English Alum Promoted to Vice President of People Relations at J.B. Hunt

The Graduate Program in English is proud to announce that alum Jackie Lawrence (M.A.'14) has been promoted to the role of vice president of people relations at J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., in Lowell.

Lawrence was recently asked about this exciting development in her professional career, and the questions and her responses appear below.

How and why did you first start working with J.B. Hunt — it was while you were pursuing your English M.A., correct? 

That's right! I had finished my coursework for my M.A. and had accepted a place in the Ph.D. program at West Virginia University in the fall. The original plan was to grind hard over the summer to fund my move to Morgantown [location of the WVU campus] while also finishing and defending my dissertation. Back then there wasn't a portfolio option. I knew that a corporate job would provide me with the best opportunity to bank as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time. As luck would have it, I had a friend at J.B. Hunt that helped me get an interview, and the rest is history. 

How did you make your background in English fit so well within the corporate sector?

At first it didn't, or at least, it didn't feel like my degree fit well with the corporate world. Corporate America has its own set of rules and behaviors that took me some adjustment — gone were the days of socks with sandals and public debates about social justice and political systems. However, once I acclimated to the organizational norms, I quickly found that the skills I developed in pursuit of my English degrees really benefited me in my work.

The ability to write well is a lauded skill. Those who can compose concise and clear emails and messages stand out, and those who can story tell using PowerPoint or Canva shine even brighter.

All those narrators' heads we spent time in? Yeah, that's helpful, too. The empathy and understanding you learn from sharing in so many different life experiences and lessons help you understand those around you better. Being a person others trust and depend on makes you an indispensable part of the team, and corporate is all about teamwork.

The endless hours of research aren't for naught either. Being curious, detail oriented, organized and being accustomed to meeting deadlines all benefit you in a big way with corporate work. 

What inspired you to continue branching out and advancing upward within your career there?

Again, this was only supposed to be a gig that lasted a few short months. Nearly 14 years later, I can chuckle at that notion. Before the end of that first summer, I realized that I liked the stability of the work and the security of a steady paycheck. Having worked two to three jobs all of my college career, that was a comfort I'd never really experienced. I initially decided to "defer" my move to WVU for a year — insert more chuckles.

By the end of my first year, the quality of my work and the relationships I'd formed had helped me build a pretty good professional brand. I was thus asked if I'd be interested in starting up a college recruiting program for the company. That was my initial step into Human Resources.

As an introvert, I didn't expect Human Resources to be my "thing." I've since learned that HR is mostly introverts; they are just introverts that like people and like the mechanics of helping those people and their company be successful. After about a year in college recruiting, I'd gotten exposure to many different functions of HR — compensation, compliance, training, business partnership, etc. — which piqued my natural curiosity and desire for continuous learning. So, I decided to get a SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) certification. From there, I took every new opportunity to continue to add to my toolbelt. At this point I've worked in various roles in talent acquisition, talent optimization, business partnership and inclusion, and I hope I continue to have opportunities to learn and grow.

What is it about J.B. Hunt that has led to your staying with them for over a decade?

Three things: respect, opportunity and stability. I've always wanted to be judged by the quality of my work and the quality of character, not my personal, political or religious leanings. J.B. Hunt's culture is rooted in respect for one another regardless of differences. That truly means something to me. 

That respect I've been shown has afforded me so much opportunity. I've always been embraced by leaders who have challenged me, pushed me to think bigger, encouraged me to try new roles and take on new challenges (even if those movements were lateral, and they sometimes were). Each time I said "yes," it helped me advance in the long run.

I grew up in a very blue-collar environment. I've watched my dad's job be eliminated, outsourced and nearshored multiple times. Thus, security and stability in my work are also highly important to me. Throughout my entire tenure, J.B. Hunt has maintained a "no mass layoffs" policy; I have an immense amount of pride in that.

What are you most looking forward to doing as vice president of people relations?

In my new role, I oversee our business partnership, inclusion and HR Call Center functions. The HR Call Center is an entirely new space for me. I'm very excited about the new touch I have with all employees, getting to know that team of people better and building out new workflows and increasing efficiencies for that group. Learning and doing new things just gets me excited!

What advice do you have for current students in the humanities who have their eye on a non-teaching or non-research career — even perhaps a corporate career like your own?

Say "yes" as much as you can, but don't compromise your integrity or your morals. Remember that sometimes you'll be presented with "an" opportunity; it may not be "the" opportunity, but it could be a steppingstone to what you've always wanted. Move laterally, take on that extra project and let the quality of your work and your character keep opening doors.

I also have to ask you, as an English M.A. alum, whether there is a book you'd recommend to undergraduate or graduate students about how to explore professional options to find the perfect careers for them.

Neither of these are revolutionary recommendations; they've been around for years, but I enjoy You Majored in What?: Designing Your Path from College to Career by Katharine Brooks for its comfort and reassurance and So What Are You Going to Do With That?: A Guide for M.A.'s and Ph.D'.s Seeking Careers Outside the Academy by Susan Basalla and Maggie Debelius for its more practical application.

More information about the Graduate Program in English and the program's alumni can be found on the Department of English website.