Ask Enterprise Mobility Human Resource and Talent Acquisition Coordinator Ginel Roberts-Foster what advice she’d give job-seeking college grads planning their career paths and she doesn’t hesitate: “Trust the process, set a timeframe for your goal, move beyond what you’re used to, and take a leap of faith!”
Ginel’s not one to give advice she’s unwilling to take for herself. In fact, this is the formula she’d been following long before relocating to the Greater Philadelphia area over six years ago with her husband. The second youngest of six children, Ginel moved with her dad from Jamaica to New York City when she was just a toddler. She’s very close to her family and when it came time for college, she couldn’t think about going anywhere far from them. Although the city boasts numerous schools she could choose from, she somehow knew she had to stretch herself, and she enrolled in an innovative new community college in Midtown. While majoring in Business Administration at Guttman, Ginel was employed as an Admissions and Access Peer Mentor, part of the College’s Peer Leadership Program. Upon graduating, she went on to Brooklyn College for a bachelor’s in Leadership and Human Resource Management.
“So much of what I do started in college. I gained experience in recruiting when I spoke with prospective Guttman students, and they could see that I went through the same process and decision-making as they did,” she said. It’s an aspect of her career with Enterprise that she really likes. “Every leader in our company started as a Management Trainee. We got to jump right in, learning how to run a business, work with a team, and deliver excellent customer service. We all start with the same rigorous experience, and then we build our careers in any one of our nine business lines, from car and truck rentals, car sales, fleet management, and so on.”
Ginel couldn’t have imagined she and her husband would leave New York to settle in southeastern Pennsylvania six years ago for work and a more affordable cost of living, but “it’s an easy drive, and we visit our families often,” Ginel said. Although her Philadelphia-based job encompasses the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and her husband covers a lot of miles in the trucking industry, they both love the Philly restaurant scene and take every opportunity to travel to places as far as the beaches of Maldives to the best resorts of the Caribbean.
“Another thing I like to do is volunteer. That’s something I guess you could say I also got from my time at Guttman, during Community Days and doing things out of the classroom,” she mused. “‘Giving back’ is a big value at Enterprise. We encourage employees to devote a paid day to volunteer for an organization or cause of their choice. In my job, I get to plan and promote employee engagement in the communities where we have branches. I really enjoy doing that.” Ginel has led teams who have stocked and prepared meals at a food bank, played with school children during recess, read books with kids at summer community tennis camps and served with many other non-profits.
Any parting advice from a corporate HR rep for Guttman graduates looking for jobs?
“Keep your values in mind when you look at different employers. Build relationships and network yourself. Show that you’re dependable, that you’re decisive and flexible, and that you know how to manage your time. Having an open mind is essential to look beyond what you’re used to. Be open to what else is out there. Go for it!”
