Business alumna lured west by royal opportunity

Photo courtesy of Javeria Tamuri

When University of Guelph-Humber Business alumna Javeria Tamuri was offered a position with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2015, she knew it was a great opportunity but still faced a difficult decision.

First, there was the fact that the job was in Alberta, and she had spent her entire life living in the Greater Toronto Area. Further, she had a great job here working for an import/export company that had hired her straight out of UofGH – she hadn’t even written her final exams yet – before giving her a series of promotions from sales administration through to customs and logistics management.

Ultimately, however, the lure of working for the RCMP was strong enough to outweigh the risk.

“It was a very tough decision,” Tamuri reflected. “But it was such an exciting opportunity to work for Alberta’s top cop. I just couldn’t refuse.”

Looking back, Tamuri knows she made the right decision. Now, Tamuri is Executive Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of Alberta at the RCMP, a rewarding job that Tamuri says uses the varied skillset she built as a student at UofGH.

No two work days are alike

Tamuri was initially drawn to the University of Guelph-Humber for the opportunity to simultaneously work towards earning a degree and a diploma in four years of study. As a student, she was surprised to find that the focused nature of the program still left room for a high degree of variety in her studies.

She recalls excelling in courses in international business, small business management, and marketing. As she looked ahead to her career, she hoped to find a role that would allow her to apply that diverse knowledge background in a variety of ways.

“I wanted a career that fit naturally with what I had studied at UofGH,” she said. “I wanted to go to a workplace where I was able to provide that valuable input and expertise for better processes.”

Tamuri has found that at the RCMP. Although her title might indicate an administrative role, Tamuri says that in fact her responsibilities span managing policy issues, projects and processes on behalf of the Deputy Commissioner, maintaining the operations of the secretariat, writing briefing notes and a variety of correspondences for the Deputy Commissioner, and providing advice and recommendations on a variety of matters.

“The biggest thing I love about my job is that there are never two days that are the same. There’s never a dull moment,” she said. “As the Executive Assistant, I am the centre-point for communication. I am the first point of contact for Ministers, for the Deputy Minister, for the Commissioner.

“I get to play a big role in contributing to the safety and security of Albertans.”

Six years after making the daunting move cross-country into the unknown, Tamuri now feels completely in her element in the West and with the RCMP.

“Working for the RCMP, we all work toward the same values and the same goals to ensure the safety and security of our nation and citizens,” she said. “Even my husband has joined the RCMP, and we’re just loving our careers. We have the opportunity to grow and learn each day. You’re working for an organization that promotes success and they guide you through that.

“I love it. I don’t think I’d ever want to change.”