Employee Spotlight – Kailyn Bell, Accounts Payable

At JDS, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We are diverse by design and whether working at site or in the boardroom what unites our group of companies is our ability to lead by example, challenge and support one another to get the job done, every step of the way.

“In the three months of being here, I have learned that its ok to seek help, ask questions and be honest. I work with a great group of people, that leads be example and makes coming to work enjoyable. If I was afforded this opportunity again, I wouldn’t think twice and that’s what makes the job so worth it.”

I originally sent my resume in, for a position with JDSEM on contract at the New Afton Mine in Kamloops… I had been living in Kamloops for five years, as I attended Thompson River’s University there. I graduated with my BA in Communications, stream in Public Relations with a minor in marketing, in the spring of 2021 (officially graduating this fall, I just missed the spring deadline). With Kamloops feeling like home, I was skeptical to ever leave. I wanted to find a job there and settle there. However, when a more permanent position was offered to me in Kelowna, I had to rethink my career goals entirely.

Still skeptical, I decided to take a drive to Kelowna, to meet the JDS team and sit down with Victoria, to discuss working in the JDS AP department. Turns out, it was an opportunity that I just couldn’t turn down. Logistically, it was a fast change and a decision that I couldn’t take lightly… but the environment at JDS made my decision simple. After spending two hours getting to know the team over lunch, I felt more welcome than I ever had in a working environment.

Since starting in the AP position, back on May 31st, I have continued to feel welcome and at home when I come to work. The crew that I work with are the true definition of team and the further into the position I get, the more I understand that we are all working to achieve a common goal, a characteristic that does not always come by easily. I get up for work each day knowing that no matter how many questions I have during that day, I will always have someone to look to for support. It’s a judgement free zone, where everybody helps everybody. Its camaraderie, its kindness and it’s a place I am proud to work at.

In the three months of being here, I have learned that its ok to seek help, ask questions and be honest. I work with a great group of people, that leads be example and makes coming to work enjoyable. If I was afforded this opportunity again, I wouldn’t think twice and that’s what makes the job so worth it.