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The Human Resources
Intern Experience
By: Timothy P. McHugh

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I. Introduction to the Field of HR
Taking on this academic internship this semester I knew it would be a big challenge to tackle
because my schedule was already filled with six courses and on top of that two were writing
intensive management courses which are a requirement for all management majors to complete
in order to graduate. Human Resources is actually my minor, which made the situation a very
unique learning experience to help expand my overall business experience.
The acquisition of the internship was also unique because I was previously employed by
CMTM as an intern in the Accounting department. Another very unique experience because I
have no desire to follow a path in the field of finance, but I saw an opportunity calling me to
improve my manager skill set in a previously weak area. By focusing on improvement in our
weakest areas and being able to convert them into strengths is crucial for managers who are
striving for success. A mind set I acquired from my time working at CMTM taught me most
importantly to adapt to any given situation in front of me. With much practice I found that at a
certain point things just started to come to me naturally and as more time eventually passed
Human Resources seemed to be my calling.
Since day one of the switch to the Human Resources department I felt a much greater sense
of happiness and passion in my work. Dealing with people and being able to read people for
their true intentions was something that just came natural since I was a child. This made it
comfortable for me to step right into new responsibilities and get the job done effectively. After
I would finish a task, I found myself eager to do something new and would ask for new work as
much as possible. My personal philosophy has always been to experience as many new things as
possible in life, this way you learn how to truly adapt to any given scenario. By breaking down

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barriers, the opportunity for higher achievement becomes possible. Embracing challenges head
on speeds up the progression and learning curves which ultimately translate into greater success.
This mentality translated directly into the work that I put into the internship and
collaboratively me and Jo-Ann found new and promising opportunities by embracing new
challenges together. I even noticed a difference in Jo-Ann’s work after having a set of new eyes
for weeks; she further refined a very sound practice. The relationship was a very positive one
that fostered much growth in both of us and then further translated into more growth within the
company. I was able to witness firsthand what influence improvement can have on an
organization. When one area of a company or policy is improved; it in turn improves the other
areas that are connected with it, then ultimately improving the company as a whole, which is a
main aim for Human Resources.
II. The Experience
My experience as an intern covered a wide variety of different areas within Human
Resources but my primary responsibilities were focused on recruitment specifically. Going into
the internship I was somewhat prepared for my new responsibilities due to my knowledge gained
from Human Resources classes at Nichols. With anything in life knowledge is always critical,
but no matter how extensive one’s knowledge is on a particular subject, things become different
when you are in the field and making real-time decisions, which then leaves you to rely on
instinct. This is what makes experience so crucial for a new business professional to gain so they
can later rely on it to avoid mistakes made in the past.

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My experience began with recruitment, which later on became my main field of focus in the
internship. I started out by creating letters of acceptance or denial for applicants who applied for
a job opening. Once I would finish a batch of letters, I would then review the candidates with
Jo-Ann and we would discuss why or why not they fit the position. This was critical information
because Jo-Ann is a very experienced mentor with valuable insight accumulated over many years
of practice. She informed me of specific red flags to look for with candidates, as well as certain
things that are usually a solid indicator of a good match.
I then moved on to reviewing resumes and making reference calls. I enjoyed making the
reference calls above all the other tasks because to me it was a different puzzle each time to try
and figure out what questions to ask and it was all “in the moment” decision-making. To me this
was a rush, thinking on your feet quickly in order to figure out how to solve the puzzle.
Eventually I began taking care of the mass mailings as well as organizing and maintaining the
employee files. A great learning experience I encountered was training our newly hired head
accountant who is a Nichols College alumni. Since I had much experience with the position he
was about to enter I gave him all the notes I took and guided him through his first week to make
sure he became properly acclimated.
Outside of recruitment, I did some extensive work in updating our benefits lists as well as
gained a deeper knowledge about all the benefits our company has to offer. Another project I
took on was updating the list of currently employed veterans and previously I did not know we
had so many veterans employed. I also put my creative talent to the test making flyers to inform
employees when a 457B representative was coming to the office. I tested them even further
when Jo-Ann asked me to redesign the Christmas party tickets. We ended up bouncing ideas

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back and forth and eventually reached an agreement of which design to use. I enjoyed this
creative element of Human Resources and it made me furthermore interested in the field.
III. How It All Comes Together
There were so many positive take-aways from my internship experience that made it all
worth the challenge it presented at times. In my time there I was able to further hone my
communication and critical thinking skills. I expanded my knowledge of the field of Human
Resources greatly. I was able to practice the use of insight in order to make difficult decisions.
With all of my practice in the field I found that my judgment on split-second decisions improved
significantly. The entire experience left me walking away with a clear sense of how to naturally
act and react in a business environment effectively.
The internship also has fostered the opportunity for employment afterwards, which I will
most likely pursue, unless I find another job opening that strongly calls out to me. If I remain, I
plan to stay no longer than two years. This way I can gain more experience, help improve the
company, and then be ready to move on to the next level. The experience will be extremely
valuable for when applying for other positions for several reasons. By just working in the
Human Resource field itself, you get daily exposure to reviewing job applicants and by doing
this it actually has expanded my knowledge of how I should present myself to an employer. On
top of that, graduating college with experience already under my belt in my field, it gives me an
upper hand over those with no experience at all. The experience was a very positive one in
which I developed my skills further, expanded my knowledge, and I took a step beyond the
classroom and “got my feet wet” in the real world of business.