Magen Reynolds
November 16, 2019
Magen Reynolds (2019)
Magen Reynolds is a Recruiting Manager at Cerner, a global healthcare information technology company based in Kansas City, MO. In her role, Magen manages recruiting strategy and full lifecycle execution for high volume, early career jobs, including consulting, business, support, billing, and administrative functions. Magen met Cerner at Truman’s fall Career Expo her senior year and joined the company in a training program upon graduation. In her free time, Magen loves to travel (she’s currently planning two international trips in 2020), see live music, and cheer on the KC Chiefs. Of course, she also likes to drive across Missouri on I-70 as much as possible to visit friends and family in her hometown of St. Louis.
What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?
I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Public Communication and minors in Business Administration and Justice Systems.
What extra-/co-curricular activities did you do?
I loved being busy while at Truman; I was a part of Sigma Sigma Sigma, the Homecoming & Greek Week committees, and a few Communication organizations, including the Advertising & PR Organization and Lambda Pi Eta. I also worked at the SUB front desk for a few years and interned with the Career Center my senior year.
Magen (1st row, 3rd fr right) and her ΣΣΣ pledge sisters during recruitment (2011).
Did you go to grad school? If so, where? Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait? Why?
I did! I attended grad school at Rockhurst University while working full time at Cerner and received my Masters in Business Administration in December 2017. I wanted to get my career started and ensure I knew where I wanted to focus my career path. Looking back, I am glad that I waited 3 years before starting school because I was able to apply my business-world experiences in the classroom, while being able to mentor those students who immediately attended grad school. I was also able to receive tuition assistance from my company which allowed me to focus on my studies and not the financial stress.
Magen (L) and co-workers recruiting at a Career Fair (2018).
What was your first job after graduation?
I started at Cerner in a business training program after graduation. From there I moved into HR taking on a few different positions until getting to where I am today.
What work do you do/What are you doing now?
I am responsible for recruiting strategy and full lifecycle recruitment for Cerner’s early career jobs by partnering with the various business organizations and understanding their human capital needs. I manage a team of highly skilled recruiters who are responsible for hundreds of hires per year.
How has your Liberal Arts/COMM education helped you?
I see my degree at work every day, but I would say the biggest way is knowing how to communicate and work with others. It’s unlikely you’ll be successful in business if you don’t work in groups and Truman had us work on group projects constantly. One of my favorite memories was in Media Writing when my team and I did a project on Cape Air; we even got to stand on the runway and record an airplane taking off. This project was one of many that I had to rely on other people in order to accomplish a common goal.
Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you’re grateful you took it?
Public Speaking – I remember I would read directly from my notecards or PowerPoint and had a hard time feeling confident when speaking in front of a room. But this class helped me practice and gain the skills needed to speak in front of others. I have given many presentations and facilitated lots of meetings since and know this class was very influential for my career.
Magen vacationing in Prague, Czech Republic (2016).
What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?
My greatest accomplishment was being elected president of my sorority. I had to present to a room of a hundred women each week, so again my Public Speaking class had a huge impact on my ability to lead. I also knew from this experience that people management was something I was very interested in pursuing.
Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?
The liberal arts education allowed me to take classes in a lot of different fields which made me a well-rounded individual. Also, the writing enhanced classes helped prepare me for grad school – writing a 5 to 10 page paper was easy for me, while many of my classmates did not have this experience.
Magen (2nd fr right) and her fellow SUB Information Desk workers (2011).
What would you say a COMM student should absolutely do while at Truman?
Get involved! Truman has something for everyone, and college will be so much more rewarding if you are a part of an organization. I would also say to make sure you get an internship or job in a field that interests you. I had two internships: one over the summer at a convention center and one during the school year at the Career Center. Both experiences directly impacted my after-graduation plans and allowed me to see what I liked and didn’t like in various communication fields.
What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?
Do it! Recruiting and Human Resources are the backbone of any company. It’s a great accomplishment when you find the right person, for the right position, for the right team, and at the right time.
What do you miss most about campus/Kirksville?
I miss having all of my friends in one town and being able to go to La Pa at any given time. Truman has amazing students and I met some of my best friends there.
What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?
“COMM one, COMM all.” 😊
If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?
Communication & Leadership: How to confidently sell yourself and influence others. Any person working in business needs to have strong communication and leadership skills.
What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?
Enjoy the time you are at Truman, because the time will go quick! Engage your professors, join clubs, don’t just sit at home and watch Netflix. Hang out with your friends, go to Pagliai’s, attend the free events on campus, and make every moment count. The friends you meet are not just friends for 4 years, but friends for life.
Magen after graduation (2012).
If you would like to learn more of Magen’s story, you can learn more about her by following her on LinkedIn.