Human resources MN

Sandy Larson

Director of Human Resources
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
St. Paul, Minnesota
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Years in current position: 6
Years in the field: 26 years in HR

Majors:
B.A. Business Management

Additional Training:
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification

Career Path:
Started in payroll in 1982 at a publishing company. Moved into Human Resources in 1984 in the banking industry, then in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, and city government.

What are the most surprising, interesting or challenging aspects of your day-to-day work?
The most challenging aspect is that I am the only HR person for the orchestra, balancing all the requirements, from routine tasks to strategic planning.

What inspired you to work for an orchestra?
I had never worked for a non-profit and the orchestra position sounded like an exciting and challenging position.

What would you do differently?
I began working and then went back to school. If I had it to do all over again, I would have gone to school first and then began my career.

What advice would you offer to someone considering working in human resources for an orchestra?
There are many different aspects to working in HR. I would recommend to someone just starting out to gain experience in everything to determine if doing it all (generalist) is right for you or if a particular track (benefits, compensation, training, etc.) interests you.