It’s a Chimed Life: Meet Jennifer Hillard, Chime’s University Recruiting Manager

Jennifer Hillard was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. “I know what it feels like to go to college and graduate without the support of a network that shares that experience,” she says. “That’s part of why I do what I do, to let people know that you can find support, build a network, and achieve a career — regardless of your background.” 🎓

After college, Jennifer fell into recruiting because she liked working with people. She later volunteered to take on a university recruiting program because she was drawn to the variety of tasks involved in the work — and because of her own personal background. “University Recruiting is more than just one job, it’s a bunch of pieces that fit together year-round to make securing and starting an internship or first job a great experience for college students,” she explains.

Jennifer is Chime’s first University Recruiting Manager, and she joins us to help set up Chime university students for success.

Why Chime needs the passion and creativity university students bring — now

When Jennifer saw an advertisement for our University Recruiting (UR) Manager position, she applied—the old-fashioned way, she calls it. “Chime’s Head of Recruiting, Jeff Winter, gave me a call — on his birthday, no less! — and we had a casual conversation where we got to know each other before diving into the details of the role and the interview process,” Jennifer says.

From the beginning of the interview process, Jennifer wanted to understand why Chime is starting its UR program now. “I’ve seen programs fail because they were launched at the wrong time,” she says. “I wanted to be sure the entire organization was engaged and committed to making university recruitment a success.”

“Chime has been considered an innovator since the beginning, and hiring at the university level was always part of the plan. The program just needed structure and a strategy in place, as well as a certain scale of the company, to become a reality,” Jennifer says. “By waiting a few years to launch the UR program, the structure is now in place to hire and mentor university students in a way that will provide value for everyone.”

For interns and new graduates, joining Chime at this stage is exciting. It’s an opportunity to learn from the fastest-growing company in fintech, understand what it’s like to be part of a highly diverse team, and have a real impact on Chime’s products — and our members.

For Chimers, hiring interns and new graduates will help us build even more competitive, diverse teams and bring new lenses through which to see our products and services. “We need passion and creativity to continue being an employer of choice — two traits that university students bring to the table,” says Jennifer.

Core to o[UR] strategy: Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Chime is a company that actively fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, so it’s no surprise that diversity, equity, and belonging are core to Jennifer’s strategy for our UR program. “That’s a strong reason for why I want students to know that I’m the first in my immediate family to graduate from college,” Jennifer says. “My personal goal through this work is to help all university students, regardless of their background, achieve the career of their dreams.”

For example, some university students might not know what it’s like to be in a meeting or get feedback from their managers in their first job. And while many can simply ask family or friends, there is a subset of people who don’t have those resources. “I had to learn the basics of how to function within the workplace on my own,” Jennifer says. “Listening and asking a lot of questions were key at the beginning of my career. Later on, I relied on the network I built.”

That’s why Jennifer wants to build a diverse and inclusive workplace that includes university students — so all new college students, including future first-generation students, can get support at work rather than having to find their own way. “I believe that UR programs have the potential to help university students accelerate their careers whether they come from a legacy family of college graduates or are the first in their family,” she says.

Advice for future university Chimers

“My advice for future university Chimers is to Chime In 🙋🏽‍♀️ and Be Human 🙃 — be yourselves,” explains Jennifer. “I want all future university hires at Chime to know that we are all here to support each other as we grow in our careers, no matter what stage we’re at.”

Interested in partnering with Jennifer or finding a university role at Chime? Check out our careers page to learn more.