RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE JADELYN PSUTKA
Jadelyn Psutka
Firstly introduce yourself and tell us where your home place is. Describe your job/jobs in just under four sentences. Please also provide your title and profession.
Jadelyn Psutka, Manager, Indigenous Recruitment and Enablement at KPMG Canada. I am of mixed ancestry, being both Haudenosaunee and Polish. I am Oneida Nation of the Thames from the Turtle Clan and currently resides in Gatineau, Quebec. I work closely with the KPMG Talent Attraction team and business partners to ensure equity in the recruitment process, bring Indigenous perspectives to the core of the organization and ensure we are valuing the vast skills that Indigenous Peoples bring to an accounting firm.
What sparked your interest to work in this industry?
Like many I fell into Human Resources, a good fall. I knew I wanted to work with the community and how to do that wasn’t always clear until I was given an opportunity to complete a training role with Miziwe Biik in Toronto. It was here that I discovered how I can utilize my skills and bring an Indigenous perspective to the world of Human Resources.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Connecting with people across Canada and bringing those perspectives into KPMG. Organizations are now realizing the true power in valuing and empowering Indigenous Peoples skills and abilities as a driver for their workforce and their business. It’s incredible to be a part of this realization.
What educational preparation would you recommend for someone who wants to advance in this field?
Do your research on the profession and engage in internships or volunteer that will give you a taste for the profession. It is difficult to know exactly what a field entails, what types of work are available, the career trajectory and how your passions play into the day to day. Talk to those who are in the profession to identify if your skills and interests align to the programs available and the types of work in the field. Take every opportunity to gain experience as you explore and build skills that will help you be successful.
Most importantly don’t be scared to make a change and alter your career goal. It is never too late!
What does success look like to you for Indigenous youth?
Success can take many forms. I am seeing it all around me today, from youth achieving in education, speaking up about issues, entering the workforce as leaders and sharing that success with other youth. I get the pleasure of working with many Indigenous youth and I am always blown away by their leadership skills and ability to make impact in every space they enter. They have so much self-awareness and know how to harness this to create real change.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
Every terrible interview I did was one more step I needed to take to understand myself and how to present my skills to an employer. There were some incredibly cringe worthy interviews I did, but if I hadn’t done those and learned from them who knows where I would be today. I never thought I would work for an Bank and now an Accounting Firm, but my earlier failures resulted in me discovering where I can utilize my skills and incorporate my passion. It was thanks to the support of others and perseverance that set me up for success.
What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison by Michael Foucault – Made me think critically about Canada’s criminal justice system and how restorative justice fits into our understanding of the correctional system.
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King – Assisted me in facilitating hard conversations on Canadian history while maintaining my own mental wellbeing.
Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga – Interesting and though provoking on how structures of assimilation and genocide continue in our systems even when they go by a different name.
Do you volunteer? If so, where and why is that important to you?
I sit on the board for Focus Forward for Indigenous Youth and Canadian Voices Against Racism. It’s important to myself to continue to work within the community and make the time to do so. I was offered so much support while gaining education and employment and I want to be able to support others on their path. I love the work both organizations do to make change and plan to keep volunteering as a priority in my life.
In the last year, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
I have started to believe in myself more and trust my intuition or feelings. Trusting myself and letting that guide my decisions has resulted in a great deal of changes and improvements in my life.
What are some challenges you think the next Indigenous generation will face in your industry/profession?
Continuing to carve out a place for ourselves may still be a challenge. We continue to struggle to gain access to the places and spaces where impact at a structural level occurs. I hope this will not be a reality in future and I won’t be able to be say “_____ is the first Indigenous person to hold this position.”
What advice would you give to a smart, driven student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?
Make each opportunity into what you want it to be. You can turn a small opportunity into something that will make great impact if you trust in yourself and your abilities. The advice that sets out a traditional path to success and doesn’t leave room for your personal growth.