Deacon Spotlight: Elise Jones
Elise Jones (BA ’19 Communication and Minor in Psychology, MSM ’20)
Head of People & Operations at Pinata in Durham, NC
Tell us about your current job role and employer. What are you currently working on.
Pinata is a Series A startup that builds developer tools. I joined the team in 2022 as the first in-house recruiter which evolved into a blend of Recruiting, Human Resources, and now Operations, too. My goal is to support our team and enable the business to run smoothly, which can look like anything from performance to our intern program, to benefits, to sales tax, to audits.
What key personal and/or career experiences led you to where you are today?
I strongly believe every experience shapes you in one way or another. From high school through college, I held a number of jobs in different fields from fitness to real estate that showed me I love variety and helping people succeed. All of my professional roles post-grad have been in tech which eventually attracted me to startups. Pinata is everything I enjoy – variety, problem-solving, and supporting others. I also enjoy volunteering, mainly with education-related organizations, which has also shaped and refined my interests in providing resources for people to be successful. This is what I believe HR is all about.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job? How do you navigate that challenge?
The most challenging aspect of my job is that there is no blueprint. I was the first in-house hire in recruiting and HR, which meant I created a lot of policies from scratch. I rely on my network of other HR and startup professionals when I’m implementing something new and could use someone to bounce ideas off of. I also have extremely supportive leadership I am thankful for everyday. I can go to them with ideas to get feedback and also when I make mistakes.
What advice would you give to new Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college (finances, health, values, work/life balance)?
Taking care of yourself holistically is my favorite topic. I can discuss this endlessly – so feel free to reach out! It’s important to find what works for you and try not to worry about what everyone else is doing. It’s easy to be swayed by influencer-culture or seeing what your friends are doing, but it’s important to remember everyone’s personal habits are going to look different.
One thing that’s helped me in the years since graduation is figuring out what is most important to me, then working backward from there in terms of prioritization. It can be difficult to find time for everything you want to do to take care of yourself, especially while balancing the transition from college and potentially starting/looking for a new career or graduate program. I picked a few things I wanted to prioritize and set a few achievable goals. Once I met those goals, I either made a new goal or added a new habit, so over the years, I have picked up habits that I wanted, but didn’t have first starting out. One example is that I’ve recently gotten into baking healthy recipes, which is something I definitely didn’t feel like I had time to do (nor was a priority) when I first graduated.
How have you made personal and professional relationships in your city, company, or community?
I actively engage with various networking communities within my field, including tech, HR, operations, and startup groups. These communities offer invaluable opportunities to connect with individuals who share similar interests or professional pursuits. One of the important things is to make sure you contribute to the communities you’re in too. This can be as simple and quick as sharing an article you saw or just sharing some encouragement. Actively participating creates stronger connections and reciprocity.
In addition to engaging with networking communities, I make an effort to stay in touch with a few people from every company or organization I’ve worked with. While many of us may have moved on to different roles or companies, maintaining these connections allows catch-ups and provides a valuable network beyond my current team. Plus, you’ve spent so much time with these people it’s nice that the relationship doesn’t have to end just because you’ve changed roles.
What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are interested in working in your industry?
It can be hard to break into tech – don’t let that discourage you. There are now a lot of programs and communities to help you do so. It is certainly worth investing your time and networking with people in the industry or at the companies you are interested in.
People typically get into tech through startups or big tech. Whichever route you take, make sure you are pursuing it for the right reasons, not just a name on your resume. This is a great time for some self-reflection to assess your motivations and what you are looking for in a career.
If you’re entrepreneurial and enjoy versatility, a startup might be the right fit. However, wearing many hats and being deeply involved in the successes and failures does not appeal to everyone. Big tech companies often offer opportunities to specialize and become an expert in a specific area of the business. Whichever path you choose, make sure it aligns with your career aspirations and values. And then, network, network, network. Networking is something that was impressed heavily on my time as a student by the OPCD and the Center for Market Readiness and Employment that has made all the difference in my career
What’s next for your career? What future goals or plans are you pursuing?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a place where I truly enjoy working, largely thanks to the amazing team at Pinata. My immediate focus is on continuing to contribute to our success and growing within my role – there’s always something new to work on. As for the future, I’m not putting too much pressure on myself to determine what’s next anytime soon. 🙂
Eventually, I would love to do something more aligned with my volunteer interests and passion for student development and education. I am grateful that my current role at Pinata allows me to engage in these interests already through our intern program, and I am also appreciative of the flexibility and support Pinata provides that enables me to volunteer.
Story published in June 2024. For current updates on Elise’s career path, visit her LinkedIn profile.