
Seeking a break from the fast-paced city life, Fatima came to Whitehorse and was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed both the Yukon and the work she was doing. After studying HR and labour relations, Fatima found her way to a role in HR with the Department of Health and Social Services.
“I am one who is not a fan of going to work and doing the same thing every day,” she says. “No two days are similar, and I learn something new every day. Working in Health and Social Services has exposed me to so many different things, and has helped me grow in confidence and decision making.”
A couple of things that have stood out to her so far is the opportunity for growth and mentorship in the HR community at the Yukon government – including plenty of opportunities to take temporary assignments in different areas of government. “In Calgary, there weren’t as many options for types of HR roles, whereas here you can be a bit more selective. By taking a temporary assignment and changing what you’re doing just shows how open and willing the Yukon government is to support people’s interests.”
Sasha
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For Sasha Sywulsky, Director of Human Resources for the Department of Environment, the path to HR was not linear. She had been working in recreation management for more than 15 years in different roles with Parks Canada, and different municipalities when her mom showed her a newspaper advertisement for a role with the City of Whitehorse’s Parks department. It piqued her interest, and off she went.
“When we try and sell the Yukon for job offers, we often talk about the accessibility of the wilderness, but I am always shocked by how many special interest groups and clubs there are. No matter what you’re into – martial arts, disc golf, Pokémon… there’s a club for every interest and sport!”
Sasha didn’t have education in HR, but had experience in labour relations and recruitment as a supervisor. It felt like a natural transition; she went for her CPHR designation and eventually took on a secondment role to the Yukon government for a 1-year term in HR with the Department of Education. It ended up being a more permanent move than she expected, moving through several different roles in Education, the Executive Council Office and the Public Service Commission before landing in the Department of Environment.
What’s Sasha’s advice for others considering careers in HR? “HR is more diverse than people think,” she says. “You don’t have to have schooling or background in HR – it can be helpful, but a lot of that stuff can be learned if you are comfortable talking to people, enjoy problem solving, have a growth mindset and find comfort working in the grey zone of ambiguity sometimes. We see sticky problems in HR that don’t always have a clear-cut answer, because humans are messy! I’ve never dealt with the same issue twice, which I think speaks for itself.”
Lauren
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What makes the Yukon government special? To Lauren Teiman, it is the level of support you receive for professional development. “There are leaders who believe in taking a chance on someone with transferable skills and who is skilled and eager,” she says. “I am so grateful for that, because I feel I am finally where I was meant to be.”
Lauren’s career began in education as a teacher, which is what initially brought her to Whitehorse after moving from Iqaluit. She had a feeling that HR was what she was most interested in trying, but her first role she landed was in intergovernmental relations, where the leadership was extremely supportive of her HR aspirations. She began taking some HR courses at Yukon University and met someone in her class from the Department of Community Services’ HR team, who mentioned there was an opportunity in the team for a temporary assignment.
“I didn’t hear anything more about it for about 6 months. But then one day, I got the call to join the team at Community Services’ HR,” Lauren says. She now brings her passion for public service and client service to work every day. “I love to feel like I am contributing and helping people succeed, whether it’s in offering someone a job that will make a huge difference in their life, or helping people to succeed in their next job interview.”
Lauren’s advice for anyone interested in joining HR at the Yukon government: Be patient and learn the recruitment process and system. Don’t be afraid to reach out to HR and see if there’s someone who can meet with you to explain the process (in person or virtually!) The more information you have about the competition process, the more prepared and confident you will feel. And always follow up and ask for feedback if you don’t make it through on your first try – that feedback can make all the difference the next time you apply!