Honor Society® member
Ricky Mendez Jr.
Assignment Technician (HR Assistant) at Los Angeles Unified School District
- Psychology
- Class of 2023
- Los Angeles, California
Member since July 2023
About
I am a bilingual Human Resources professional with experience in talent acquisition, employee lifecycle management, HR operations, and organizational compliance across public-sector, corporate, and retail environments. I hold a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from the University of Southern California and am pursuing a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Alliant University, with research interests in people analytics, machine learning, and evidence-based organizational decision-making. I combine analytical expertise, operational knowledge, and a people-centered approach to support workforce initiatives, improve HR processes, and contribute to organizational effectiveness.
Education
-
Alliant University
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
2025 – Present
-
University of Southern California
Applied Psychology
2021 – 2023
-
University of California, Los Angeles
Linguistics and Psychology
2011 – 2013
-
San Jose City College
French and Psychology
2007 – 2011
Honors and awards
-
national honor society
Since high school
Goals and interests
- Career goal
My career progression is focused on advancing from Human Resources Coordinator to Human Resources Specialist and Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), strengthening my expertise in HR operations, talent management, employee relations, and strategic workforce planning. I aim to transition into leadership roles such as Head of People Analytics or Director of People Science, integrating my doctoral research in Industrial-Organizational Psychology with people analytics, machine learning, and evidence-based organizational decision-making. My long-term goal is to advance to Vice President of Human Resources and ultimately Chief People Officer (CPO), leading enterprise-wide people strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness, employee retention, and business performance.
- Graduate school interests
Industrial-Organizational and Social Psychology, Linguistics.
- Outside the classroom
Music, movies, languages, travel, fashion, and roller coasters!
Experience
-
Assignment Technician (HR Assistant)
Los Angeles Unified School District
Jan 2026 – Jun 2026
-
Candidate Experience Specialist
Allied Universal Security Services
Jul 2025 – Jan 2026
-
Human Resources Coordinator
Cotton On Group USA
Dec 2024 – Jun 2025
-
Research Intern
Odgers Berndtson Ireland
Jun 2022 – Aug 2022
-
Assistant Manager (Brand Merchandising/Product Operations/People Operations & Talent)
Gap Inc.
Jul 2000 – Feb 2024
Volunteering
-
Mentor
This Way Ahead
Jun 2020 – Jun 2022
Languages
- English (US) Fluent
- Spanish Fluent
- French (France) Intermediate
Additional information
Organizations
-
national honor society
-
society of industrial and organizational psychology (siop)
-
american psychology association (apa)
-
society for human resource management (shrm)
