Bryce Kruger graduated from York College in 2018 with a degree in Public Relations. He is a Client Advisor and Scrum Master at RSM US, “the nation’s leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market,” according to its website. Kruger works at the Harrisburg location, where RSM launched a human-centered design practice that provides client-facing marketing strategy, design, and technology services.
What Made You Choose to Pursue A Degree in This Field?
At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Architecture and music performance was of interest, but math and practicing weren’t. I knew that Public Relations would provide me with an applicable skill set that would grant me the ability to be successful anywhere.
Describe A Typical Day On The Job.
A typical day on the job for me looks like reviewing my notes from the day prior and checking my calendar for the meetings ahead. I work with internal and external teams, primarily client contacts, product owners, developers, and practitioners. We work collectively on sales, so I don’t work directly with a sales team per se. There is a focus on organic sales development, then sales pursuits taken on by the entire organization.
Depending on which team(s) I am working with that day, I'll shift my mindset or approach for what needs to be prioritized. Each day I have daily meetings with each team, where they give updates on three things: what they did yesterday, what they are planning to do today, then if they have any impediments. From there my day can go in a number of directions from planning, refinement, or client meetings.
A primary aspect of my role is running team retrospectives, which encompass a time to reflect on what is going well, what isn't going well, and what we might change as a team. These allow our teams to do regular gut checks about our way of working. To support any of these activities, I spend a large amount of time sketching on physical and digital white boards, assembling workshops, or prioritizing task backlogs. Throughout the day, I am also coaching and connecting with our staff on needs and challenges, identifying ways that can move them and their work forward.
How Have You Used Your York College Education Since Graduating?
As with any education, my degree has served as the foundation of all I do in my professional work. My focus was communication, which is a necessity in my day-to-day role.
What Is Most Challenging About A Career In This Field?
Managing conflict. I've heard that collaboration is just an intimate dance with conflict, and this couldn't be more true. When people truly collaborate, they are in conflict with thoughts, ideas, and approaches. Navigating this conflict in an equitable way that makes people feel seen and heard while also staying focused and productive is the hardest part about what I do.
What Do You Like Best About Your Career?
I work with incredible minds. Coaches of every background surround me and share that knowledge. Together we can bring very different views to the table, rumble with that perspective, and come out with a solution or experiment. That is valuable.
Having people like this around you is incredibly valuable and humbling. They constantly reset the bar as to what possible looks like and challenge the status quo of what being human-centered looks like.
What Advice Would You Have For A Student Who is Just Starting Out in This Major?
There is this huge emphasis on saying yes to everything. Knowing when and how to use 'no' is huge and something that I'm still learning how to do. Take chances but also understand boundaries. When you can use language to represent these two things and help others navigate them, you are providing value.
