First week as a Fairway Talent Summer Scholar

While normally, the first day of work means a stomach full of butterflies, such jitters disappeared upon entering Learning Resources. My manager and Talent Acquisition Leader here at Fairway Talent greeted me at the door, taking me on a tour of the brightly lit office. Balloons and welcome signs hung from the door of her office, and flowers and a goodie bag awaited me at the desk. If the real world looks as cheery and welcoming as Fairway Talent/Learning Resources, being a rising Senior at Northwestern is not the end of the world after all.

The week continued on this welcoming note, as I seemed to meet one friendly face after another. Since Julie and Fairway Talent serve as a shared resources for each of the seven holding companies,I had the opportunity to explore three of the buildings that first day, as well as to meet a variety of employees from each. I couldn't help but be excited as I shook hands with the Chairman, President of each, and other Managers, and felt even more so at our first Lunch and Learn. Here, we not only got to know these Presidents and Managers over a delicious lunch, but we also held a Q&A session with Rick Woldenberg, Chairman of Learning Resources, Inc. His experience, career path, and advice was quite fascinating, and I left the Lunch & Learn eager to learn more about the companies.

Luckily, I discovered the next few days that my position as a Fairway Talent allows for exactly that, as part of my job on the People team entails getting to know each department at Learning Resources, Daigger, and Heathrow. As Julie recruits for every opening between the companies, she understands the responsibilities, needs, and values of managers and executives of each. I too will get to know the workings behind the many departments as I help Julie sift through candidates and new hires. Additionally, as I help launch the Fairway Talent webpage and Linkedin page, I will gain an even better understanding of the interactions, similarities, and differences between the seven companies and their leaders. I look forward to developing this knowledge, and I have a hunch that my first day's warm greeting will not end as I enter into the next few weeks here at Fairway Talent.