Alumni Spotlight

UT Tyler Soules College of Business

Name: Maryn Taylor

Degree/Degrees: Master of Science, Human Resource Development – graduated in 2019

PhD Candidate, Human Resource Development – currently enrolled

Tell us a little about you.
Avid reader, podcast fanatic, AmeriCorps alumna, Tillman Scholar, Longhorn Alumni Band member.

What did you do right after graduating?
I was working in human resource development while I got my master’s degree and have continued to work in the field.  While working on my PhD, I have also worked as a graduate assistant for UT Tyler’s Master of Science in Human Resource Development (MS-HRD) program and as an adjunct instructor at Tarrant County College.

Tell us about your current job and what you do.
As the Senior Director of People & Culture for an international women’s organization, I ensure that our workforce strategies are aligned with the organization’s business objectives and long-term strategic plan.  I have broad generalist responsibility for talent acquisition and retention, career development, compensation and benefits, learning and development, and all of our employee-related programs.

How did your Soules College of Business degree help you with your current position?
The feedback that I have received from professors and fellow students has helped me think more analytically and critically about my own work.  I constantly see my classroom learning translated into the way that I work and the way that I communicate with my colleagues.

What was your favorite Soules College of Business class and why?
HRD 6350, Disciplined Inquiry, which is taught in the first semester of the PhD program.  This class created an understanding of the differences in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research, and helped me begin to focus my thoughts about my own future research.

Any Soules College of Business/ UT Tyler memories you would like to share?
I loved attending the HRD PhD Writing Retreat and was so grateful for our program’s faculty and staff who gave of their precious weekend time to support students’ learning and research.  That weekend also provided an opportunity to meet students, candidates, and graduates across cohorts, which created incredible networking opportunities and rich discussion about research interests.

Were you involved in any student organizations while a student here?
Student Society for Human Resource Development; PhD Advisory Team

What advice would you give current Soules College of Business students?
Get to know your professors.  They are excited to work with students, they are happy to help you with your learning, and they are invested in your success.  We have incredible faculty here and take any opportunity you can to engage with them.  

What insight do you have for Soules College of Business students that are about to graduate on how to land their first job?
Reflect on the ways that your experiences as a student have prepared you for the workforce and think about the best ways to communicate them during an interview.  Coursework, group projects, leadership, research – use each of these experiences to tell a compelling story about what you have learned and how you are ready to apply those in your career.  Interviewing is challenging, so prepare for it like you would prepare for an exam so that you go in with knowledge and confidence.