Name: Becky Carlson
Current company and position: Human Resources Manager, Starbucks
High school: Timberline High School, Lacey, Wash.
UW degree(s) and grad year(s):
B.A., 1993, Psychology
B.A., 1993, Business
Campus activities:
I was a library assistant at the Business School library and a resident adviser for 2 ½ years. I also enjoyed going to football games.
When were you at the UW?
1989-93
Why did you go to the UW?
It was the only school I applied to. I wanted to stay in Washington and knew it was the best place to go.
Where did you live while at the UW?
I spent the first year in McMahon, then I was an R.A. in Lander and Haggett Halls. For my fourth year, I moved to a house off campus.
Did you have a job while in school?
During my junior year, I had an internship at the Pacific Science Center as a human resources assistant. As a senior, I had an internship at Microsoft as a recruiting assistant. The group I was in coordinated all interviews for college students. We had about 1,500 applicants, and coordinated their travel and hotel arrangements, set interview schedules, and were responsible for meeting and greeting the candidates. We would also do the offer letters for those who were selected.
What made you decide to go into Human Resources?
A fellow Resident Advisor was in H.R. and it really seemed like a good fit. As a business major, I knew I wasn’t interested in marketing or finance, and I liked the people aspect of H.R. It combined my interests in both business and psychology.
What was your first job out of college, and was it in your degreed field?
I was an H.R. assistant at one of Paul Allen’s companies, Starwave. It was a multimedia software company that eventually branched out to the Internet, and created ESPN.com and NBA.com, to name a few. The position actually started as a summer internship and then I got hired. For the ESPN.com venture, we were responsible for hiring the whole news staff to manage the content.
What are some of your H.R. responsibilities?
Employee relations, benefits, training and development, organizational design, compensation, and recruiting. I’m in the store development department at Starbucks, which is responsible for about a thousand people. Overall, Starbucks has 110,000 employees in 37 countries, and we open an average of 4½ new stores a day worldwide. When I started with the company five years ago, we had approximately 45,000 employees. As an entrepreneurial company, we work in a rapidly changing environment. Helping our employees manage through change is another key component of the H.R. role.
How do you select the best candidates for such varied positions?
At Starbucks, we have specific recruiters assigned to the various business units within the company. Many of them come from specific industries so they truly know the technical aspect of the job, as well as the industry trends for the area in which they are recruiting. For example, we have specific recruiters who focus just on our IT jobs, and they understand the lingo and skill sets needed to be qualified for these types of jobs. Ultimately, it’s up the hiring manager to make the decision on skills, profile, etc., they are looking for. Sometimes they are looking to hire someone from a specific company, or type of company; other times, they need a specific skill set. Based on the parameters they set, the recruiter is able to screen applicants who fit the minimum qualifications.
What do you find most challenging about your work?
The most challenging aspect is the pace of working for an entrepreneurial company and juggling several projects at once. You need to be effective at multi-tasking, to say the least! Also, the job can be very emotional at times. People come to you with problems and issues; managers come to deal with employees, and employees have grievances about managers. It really does involve human psychology, so I put both my majors to work, and keep lots of tissues in my office!
Do you have any pet peeves regarding job applicants?
Always do research on the company. Ask well-researched questions. Your first question shouldn’t be about the benefits. We want to know what you’ve learned so far about the company, and that you’ve spent time looking into it. Always follow up with a thank you note. And while it’s OK to check whether we’ve made a decision on a position, there’s a fine line between being responsive and being annoying. Calling every week is too much. I know it’s frustrating to wait, but we receive over a million resumes a year. You have to be patient with the process.
Has networking been an important element in your own career development?
Definitely, both in trying to find a job, and trying to grow my career. When I was starting out, I joined the student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, and they were helpful in distributing our resumes to their members. Now, because Starbucks is so big, my networking is mostly within the company rather than external. I meet with people across different business units so I know people and they know me.
Why do you volunteer as a Career Connections contact?
I’m always talking to people about work and career paths, and I love the UW, so it was a natural extension.
Are there any Career Connections experiences that stand out in your mind?
So far I’ve been contacted five or six times and have met with every person, but there was a sophomore last year who really stood out. She was a go-getter and very articulate; really willing to put herself out there. She asked great questions about both the company and the field, such as what I liked and disliked about it, what were the drawbacks, etc. She had a lot of enthusiasm and maturity.
Is there any career advice that you’d like to offer to students and alumni contacting you through Career Connections?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help getting your foot in the door. If you meet someone and feel there’s a connection, call them up or e-mail. But have realistic expectations about what someone can do for you. At a large company, it’s difficult to sway the interview process. Most importantly, follow your heart. One of my favorite quotes is: “Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life." -- Harvey Mackay, writer and speaker