Beyond the Degree: How PACE Gave Eunbeen Jang the Experience to Launch Her HR Career

Eunbeen Jang did not come to PACE because she lacked education. She came because she recognized what education alone could not give her. 

With a bachelor's degree in Human Resources already completed at the University of Winnipeg, Eunbeen entered the workforce and quickly identified a gap. The knowledge was there. The practical, hands-on experience that employers in the HR industry expect was not. So she made a deliberate decision to go back to school, this time for something different. 

She found it in PACE's full-time HR Management diploma. She graduated in 2025 and secured a role as an HR Specialist at Smitty's Canada shortly after. 

Choosing Experience Over More Theory 

The decision to return to education is never straightforward, especially when you already hold a university degree. For Eunbeen, the reasoning was clear. She did not want more classroom knowledge. She wanted a program that would put her in situations that mirrored the real HR industry. 

PACE's program delivered that through assignments designed around real workplace scenarios, team projects that replicated collaborative professional environments, and instructors who are not just academics but active professionals in their fields. 

"All of those professors are industry professionals. Being able to get their experience shared, being able to be one of their connections, it helped me a lot more than just the knowledge." 

A Network That Lasts 

One of the outcomes Eunbeen did not fully anticipate was the strength of the community she built inside the program. Her classmates became more than peers. They became a professional network she continues to rely on today. 

"We still have our group chat. We are looking for jobs for each other. We are finding our way to grow together." 

That kind of connection is difficult to manufacture and easy to overlook when evaluating a program on paper. At PACE, it emerges naturally from the collaborative, cohort-based learning environment. 

Confidence That Translates Into Employment 

The most direct measure of what PACE delivered for Eunbeen is straightforward: she graduated and got a job. Not eventually, but right after. The combination of practical assignments, industry-connected instruction, and a program built around real HR application gave her the confidence to walk into a professional role and contribute from day one. 

"Right after graduating from PACE, I was able to secure a job because of PACE. I had enough experience to be confident working in the HR industry." 

Advice for Future Students 

Eunbeen is honest that she still has a long way to go in her career. But she is equally clear that PACE gave her the foundation she needed to start well. Whether you are coming in with prior education or entering HR for the first time, the program meets you where you are and prepares you for where you want to go. 

Explore the Human Resource Management diploma at PACE and take the next step in your career. Book a meeting with our recruitment coach today: https://bookings.cloud.microsoft/book/UPACERecruitment@webmailuwinnipeg.onmicrosoft.com/?ismsaljsauthenabled=true

Eunbeen Jang

Human Resources Specialist,

Smitty’s Canada