Department of National Defence Student Experience Testimonial: Jenson Hoeg

October 24, 2023 – Defence Stories

My name is Jenson Hoeg, and I am from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Specifically, I work at the Department of National Defence (DND) as a student at CFB Halifax – Stadacona. I graduated from Nova Scotia Community College – Ivany Campus in June 2023 with a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management. Prior to this, I completed my bachelor’s degree in business administration at St. Francis Xavier University. In my free time, I enjoy taking my dog Buddy for long hikes in the woods. I also enjoy playing baseball and reading about modern history!

I was offered a student internship with DND through my Graduate Certificate program at Nova Scotia Community College. As DND had previously taken on student interns from my program, I reached out to a member of the Labour Relations (LR) team to inquire into the possibility of temporarily joining the team as a student intern before my graduation. The LR manager was happy to hear from a prospective student and promptly scheduled a virtual interview with me. It was a very smooth process overall. I interviewed with an LR manager, as well as an LR advisor, who inquired into not only my education and skills, but my personal interests. We also talked about what an internship would entail in the LR department. Shortly after this discussion, they reached out to offer me the 5-week student internship. I began the internship in April and finished in May. After my internship was complete, I was offered a temporary position as a Labour Relations Advisor on Team 2. This Fall I happily accepted an indeterminate role as a Labour Relations Advisor.

As a student at DND, I was in the Labour Relations Department on Team 2. Our team was tasked with handling the grievance procedure for civilian unions that fall under the Royal Canadian Navy. My student experience at DND consisted of supporting & learning from current Labour Relations Advisors as I completed relevant administrative filing and report writing. The most exciting part of my duties included sitting in on our bi-weekly national strategic team meetings. This is where I learned a lot of Labour Relations knowledge.

The things I enjoy most about DND, currently and as a student, include the promotion of team culture. Managers consistently promote the support that everyone has from their colleagues as well as management. This is demonstrated through weekly & bi-weekly meetings with different teams to gain different perspectives on complex topics. Additionally, I enjoy working for DND because of the small role it allows me to play in maintaining the prosperity of Canada; a country which has given me so much in my life.

My goals during my student internship this Spring were to absorb as much information about the Federal Public Service as I could. Additionally, I hoped to see the full cycle of a grievance process and learn strategy from current Labour Relations Advisors. Lastly, I hoped to perform my assigned duties well enough to be offered further employment with DND. Luckily, I was able to achieve all three of these goals.