When I was in my interview, getting a rough outline on what my project and responsibilities were, I was so set to only be focused on what I was being told. I planned on coming into my first week with ambition to steamroll through my project and focus on just that until it was done. That was not the case. Now that we are six weeks into the internship and I have gotten the opportunity to see Indium Corporation’s real environment, meet a bunch of the staff, and understand the workflow of human resources (HR), my priorities have become slightly altered.
Though I have been able to make some major strides on my project, it isn’t done yet. Part of this is due to me taking every opportunity that has come up. Part of my Thursdays involve the lunch-and-learns. I’ve gotten the chance to shadow some of our Human Resource Business Partners and different parts of our HR team to better understand the way things work from multiple points of view. I got an incredible opportunity to lead my supervisor’s section of orientation, which was a little bit nerve wracking at first, but something that I am so thankful that I did. I have been entrusted with so much responsibility on so many different tasks in the HR field. Though I cannot go into too much detail on them, this experience has slowly allowed me to see a more rounded perspective of the work done in HR.
These side tasks sometimes only take ten minutes, or sometimes a couple of weeks, but every one of them given to me was done with the intent of helping me learn and grow in this field while being able to support my team. Working on my project and getting new tasks while shadowing people has really allowed me to see just how many layers go into HR and just how critical every role in it is. These tasks allow me to focus on my project, while still taking on real HR responsibilities to learn the practical application side of things. I know this experience will benefit me in the long run by allowing me to apply what I’ve learned when I return to school and throughout my long-term career.
My project has allowed me to work with not just the entire HR total rewards team, but so many other departments to be able to see so many different points of view that go into running a company. From emails, quick advice, to meetings, it really showed me the value of seeing the same task from someone else’s perspective, and how they might see something that you didn’t before. My learning has slowly expanded from just HR to the rest of the building, and now I am even taking in new information from some of the employees at the other locations. It is truly an incredible opportunity to walk through each of those doors and get the chance to see what is on the other side.
One of my projects involved benefits, which allowed me to hear the voices of so many employees in so many different positions throughout the entire company. Part of my goal was to hear as many voices as possible so I could identify the broadest range of benefits to explore and select those that would provide the greatest value to the largest number of our employees. Getting the chance to listen to what matters to so many employees was such a meaningful part of my project, which I am so thankful for!
This internship has really pushed me to take every opportunity that comes my way, even if it is not something I’m too familiar with. It’s been super important for me to remember that this is the best learning environment I could be in. Everyone is super nice and they want to see me succeed, so even if I hit a rough patch, they are there for me. I’ve come into this internship with only the HR knowledge that I have learned from school, not real applications, so the chance to put all my love of HR into real work has made me so happy. Looking between my two majors and deciding which one to follow into an internship was such a hard decision, until I found an opportunity that applies to both.
I have always been a chatty kid and growing up and I have made sure to try and keep that social skill, though sometimes it can be quite hard. Having the ability to talk to pretty much anybody was not originally an easy skill to learn, but now it comes to me as second nature. That ability to just go up to someone and start a conversation has been such a crucial skill throughout this internship, being able to talk to so many employees and listen to what matters to them. This was a subconscious skill that I have continued to develop throughout this internship, that has also allowed me to continue to grow my public speaking skills, which I have also been able to put to good use in my time here.
After having experienced more than half of the internship and getting the starting jitters out of the way, if I could go back and talk to myself before I ever got here, there a couple of things I would let myself know. The first would be that there is no need for any false confidence and to not be nervous to talk to new people: everyone is so excited to meet you, including the other interns, so be yourself and reach out. It’s okay to make mistakes: no one expects you to be perfect, but if you do make a mistake, it’s okay to speak up, you won’t get in trouble. Another piece of advice, as you probably have guessed throughout the rest of this blog, is just how important it is to say yes to every opportunity that is given to you. Even if that opportunity is going with the other interns to 7-Brew on your lunch break. Making those connections and building as much experience as possible during your internship is going to be how you take away the most you can.
Moving from where I was, where all I knew was stick season, into the biggest city I have ever lived in, Utica, NY, was a transition into a new start that was both terrifying, but more importantly, exciting! Knowing that I was willing and able, all I had to do was take the next step and actually make it happen. Making that first move to leave the state I grew up in, to come to New York, was something I had to think about for a long time. But watching the mileage go up on my dashboard gave me this sense of freedom that felt like the start of my journey. The longer I am here, the more and more I feel like I am at home, and I’m finally getting the feeling like I can remain staying still. Looking forward from this point, knowing at the end of August, my life will be so different, back at school, looking towards graduation, I’ll be left with lasting memories of this summer.
Moving forward from this point, there are more opportunities that I am still looking forward to, including Summerfest and the intern’s volunteer day. I’m looking forward to continuing to shadow people in different positions, learning the way they do things, and seeing how it flows with the rest of the company. I’m excited for everything else I am going to learn and every opportunity given to me. More than anything, I am so forever thankful to get to see HR through a bunch of new perspectives!
