Johnston is triple-winner of HR scholarship awards
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Following her interest in technology, she has begun exploring IT companies in the area. As she looks at potential employers, she is also looking for a good fit with the company’s vision and practices. “As a socially responsible woman in my mid-twenties, environmental practices, working green, and sustainability are all initiatives I like to see in place when talking to potential employers,” she said.
“With each interview I have and recruiter I talk to, the more focused I become, yet I still do not have that ‘dream job’ in mind,” she said. But she has a pretty good idea of what she would like: “an entry-level HR generalist job working with a team in downtown Raleigh, where I can walk to work, and possibly travel outside the country, with great opportunity for growth within the company.”
Recognizing that other opportunities may open up, she says, “I know that, if I accept a job as a management trainee or account manager, my HR background will assist me in achieving success.”
Johnston has shared her enthusiasm for the human resources profession with fellow students through her role as president of the student SHRM chapter at the college. She has made a commitment to reach out to students who are considering the profession, and to interact with local professionals.
“I communicate the advantages of joining a professional organization anytime someone will listen and I believe in the power HR has in improving practices and reaching business goals. I have made learning about HR my first priority since day one at NC State, and I am committed to making this a lifelong endeavor.”
Her involvement in the student SHRM chapter provided opportunities to learn outside the classroom, through presentations by professionals and by competing in the national HR Games.
Her dedicated involvement in the SHRM chapter “just happened,” Johnston said.
“Without a day job and simply my classes to worry about, I started volunteering for SHRM functions because I was available. Then I started to enjoy what I learned by attending the programs, going to local businesses for site visits, and interacting with professional human resource managers.
"I like talking about HR theories and practices outside the classroom because it gives the topics structure. Discovering the practicality of what I’m learning in the classroom is important to my understanding the entire concept.”
Johnston, who applied twice for the national scholarship, said the recognition “is just an added bonus to the intrinsic rewards I have already received by participating in SHRM activities.”
“I have a lot to say about Sarah Johnston," said Jodi Barnes, teaching professor and co-advisor for the student SHRM chapter. It’s hard to be objective about a young woman who has such passion about her intended field – especially as an undergraduate – and demonstrable results in learning, skills-building and overall leadership to back up this enthusiasm.
"Sarah has taken the time to seek out and complete certification as an Equal Opportunity Institute graduate – requiring 30 outside hours of instruction with faculty and other NC State staff members - while holding various unpaid internships, including with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Raleigh and as an ambassador in our University Career Center," Barnes said.