Human resource management (HRM) alum Nathan Shatzer is a firm believer in taking full advantage of opportunities to help others and learn new skills. During his time at the BYU Marriott School of Business, he got involved in the BYU chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)—and continues to connect with its members, this time as an alumnus.
After graduating from BYU Marriott, Shatzer began working full-time at Lockheed Martin Corporation, having completed an internship with the company during his senior year. He worked there for a few years and then entered Lockheed Martin’s three-year human resources leadership development program.
“Work can get stressful, and especially in human resources, there are a lot of concerns that get brought up and fires to put out,” Shatzer says. “I’ve been able to overcome those challenges by staying patient—not having my personal emotions get involved with my work, treating everyone with respect, and being committed to resolving and bringing forth solutions to problems.”
Beyond helping Shatzer hone problem-solving skills and exercise patience, the leadership program gave him the opportunity to work in various positions within human resources. For the past two years, he has been a part of Lockheed Martin’s corporate benefit plans and strategic initiatives team as a liaison to carriers and vendors such as pharmacy, health advocacy, and employee assistance programs.
His experience working in these capacities has lent him a new appreciation for some of the non-HR-related classes he took at BYU Marriott. “No matter what function I was in, all the business classes were relevant—whether it’s finance, accounting, or supply chain,” Shatzer says. “Maximizing those opportunities to learn goes a long way. You never know when you’re going to end up needing to talk to finance or legal. Those classes all play a critical role in success.”
While he appreciates the lessons he learned in his classes, Shatzer also credits the BYU chapter of SHRM for giving him the opportunity to expand both the chapter’s reach and his own network when he was a student. “The leadership of SHRM was very small, just a handful of us, and we were able to bolster the network of HR professionals BYU has access to,” he says. “We got to share what HR professionals do and the career paths that are available through human resources.”
During his time at BYU Marriott, Shatzer says the chapter grew from a few members at his first meeting to nearly 100 members by the time he graduated: “And that growth wasn’t just from us. It was also due to the supportive faculty and the resources provided to us.”
Now he donates his time and seven years’ worth of experience so he can help provide students and early career alumni with resources to make connections and grow as professionals. “The people that you meet at BYU Marriott, those relationships and connections last forever,” Shatzer says. “I might not remember everything that I learned within the classroom or in exams, but I certainly remember the people and the impact that they had on me.”
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Written by Melissa Een
