New Student SHRM Chapter

New Student SHRM Chapter

The UM Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter

by Jennifer White

Business students at The University of Montana (UM) School of Business Administration (SoBA) have a new option for networking and developing human resource management skills.

This fall semester, SoBA students Shannon Gilskey and Whitney Mann are starting a student chapter affiliated with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The chapter provides an obvious match for students specializing in human resource management, but Gilskey points out that anyone going into a business career will deal with management issues among employees and can benefit from the organization. In fact, SHRM professional members include CEOs, legal counsel, supervisors and HR directors.

As a student, Gilskey has taken advantage of the local, professional Big Sky SHRM Chapter, attending their monthly luncheons with area professionals. (They give students a free student membership.) “The Big Sky Chapter has been great to work with,” says Gilskey. “I don’t think a lot of students know about SHRM.”

Gilskey teamed up with Mann to establish a student chapter that offers students the same kind of learning and mentorship opportunities she has found with the Big Sky Chapter. Mann says the new student chapter will fill a gap for management majors. “There are well established clubs for accounting, management information systems, and marketing, and I feel that SHRM is a club that holds advantageous value for students interested in management,” she explains.

The UM Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter will meet monthly and give members the chance to network and learn more about human resource management. (It will also likely impress employers as participants apply for internships and jobs.) Those who choose to pay the national membership dues ($35) will also gain access to all of SHRM’s national resources, including website access, a magazine, newsletters, and job openings.

Both Gilskey and Mann are former accounting majors who switched over to management. They are excited to see the student chapter of SHRM become a vibrant organization at UM. Paula Barber, President and CEO of On Point Recruiting, will serve as the advisor.

Janel Queen, Director of Career Development for SoBA, is the College Relations Coordinator for SHRM. She notes that, since fall of 2006, Big Sky SHRM chapter members have been integral in helping UM’s business students prepare for the job search process, participating in many of SoBA’s Career Development events. “Its members continue to be phenomenal partners in the school’s Career Development programs. We look forward to having a student chapter that business students can actively participate in,” says Queen. SHRM has some 450 student chapters and another 575-plus affiliated chapters in the U.S, with a global membership of 250,000 that spans 140 countries. Students interested in joining the UM Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter can email shannon.gilskey@umconnect.umt.edu or visit their Facebook page.

The Career Path

Shannon Gilskey: Gilskey’s involvement with SHRM and internships has paid off. She is entering her senior year with a full-time job waiting for her in the spring. After a civil rights internship with the Department of Transportation, she completed an executive internship with Target in Billings in the summer of 2012, which culminated withTarget offering her a full-time job beginning in 2013. She hopes to continue her education and work toward a certificate in human resource management from Portland State. In the long term, she plans to earn an MBA or MA in human resource management.

Whitney Mann: Mann is a senior studying business management with a minor in communications. She has built an impressive resume through her internships. Mann interned at Vann's Appliances in their accounting department, helping with general accounting operations. For the last two summers, she has interned at the Daly Mansion in Hamilton, Montana, as the assistant wedding and events coordinator.

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