Jessica Benedet
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2017)
Jessica earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2017. Following graduation, she pursued a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources and is currently working as a Learning and Development Specialist with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, supporting professional growth and organizational development.
“Psychology is a huge field, with so many options for careers. Find something that interests you and look down that path to see what fits within psychology and how you can apply your education to your interests! I never thought I would go into Learning and Development but I was interested in why people do the things they do at work, and decision making, and it lead me down into organizational development and Human Resources!“
Brief description of what I do!
I am an organizational development and talent leader, with 10 years of Human Resources and OD experience. I have worked in several key industries like Waste management, Post Secondary Education, Banking, Child Welfare, and Social Services. I enjoy helping people thrive in their roles by helping companies bring in systems, policies, and training to make things easier and more effective for employees and the employer. I graduated from Carleton University in Psychology, and have a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources from Durham College, and a Certificate in Adult Education, as well as several other certificates in DiSC, Reconciliation, OCAP and more!
What inspired your career path after graduation?
Taking courses in Industrial / Organizational Psychology make me realize I may be interested in Human Resources, and Organizational Psychology. I took an HR course and really enjoyed it, so I looked for a career in that field that I could apply my education and skills to.
How did your experience in the psychology program shape your journey?
I don’t think I would be where I am today without Carleton and my experience in the Psychology program. It shaped what I wanted to do, while also providing experiences to learn other facets of Psychology that still interest me today. Not only did I end up in my field, but I used other elective psych courses to change industries. For example I enjoyed the mental health and addictions course, and I used it to get job experience at John Howard Society in Harm Reduction, and Child Psychology to work at The Children’s Aid Society. There’s so many things I can thank my experience at Carleton for opening doors to me for.
What skills or experiences were most valuable after graduation?
Critical thinking, buisness writing, decision making, and communication have been the skills that have lead me to success. I learned all of these through University and although I didn’t know it at the time, it really helped get me my first opportunities that continued to lead to my career path today.
Are there specific Psychology courses, professors, or experiences that stood out during your time at Carleton?
What sparked my passion for learning and development was Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and the courses I was able to take in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology during my time at Carleton.
What has been a highlight or proud moment in your career so far?
Leading a team of Recruiters and Learning professionals as the Senior Manager of Organizational Development and Talent at Miller Waste before I turned 30! Feels like an incredible accomplishment in a male dominated industry (waste management) as a young female HR professional.