We are a team of brand, marketing, human resources, and communications strategists offering our clients authentic insight and unrivaled expertise to brand and market their unique employment experience from the inside out. And like our clients, we at exaqueo, have our own unique and authentic stories to tell from the perspectives of our brand, our company, and our individual colleagues. Today, we are excited to tell the story of Jazmyn Mijuskovic.
Jazmyn joins us as an associate employer brand strategist, responsible for providing valuable support to projects, both strategically and tactically, including engagement with clients as well as employer brand consulting and content development. She brings more than three years of experience with a focus on social media and employer brand storytelling.
Onboarding is an important step in building a new employee’s confidence and sense of belonging with a company. At exaqueo, we like to build that sense of belonging by assigning each new hire an “exaqueo buddy.” As Jazmyn’s “exaqueo buddy,” I have the privilege of supporting Jazmyn throughout the exaqueo immersion and onboarding journey. In the first few days we realized we both share a love for dogs, music, and the beach.
We took a few minutes to grab lunch in our virtual exaqueo office space and I am excited to share some highlights from our conversation.
(ex) What made you want to join exaqueo?
Jazmyn: exaqueo was a major resource for me when I first developed an interest in talent acquisition and employer brand. Through the Employer Brand Forum on Facebook, I had connected with exaqueo consultant Ian Moore, who I consider to be a mentor. He often talked at length about exaqueo and the interesting and impactful work the team did. I stayed connected with both Ian and Susan on LinkedIn and when I saw the job posted, it felt serendipitous and I was really excited at the opportunity to join a team that had been such a great resource for me in my career. I am so excited to be a part of this team.
(ex) What excites you most about your role at exaqueo?
JM: I’m really interested in the diversity of the clients that we support from a variety of industries. Having spent my career with one retailer, experiencing employer brand in one way, I am excited to learn about different companies, brands, and industries. They all have unique audiences, needs, and stories to tell.
(ex) What impact do you hope to make at exaqueo?
JM: Words are really powerful and can make or break someone’s decision to join a company. Individuals need to be able to see themselves fit in when deciding to apply. That experience is a win-win for both candidates and organizations. When candidates are aligned to the ways in which they can bring value to organizations, those same organizations are able to hire the people that will really thrive within their cultures. I hope that by partnering with clients on execution and the messaging they use to attract candidates that my work will help to make a difference for both candidates and organizations.
(ex) What are three words that best describe you?
JM: I’m very energetic and it doesn’t take a lot for me to get really excited about things. In my first couple of days with exaqueo, I have been really geared up about getting started. Sometimes, I have to take a minute and pause to clear my head—my excitement overcomes me a bit.
Also, since I was a little girl, I have always been very determined and goal-oriented. My family makes fun of me because even at seven or eight years old, I had a five-year plan and enjoyed spending time with the adults. I have a vision and know what I want to do both in life and work. When I think about working with clients, understanding their vision and goals and being able to break those down to help them achieve success, is very much aligned to my personality.
Last, but not least, I love being creative, especially through my writing. Being able to modify and address my style based on the audience I'm writing for and the story I’m trying to tell is an exercise I really enjoy. When I worked at Publix, there were so many opportunities to do this—adapting to be able to tell the stories from cake decorators, to data scientists, and everything in between. Stepping into the shoes of someone in those roles and developing content based on what that audience might find interesting and want to hear is a really rewarding experience.
(ex) What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
JM: I have two dogs that I adore: Lucy, a beagle-border collie mix, and Thor, a boxer-pitbull mix (both rescues). I have had Thor since he was eight weeks old, now he’s six, so we’ve been through a lot together. I love to spend time with them. I also really enjoy spending time with my family and friends, working out, and watching shows on Netflix—I’m a big fan. I really enjoy getting wrapped up in the stories and the characters of my favorite shows. By the time I finished watching Parenthood, I felt like I had raised all the Bravermans myself.
(ex) What’s the most interesting thing about your home office set-up?
JM: I just painted my home office a dark blue-green color, which I read is supposed to help with focus. I also have a great bookshelf full of all different types of books, fiction and nonfiction. It houses everything from self-help books to learning to play the guitar and all the “for dummies” books. My book collection is about as varied as my taste in music, which ranges from country to hip hop, jazz, and oldies—there’s really no limit.
(ex) What motivates or inspires you to do your best?
JM: I go back to determination. I’m always thinking about what’s next and what it takes to get to that next level. Having a goal is great but understanding the steps along the journey is important in charting a path to get there.
(ex) Where are you from and what do you enjoy most about where you live?
JM: I was born and raised in South Florida before we moved to Cocoa Beach, near the Kennedy Space Center. I moved to Lakeland, Florida, for an internship at Publix, the largest and fastest-growing employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States. Lakeland is very central to everything. It has a small town feel but is not far from the big cities (Orlando is only an hour away). It’s been rated as a great place to move to and the real estate market is booming. When I need to escape, I find myself at the beach, which is only 45 minutes away.
(ex) What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned in your first few days with exaqueo?
JM: I had an understanding about the differences between consulting firms and agencies, but I now have a better appreciation for the consultative work that we do at exaqueo to help our clients have a better understanding about what’s going on in their organizations. From the research that we do to helping craft strategies that create a solid foundation to support key decisions, all while building valuable relationships with our partners.
Please join me in welcoming Jazmyn as she dives into working on #teamexaqueo and contributes to helping organizations work with meaning. You can congratulate and welcome Jazmyn on LinkedIn or by posting a comment below!
