Jessica Blodgett, SHRM-CP, has been named to the Emerging Professional Advisory Council (EPAC) for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for a two-year term. She is director of people, culture and communities at CMMB, an international nongovernmental organization. 
EPAC participants are SHRM members who have held an HR or related position for three to five years and preferably have experience as a SHRM student chapter leader. They have, at minimum, a bachelor's degree related to HR.
EPAC consists of 10 members representing SHRM's five regions—North Central, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Pacific West. Council involvement offers leadership, speaking and travel opportunities, including attendance at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2023.
SHRM Online spoke with Blodgett about her HR journey.
Her HR experience: At CMMB, Blodgett oversees all high-level HR matters across the organization. She is part of a three-person HR team that is separate from the organization's international HR component.
Previously, she worked at Global Citizen as global manager, people and culture; senior talent acquisition specialist for technology consultancy InRhythm in the greater New York City area; and talent acquisition specialist for New Jersey-based Tekmark.
Her schooling: Blodgett received her bachelor's degree in international business from Berkeley College. She earned a master's degree in human capital analytics and technology at New York University (NYU). During her internship at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she was part of a cohort working on a capstone project that researched the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in employment; their research served as the foundation for a paper they wrote on the benefits, threats and level of transparency of AI in various stages of the employee life cycle.
Additionally, she was part of a small group from the Human Capital Department of NYU's School of Professional Studies that traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to learn how human capital analytics and technology can be applied to the future of work. They worked in collaboration with the city government.
While working on her graduate degree, Blodgett was active as a dean's scholar, working with a group of seven high school students throughout the year to prepare them for college, and she volunteered with nonprofit New York Cares, conducting mock interviews for Spanish-speaking individuals.
Her SHRM involvement: Blodgett was treasurer for the SHRM student chapter at NYU while in graduate school.
Why HR? "I knew I wanted to do something in the international space but wasn't sure what exactly as I was finishing my undergraduate work" at Berkeley College, Blodgett said.
Her first job, which she held during the last semester of her senior year, was as a temp. That job transitioned into a receptionist role, and from there, Blodgett became a coordinator for her employer's recruitment process. Working as a recruiter prompted her to pursue her master's degree in the HR generalist area rather than switch majors.
"And then my world really expanded and made me fall in love with all things HR—except comp and benefits," she said with a laugh. "It was while I was in the HR generalist program that I decided I wanted to focus on people analytics."
Is there an area of HR you would like to specialize in some day? Blodgett would like to specialize in global HR, with a great interest in HR compliance and law.
"I really love labor law, HR analytics, people analytics and how we can use data to make employees' lives [and the employee experience] more efficient," and how their data can be protected, she said.
Her advice: Develop a penchant for curiosity. Her curiosity about the SHRM student chapter and EPAC "opened up even more opportunities" to develop as an HR professional.
"It's just recently I've learned there are so many avenues [of HR] and communities to be part of."
Role of EPAC Members
The group meets virtually each month to:
- Provide feedback or suggestions to SHRM on potential and existing services and experiences for the betterment of emerging professionals (EPs) within the SHRM community.
- Assist SHRM with identifying strategies for gaining and retaining EP members.
- Encourage recognition of EP programs that chapter and state council affiliates lead.
- Connect with other EP members using social media and various local events and activities.
- Promote and coordinate the establishment and support of activities at the local level, and strategies that help SHRM student members transition from school into the workforce as emerging professionals.