Robin Lay has worked in career services and higher education for many years. She got her start as a career counselor and enjoys helping students find their paths. Her experience with psychology and business allows her to counsel professionals on career development. Currently, she is working on training academic advisors at Tusculum College to better map out four-year plans for students. She finds that navigating bureaucracy can be challenging when trying to implement new ideas or programs. Overall, her interview provided insight into her career path and advice for skills needed to succeed in human resource development, such as being adaptable and open to collaboration.

1. Coty Dykes
HRDE501 2015
Dr. Jeff Burleson
October 15, 2015
I had the chance to interview the Director of Career Services, Robin Lay, on Tusculum
College Greeneville campus. She had some very interesting stories and insight into the HRD
field, and all of her responses were more than just simple answers. She wanted to discuss the
questions and answers, because she was authentically interested to know my take on the
questions/answers.
I found out that Ms. Lay has been in the field for many years. She got her start in the field
as a counselor for career development in higher education, and she demonstrated her passion for
the field as elaborated on her background. She explained that she enjoyed listening to people and
especially enjoyed helping them find their paths in life and improve their careers. Her undergrad
was in psychology and her graduate degree was in business, the combined skills gave her an
insight into organizational behavior and allowed her to hone the ability to counsel professionals
in how to improve their work output and happiness. She also explained that it is important to
HRD an employee to network with other HRD professionals for the purpose of cross training and
sharing ideas back and forth. Her most prized skill was networking, and she was exceptionally
proud the network of professionals who she can call upon for assistance when needed.
We covered at great detail what her favorite part of the job was and how she got to where
she is today, but when I asked her what she didn’t like there was no hesitation in her response,
“Red tape”. I asked her to elaborate a little bit on what she meant by red tape. In higher

2. education some schools have a hard time adjusting to new ideas, and making changes. Her job is
to step in and figure out what works and what doesn’t and suggest changes to the system and
propose trainings and programs that will improve the students career path. In an organization
with so much red tape and bureaucracy put into place, it is challenging to make changes or help
when needed. Most of the issues she faces from day to day come from within the organization.
Sadly, I also work at Tusculum College and I know exactly what she is talking about.
We discussed what the role of an HRD professional was and what she was currently
doing in her job. She explained her current projects, and how she was trying to train the
Academic Advisors to improve the quality of the one on one time they are spending with the
students. At this time Tusculum College is about to start registering students for spring classes,
and her goal is to get the advisors to play a more active role in mapping out a student’s four-year
plan so that the classes they enroll in will better prepare them for a professional future. I am
excited to hear that the advisors will be more active in their roles with the students.
When I asked her what skills a student will need to learn to be successful in HRD, she
said schooling is key. She also said that as a professional you have to be willing to adjust and
adapt to changes and suggestions before you can make suggestions and changes. You need to be
just as fluid as the adults you are trying to help. She added that we need to be open to “Peer to
Peer” collaboration, and that a community of ideas can be stronger than just one person trying to
make changes. She finally added that you need to be tenacious, upbeat, and plan ahead. Set
smaller goals that lead up to a larger goal if you are trying to incorporate a new program.
As the work-study coordinator I had to revamp the work-study program over the
summer. I was able to either relate to what she was telling me, and how it corresponded to the
professional world. Oddly enough I have worked with her for the last two years, and this was the

3. first time her and I really discussed anything. I was cynical going into this interview thinking that
I would be able to predict her answers, however her method of wanting to discuss the questions
allowed me to also think critically about what was being discussed. I honestly had no idea of
what she did on the campus, but now I feel like I had taken my first step into starting my own
network.