Alumni Careers: Human Resources

Social Sciences students can pursue a wide range of careers through their Behavioural Science or Psychology degree. Here, we interview one graduate who used his Social Sciences degree to launch a career in Human Resources.

Name: Dylan Squires

Year graduated at Ambrose & degree?

Graduated 2016. BA in Behavioural Science with a concentration in Poverty Studies.

Schooling/career you’ve pursued since Ambrose?

Since graduating, I have pursued a career in Human Resources. I worked for the Mustard Seed’s HR team for just over a year, then I moved to the Town of Cochrane where I worked in their HR team for a little over 2 years. There I also pursued my CPHR Candidacy and since working toward the experience portion to receive the CPHR Designation. From the Town of Cochrane I made a move to Rocky View County to join their HR team where I have been for nearly 2 years. I am currently an HR Advisor with the County. I also finished an online program called the PowerMBA (a one-year online business school that includes daily micro learnings). I have pursued some other professional development courses like the CPHR’s Workplace Investigations course and I also retuned to Ambrose in 2020 to Audit an HR course. Outside of my career I also served on the Board of Elders with RockPointe Church for 3 years and concluded this past fall.

Most enjoyable aspect to your current work/schooling?

I really like the variety and problem solving complexity of HR. It is a field that provides opportunity to be a generalist, which I really value. I enjoy helping organizations think critically (and not cynically) about people matters and to provide the best counsel I can to managers and employees related to the people aspects of work life. I am glad to have chosen a field that engages my mind. I am also glad to play a part in incremental change. I am coming to find that the rewarding aspects of work are not always in the great breakthroughs but sometimes in disrupting the simple daily rituals and habits to see new possibilities (both in ways of doing and being).

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your Ambrose undergraduate self?

One of the greatest parts of being a student is to have the opportunity to expand how you think. While advanced continuing education is certainly possible once one delves into a career (we never stop learning, really), the pace of life does have a tendency to quicken. Enjoy the time to be a deep diver, because the world around has a way of demanding that we skim along the surface. In a time where we seem to be in a sort of credibility crisis when it comes to information, I really believe we are better for pursuing quality of thought over quantity. So embrace the skill early and return to it often.