Caitlin Thomas Email and Phone Number

Senior HR Manager at a growing IT consulting company responsible for onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, talent acquisition, compliance, health benefits, and employee communications.

TEKsystems is the nation's leading technology staffing and services company. Combining a proven track record of superior performance, a quality-focused approach to service delivery, and the highest-caliber technical professionals in the market, TEKsystems helps clients successfully plan, build, and run their critical technology initiatives. We support interactive, creative and digital marketing initiatives for clients ranging from digital marketing agencies to Fortune 3000 companies by supplying skilled design, development, functional and marketing technology resources. As the digital technology-focused division of TEKsystems, a $3.6 billion global IT staffing, talent management and services leader, we thrive at the intersection of technology and marketing.

Led 14 officers and 71 members as the president of the Aurora University American Marketing Association (AU/AMA) chapter. My responsibilities included writing a chapter plan and annual report, planning and executing a collegiate conference, and managing the chapter budget. Every week there was either an officer meeting or a general body meeting I was responsible for leading. I advised the officers in their specific roles and actively worked to recruit new members.

Marketing Solutions is a team of student marketers who help businesses achieve their mission and vision through innovative and effective marketing. We accomplish this through conducting quantitative and qualitative research individualized to the clients needs, then create a personalized marketing plan based on the results.

Living where you work is a unique experience that takes time to adapt to. As a Resident Assistant (RA) I am in charge of a floor of roughly 40 female residents. I learned how to mediate conflicts, be a support system, an enforcer, and a friend. As I am writing this a resident came in and asked to borrow a cardigan for an induction ceremony she has tomorrow. Other responsibilities of the RA position include patrolling the residence halls, holding floor meetings, and creating events that are beneficial to residents. Generating excitement for floor meetings and events is difficult. To increase floor participation I have brought candy, showed up wearing onesie pajamas, and knocked on every door personally inviting people to come. Recognizing what residents respond to and capitalizing on this has helped me create an inclusive, fun floor for students to live on.

I was part of a team of students who set up, work, and tear down for all home athletic events. Being an athlete myself I understand how important it is to have a staff that pays attention and does their best to progress the game with minimal interruptions.

Being a secretary at the Academic Support Center at Aurora University reminded me of working on a puzzle that is never complete. I scheduled appointments for students to take tests and receive tutoring. This involved a lot of attention to detail and forward thinking to schedule everyone at times that worked for them and the tutors. Students came in last minute with high expectations of being able to schedule an appointment. When students did not get their desired time, working to schedule a different time they were happy with was difficult. This experience allowed me the opportunity to work with many different schedules that changed daily. I learned how to effectively schedule appointments to maximize use of space and resources.

The main part of my job was to develop a social media strategy and regularly post to their social media accounts, primarily Facebook and LinkedIn. I collaborated with members of the sales team to increase participation in online webinars offered to current customers. I sought out company volunteer opportunities then got them approved by the President. I monitored the company's Glassdoor account and wrote replies to company reviews.

As a server at one of four restaurants on an island, I was constantly busy catering to an ever-changing group of people. The restaurant attracted many people from all walks of life, which gave me the opportunity to learn about their different experiences. Seating was limited so it was normal to have people waiting for tables. The constant pressure to efficiently put in orders, deliver drinks and food quickly, and return bills helped me learn how to thrive under pressure.

I worked the early shift at the only full service gas station on Beaver Island three mornings a week during the summer. The people that came in were a mix of tired tourists, island workers, and early risers who wanted to enjoy the early morning beauty of the island. The combination of tourists moving slowly and grouchy workers jealous of vacationers occasionally led to tense situations that I worked quickly to diffuse.

During the summer I worked as an intern under the owner of the Circle M Bar and Restaurant. The establishment is seasonal so I helped her open up the restaurant for the year. This included updating the menus and creating an all new drink menu. Making a drink menu was fun and allowed me to be creative because I made the drink names either Irish or Island themed. Some of the names were a Tula-tini, Tranquili-Tea, Drunken Irish Parrot, and Paradise Bay Punch. I conducted a focus group and survey to better understand how the restaurant could flourish. I attempted to post on Facebook, however the owner was restrictive on the content and hesitant to fully embrace social media. Overall the experience helped me gain valuable insight into the day-to-day business of running a restaurant and more practice gathering and analyzing data.