Meet one of CRJ's Newest Recruiters: Luke Maxwell
Luke is one of three members of CRJ's all-star recruitment team. Luke started with CRJ in June of 2023 and works with our social justice services to team bring new staff on board the organization. Send him a hello at lmaxwell@crj.org! His inbox is always open for suggestions on who would be a great addition to the SJS team.
What is your professional background, and how did you get into human resources and recruiting work?
Luke: It'll probably come as a surprise, but I got a bachelor's degree in Video Game Design! Up through my high school years and into college, I was set on creating 3D models and animations for video games and had a fantastic time in college learning all about those skills. However, midway through my final semester of college I took a hard look at the game design industry as a whole and realized there was a serious problem: like a lot of the entertainment industry: their workers weren't well treated. I didn't want to feel like a disposable cog in a machine, and I also didn't think anyone should feel that way. That motivated me to get into HR to be in a better position to serve employees and make sure they have a rewarding experience at their workplace and feel valued.
Before I worked at CRJ, I worked on contract as an HR Assistant for the healthcare nonprofit the Cambridge Health Alliance, and after that contract as an HR Coordinator for the consulting firm Altman Solon. My time at both places showed me the various different environments HR could be in, but after Altman Solon experienced layoffs, I realized I wanted to get back into working for a nonprofit and be motivated by an organization's mission.
Why did you choose to work at CRJ?
Luke: When I first saw the job description for the recruiter role at CRJ, it felt perfect. The more research I did on CRJ, the more I fell in love with its mission, and just how involved it is from so many different angles. Social services are tough, and every problem has so many factors it will make anyone's head spin trying to account for them all. That is why I loved CRJ so much. It tackles these problems from multiple angles, providing temporary and long-term housing to people in need, while also working on changing policies to help prevent future individuals from going through those same harsh experiences.
Being able to help people find employment and build their careers while also knowing the work they would go on to do will help improve lives for the better sounded like a dream job - and it has been! From the moment I had my interviews and got to meet such an amazing HR team, I knew this place was the job I had been looking for. I'm so thankful I can help make a difference both in the work I do directly being able to provide people with a steady source of income, while also indirectly helping those they serve each and every day.
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