Meet Amber, HR Specialist, 13+ Years with PetSmart

Nov 26, 20222 min read

"You don't always need to move up to grow and develop in your career. Lateral moves provide both breadth and depth of experience too!"

Read on below to see how Amber has laterally progressed her career and gained experience across different areas of the business!

Amber's Career Path

My first position with PetSmart was entry-level as an HR Partner. This position helped me in developing strong Outlook skills as well as organization and communication skills.

Moving into a Corporate Recruiter role allowed me to deepen my understanding of HR while using my undergraduate degree to ensure we were finding qualified talent while also learning more about state and federal guidelines as well as business operations.

As an Associate HR Business Partner and then as an HR Business Partner, I was able to learn the in-depth practices of my assigned business while also developing my ability to positively impact my business partners. I was also able to drive for change and influence key communication as well as policies and procedures.

The Learning Consultant role was a great lateral move as it again allowed for me to learn more about the business as a whole, key initiatives and projects. It was fun to think of creative solutions when developing and rolling out programs or communicating critical training that can reduce incidents and prevent injuries, keeping pets and people safe! It also developed my project management skills in addition to creative programs such as Adobe Suite.

The business encouraged me to move into the Associate Relations Manager position where I would be able to more directly partner with the primary function of our business: the stores. This role again allowed me to flex my critical thinking skills while utilizing the skills I acquired when receiving my graduate degree.

As a Sr. Associate Relations Manager, I took my knowledge of associate relations and continued to develop my investigative skills while building relationships with my team and business partners. Each day worked through challenging decisions with the goal of protecting the business, the culture, and our associates.

As the Manager of Associate Relations, I get the opportunity to develop and lead a team of Associate Relations Case Managers in our work to support our valued store partners. I'm excited for the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and continue working in a space I am passionate about.