I'm thrilled to share my first blog post with you! This is all very new to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to express how I got to where I am today, what I'm up to, and why I'm overjoyed to be a part of Nova’s team in the HR Apprenticeship program. Thanks for joining me on this exciting journey!

Before I found Nova.

Well, in my case, Nova actually found me, and at the time when I became familiar with them, I was a full-time university student who had only ever done summer internships and seasonal gift wrapping. At the time, I was pursuing my BBA at Brock University in Canada but was still trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to pursue as a career. 

Although I loved math in high school, two accounting internships later, I realised accounting may not be my true calling. However, after taking some more business-related courses, I discovered an interest in the field of Human Resources. Following my bachelor's degree, I decided to pursue an MBA with a specialisation in Human Resource Management with the end goal of working in HR back in Cayman. 

When Nova Found Me.

I still remember it like it was yesterday – I had never even heard of Nova before and was in the process of packing to fly back home from university when our Recruitment Consultant, Jasmine Zerjal, reached out to me on LinkedIn for a junior role she was working on for one of her clients. My travelling posed a slight scheduling barrier for us, but Nova was more than accommodating in arranging a suitable time to meet with me. 

Before my initial call with Jasmine, I did not know how the process worked when working with a recruitment agency in the slightest. Surely there had to be some catch because why would these people spend their time to help find a job for me at no cost to me!? I am so thankful for that initial call and conversation with their team as they’ve helped me more than I could have ever imagined.

Support From Connect by Nova.

After meeting with Jasmine, she referred me to Connect by Nova, a career development/advancement non-profit that Nova helped to found, which was instrumental in not only landing me in the position I am in today, but also contributing to my professional development as a whole. In the process, I absolutely fell in love with what Connect stands for and what they do, and I have referred many of my friends to them for career support.

After perfecting my CV with the help of Connect, Nova placed me on a temp assignment the summer before I joined their team, where I got to experience first-hand the attention and care that they extend to their candidates. After my placement, I returned to Canada to complete the final semester of my MBA, where I came across the opportunity for Nova’s Apprenticeship Program and I reached out to the team asking to be put forward for it.

A New Chapter: Becoming the HR Apprentice

As the saying goes: “the rest is history” - so here I am!

This is my first full-time job, and I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to set me on my path to becoming an HR Professional – I’m not only learning about all the various functional areas of HR, such as recruitment, labour law, and immigration, but I’ve been given the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the Cayman Islands job market as a whole. I’ve also learned crucial information about employability and what recruiters look for, so I am now better equipped to help others market themselves for a job. I love my work because I can help those in my community, and it brings a new experience each day. 

Being a part of Nova, I don’t just love my work, but I also love those who I work with; the team dynamic is unmatched, and I’ve had an amazing time getting to know everyone. As their HR Apprentice, everyone has been beyond welcoming and has been dedicated to supporting my career growth and progression as they frame everything as a learning opportunity.

I’m beyond happy to have been selected for this wonderful role, and I’m ecstatic to see what the next two years will bring!