Employee Stories: Elizabeth Bishop
March 28, 2022
Elizabeth’s Perspective – Finding Your Passion
Elizabeth is a Learning & Development Analyst at Heartland Bank. Elizabeth started her career as a Regional Float where she assisted many branches in the Bloomington-Normal area. Eventually, Elizabeth was promoted to the position of Retail Lead at our Carlock office, where she found her passion as a leader, mentor, and teacher. After a three-year career in Retail, Elizabeth transitioned to the Learning & Development Department, where she served as a Learning & Development Specialist. Now a Learning & Development Analyst, Elizabeth can be still found working in the department at our Bloomington-Normal office at 405 Hershey Road.
About Elizabeth
Those that know Elizabeth know that you can always count on her to do the right thing. She is sensible, smart, diligent, and an overall great person. Elizabeth continuously brings creative and fresh ideas to the trainings she is involved in. The pride she takes in teaching our newest Retail employees and introducing key Heartland Bank systems is evident in her work.
Elizabeth's Story
After completing my degree at Bradley University, I decided to stay in the Bloomington-Normal area and begin building my professional career. I was ready to find a company where I could settle in, establish roots, and grow a rewarding and fulfilling career. I saw potential in Heartland Bank, so I applied for a Retail position. After my initial interview, I was excited by how professional, friendly, and encouraging the employees at Heartland Bank were. I immediately knew that it was the start of something good.
Joining Learning & Development
While I was a Retail Lead for our Carlock office, I spent a few weeks providing support to understaffed branches in our Champaign region. While there, I helped train new employees and shared my tips and tricks with them. When I returned to my home branch, we had just hired a new employee, so I had the opportunity to train them as well. Through these experiences, I realized how much I enjoyed helping others learn. When I learned of an opening in our Learning & Development department, I remember reading the job description and thinking, “This role would be perfect for me!”
I saw many of my strengths listed in the job description and was excited at the thought of this career move. Now that I have learned more about what it means to be a L&D professional, I can’t see myself in any other role.
Meaningful Work
It makes me proud to see new employees walk away from a training session feeling confident and ready to start their journey at Heartland Bank. I am a lifelong learner myself, and I am fortunate that I am in a position that encourages me to learn and pass on my knowledge to others. I get to utilize my strengths daily, learn, and have fun while I help others grow!
Supporting Growth and Development
Heartland Bank wants employees to succeed! Value is placed on growth and development, and employees are encouraged to become the best version of themselves. Each of my managers at Heartland Bank has given me insight and mentorship in different ways. Overall, my managers have pushed me to grow and develop new skills. Without the encouragement, mentorship, and confidence boosts from my managers and coworkers, I may not be where I am today!
Valuable Resources
My coworkers are the most valuable resource that I have found at Heartland Bank. From the moment I started my career here, I had people by my side who were willing to share their knowledge and skills with me. I also find opportunities for self-development everywhere I look. Whether that is reading books to learn about my field or important soft skills, watching LinkedIn Learning videos, or researching a topic that piques my interest on my own, I have always found encouragement from leadership to do so. I believe that my desire to learn and develop has helped me stand out and get me to where I am now.
Advice From Elizabeth
Make sure that you are creating learning opportunities for yourself. Be active in your development. Set goals. Get curious and ask questions! Find ways to better yourself because nobody else is going to do the work for you. I also encourage you to take opportunities when they are presented to you, even if they put you outside of your comfort zone. Getting out of your comfort zone forces you to grow!
Outside of Work
I enjoy cuddling up on the couch with my dog, Frank, and husband, Chad to watch movies. I also enjoy baking cupcakes and crafting (crochet is my current go-to!). I am also a member of the Bloomington Community Band where I play the bassoon.