{"id":45641,"date":"2026-06-19T10:14:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/?post_type=cu_people&p=45641"},"modified":"2026-06-19T10:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:14:49","slug":"katya-jansen-poulin","status":"publish","type":"cu_people","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/people\/katya-jansen-poulin\/","title":{"rendered":"Katya Jansen Poulin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Katya earned her Honours Bachelor of Cognitive Science with Distinction in 2022, with a Specialization in Psychology and Cognition and a Minor in German. Following graduation, she completed an MBA <\/strong>in 2024 and is currently pursuing her CPA <\/strong>designation in Ontario. She now works as a Finance Officer<\/strong> with the Government of Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“My advice would be to first reflect on what is driving your uncertainty, and whether your interests can translate into different career paths. You don\u2019t need to have everything figured out right away, focus on exploring opportunities that help you better understand what you enjoy and where you add value. Try to connect your academic background with real-world experience, and learn through doing rather than only planning. Clarity often comes from exposure, not certainty. Stay open and curious: work in different environments, explore different roles, and experience as much as you can. Take advantage of Carleton’s programs and services to experience the most of available opportunities.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Brief description of what I do!<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In my role as a Junior Finance Officer<\/strong>, I support SAP S\/4HANA solutions that underpin key financial and operational processes, including Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Real Estate Management (REFX), and Delegation of Spending and Financial Signing Authority (DSFA). Working at the intersection of finance, technology, and human decision-making, I help design and improve systems that enable effective governance, streamline processes, and support users across the organization. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into enterprise systems, I believe my background in cognitive science will be especially valuable in understanding how people interact with AI, make decisions with AI-supported insights, and adapt to new technologies in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What inspired your career path after graduation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My career path after graduation was shaped by a mix of timing, opportunity, and longstanding interests. After graduating during the COVID-19 period, I pursued an MBA<\/strong>, which helped deepen my understanding of business, finance, and organizational systems. At the same time, I remained drawn to programming and finance, interests that go back to my original undergraduate applications in Computer Science and Accounting. These experiences ultimately led me toward opportunities in financial systems, where I could combine technical problem-solving with business-focused work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did your experience in the psychology program shape your journey?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My cognitive science studies, which blend linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and philosophy, shaped how I approach my career by strengthening my critical thinking, curiosity, and tendency to question assumptions. It also deepened my understanding of how people think, communicate, and make decisions, which I apply when working with complex financial and technical systems. Overall, it provided a human-centred and interdisciplinary lens that continues to guide my work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What skills or experiences were most valuable after graduation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After graduation, the most valuable skills I carried forward were critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to structure and communicate ideas clearly. My cognitive science background also strengthened my understanding of statistics, data analysis, and how people think and behave in different contexts. Alongside this, networking and learning how to present myself professionally helped open opportunities. These skills have been especially relevant in my work in financial systems and continue to grow in importance as AI becomes more integrated into decision-making and analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there specific Psychology courses, professors, or experiences that stood out during your time at Carleton?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Intro to Computer Science<\/em>, Linguistics<\/em>, Logic<\/em>, German<\/em>, French<\/em>, and Intro to Research Methods<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been a highlight or proud moment in your career so far?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One of the most rewarding experiences in my career was contributing to a major SAP modernization initiative, helping my department become one of the first federal departments in Canada to upgrade to SAP S\/4HANA 2023. SAP is the enterprise system that supports many core business functions, including finance, procurement, and human resources. Working on this large-scale transformation strengthened my appreciation for both the technical and human sides of organizational change, highlighting the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and effective communication in achieving successful outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328,"featured_media":45643,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cu_people_first_name":"Katya ","cu_people_last_name":"Jansen Poulin","cu_people_initials":"KJ","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_people_type":[55],"cu_people_expertise":[],"class_list":["post-45641","cu_people","type-cu_people","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_people_type-alumni-profiles"],"acf":{"cu_people_job_title":"","cu_people_degree":"Honours Bachelor of Cognitive Science with Distinction, Specialization in Psychology and Cognition with a Minor in German (2022)","cu_building":"","cu_people_office_num":"","cu_people_pronoun":"","cu_people_designation":"","cu_people_email":"","cu_people_phone":"","cu_people_phone_ext":"","cu_people_linkedin":"","cu_people_bluesky":"","cu_people_twitter":"","cu_people_instagram":"","cu_people_facebook":"","cu_people_website":"","cu_people_orcid":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_people"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/328"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45670,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people\/45641\/revisions\/45670"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_people_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people_type?post=45641"},{"taxonomy":"cu_people_expertise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/psychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_people_expertise?post=45641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}