Hi! I'm Bethany and I'm in my final semester of the MJ in Labor and Employment Law program at Tulane University. I started my HR career 14-years ago by pure accident.
I pursued my undergrad degree in English from Messiah University in Grantham, PA. I received a full scholarship to play field hockey, so--at least for me--sports came first and school came second. It took me 3-years to declare a major. I had no idea what I wanted to pursue as a degree, so like any smart 20-year old I followed my parents' advice and went to school for something I enjoyed. Growing up, I LOVED reading. I would read anything and everything I could get my hands on. So there we had it--I was going to major in English. I had no idea what I was going to do with it (I didn't want to teach and I definitely didn't want to be a librarian), but at least I'd get a degree doing something I liked to do.
Naturally, upon graduation, I became a bartender. I LOVED it, it was an amazing profession to have in your 20s, but once I hit 28-years old I was ready for a regular 9AM-5PM job and--most importantly--I needed medical benefits. One of the regulars that came into the bar I worked at was the CHRO of a hospital system in Baltimore, MD. She recommended me for an entry-level role in her HR department because she recognized the transferrable skills I had developed between my formal education and on-the-job service industry experience. I started my first job in HR on September 30, 2010 and it's been love ever since. Since 2010, I've received my Master's degree in HR Development from Towson University and steadily progressed in my HR career. For the past 8-years, I've supported leaders across various industries as an HR Business Partner and advisor.
My main goal as an HR professional is to disprove the idea and perception that every person who works in HR is like Toby from The Office. I'm extraverted, I take no pleasure in policing employees and management, and I love to laugh more than anything in the world. I've managed to build strong relationships with employees and leaders within organizations by being knowledgeable, approachable, compassionate, and sprinkling a healthy dose of humor wherever possible. Come to think of it...those were the same attributes that made me a successful bartender (holy smokes! There really ARE transferrable skills between bartending and human resources!). And at the end of the day, who wouldn't love to navigate an employee relations issue or ask a benefit question of
the same person that can give you the recipe for a killer mojito or a to-die-for margarita?! See...told you...I'm not like regular HR. I'm cool HR.
I'm Not Regular HR, I'm Cool HR. © 2024 by Bethany Fulton is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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