WIESBADEN, Germany – Overseas federal employment can have some unique pay and personnel issues associated with foreign service, and the importance of helping people navigate that experience by providing advisory support and customer service is not lost on Charlotte Justen.
Although only a member of Installation Management Command – Europe’s Human Resources staff for less than a year, the HR specialist takes satisfaction in being able to help others understand some of the programs and policies that define the overseas environment – from in-processing and foreign entitlements to ensuring proper paperwork and vouchers are submitted correctly and on time.
“My job is to provide Human Resources advisory in various HR program areas for IMCOM-Europe, ensure prudent recruitment efforts are in place, and a plethora of other duties related to providing HR services for the entire IMCOM-Europe footprint,” she said.
That footprint spans support to the civilian government service workforce at U.S. Army installations in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, which keeps her job both interesting and challenging, she said.
“I find that navigating change and having the opportunity to adapt to an evolving workforce can be incredibly rewarding,” said Justen. “Not only does it keep me on my toes, but it affords me the opportunity to grow my professional and personal competencies as an HR professional.
“As much as I enjoy embracing change, it can also provide its own set of challenges,” she added. “More often than not, the reason embracing changes is rewarding, however, is because it allows me the opportunity to accomplish things outside my comfort zone. Successfully navigating change means that you learn to think outside the box, and force yourself to look at situations from different perspectives. This means that I must challenge my own views and outlooks sometimes. It’s not always an easy process, but necessary. When done successfully, it allows me to meet goals and accomplish tasks I likely didn’t think possible at some point.”
Justen entered the HR field for the opportunity “to positively impact an organization and its talented workforce. The nice thing about being in Human Resources is that you get to see the upward trajectory of so many colleagues in the workplace. Human Resources directly impacts how successful an organization can be.”
Prior to that, she served on active duty in the Marine Corps for five years as an Information Technology specialist, as well as a contingency operations planner for the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and the White House Military Office.
She said that the most gratifying part of her HR job is being in a position where she can find new ways to solve old problems.
“When I’m able to find an innovative solution that positively impacts our workforce and has IMCOM-Europe’s best interest, it is incredibly gratifying,” said Justen, who earned an undergraduate degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University, Ariz.
When she’s not focused on helping customers with their HR needs, she relaxes through her hobbies of art and photography.
“Once upon a time, young Charlotte aspired to be a starving artist,” she joked. “I got to dabble a bit in the field when I was a freelance photographer and published in a few editorials and took on some commercial projects. Nowadays, I find myself doing art projects with my children and to journal my travels.”
Being in Europe affords her that chance: “I love being able to travel and learn about different cultures. We have the incredibly opportunity to immerse ourselves in the history we learned about as children, and to share our experiences with friends and family.”
Social Sharing