Be on time

Please read carefully and complete properly as is requested

In two to three pages, provide:

• Name and a short biography of your interviewee
• Summary of your interview – details/highlights
• Reflection on why you chose to interview this person and what you learned about your career field

In addition to your two- to three-page summary, be sure to include a cover page and a page with the list of questions you asked.

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HR Informational Interview
Name: Alison Marquez
Education: Bachelors in Business Administration
Years in HR: 24 years
How long have you been working in HR for the military?
24 yrs
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What sparked your interest in this career field and what do
you like most? I was very interested in the Personnel
career field because I knew I would be working with
people. What I enjoy most is helping others understand
programs, policies plus benefits throughout their military
career progression and watching achieve them.
What does a typical day entail in your line of
work? Prioritizing and working administrative tasks while
managing people and resources.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing
HR professionals today? Biggest challenges is working
more with less. With constant new programs I don’t have
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the required manpower to support it. At the convenience of
the government, I lost two military positions and those
employees, who were assigned to those positions, have
been relocated to different squadrons causing my section to
absorb their duties and responsibilities. Biggest
opportunities in HR would be helping others, being the
subject matter expert in human resources programs while
providing a positive work environment.
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How do you handle your work-life balance? I work out
each morning before going into the office while ensuring
quality time is spent with family. I enjoy decorating and
working in my garden.
What suggestions do you have for someone who is
interested in this field? You need to be a people person
with effective communication and computer skills. You
must be able to be a problem-solver, multi-tasker and be
able to meet taskers with deadlines.
How would you describe the company culture here? What
are the core values? Company culture all depends who is
managing the people and its resources. Currently, our
culture is very positive and it allows for us to do our job
effectively without being micromanaged. They allow for
us to freely provide resolutions along with feedback while
embodying esprit de corps among the ranks. Our core
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values are: Integrity First, Service before Self and
Excellence in All We Do.
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What skills and knowledge are most important for success
in HR? You must be able to interpret policy and guidance
for HR. Be able to bring teams together and collaborate.
Foster cohesive environment. Be proficient in Microsoft
and Teams.
What qualities and experiences do you look for when hiring
for HR positions? What I look for when hiring for an HR
position is someone who is proactive, dependable, selfstarter, people-oriented and knowledgeable in some HR
aspects.
Do you have any advice for someone interested in pursuing
a career in HR? HR is very a very broad career and can be
rewarding. If I could provide advice for someone pursuing
a career in HR it would be to learn and help one another,
build a positive environment, be an effective
communicator, and be a problem-solver. If you don’t like
being around people then this career field isn’t for you.
Are there any HR certifications you would suggest
someone interested in HR have? In the military, the
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Community College of the Air Force doesn’t offer HR
certifications, however, if assigned as an HR in the military
you can achieve getting an Associate’s degree in HR. I
would also encourage professional development by
attending leadership forums.