1. Tell us about yourself. What is your major and class standing? Where is your internship located and how did you get it?

My name is Taressa Diaz. I am a senior Sociology major and Business Management minor. I am currently an intern at PPL Corporation, a fortune 500 utility company located in Allentown, PA. I currently work in the Human Resources: Recruiting and Selection Department. I was also an intern at PPL in the Human Resources: College Relations Department in Fall of 2010. I have always known about PPL since I am from Allentown. I also have an aunt who has been employed with them for over ten years. I had known that they were a good employer, so I sought out their internship opportunities. I plan on working in Human Resources upon my graduation in May, so once I saw that they had internships in their HR department I made sure that I applied. After completing my internship in the fall, I was offered another internship position within their HR department. I started the new position in January and will be working there until graduation. Working at PPL has been a great experience, I have learned so much about myself as an aspiring professional and I have been able to enhance my leadership, team-building, and communication skills. I am looking forward to learning even more in my new department.

2. How did you feel on the first day? How did it go? Were your expectations met? Can you describe anything that surprised you?

I was very anxious on my first day. I had a professional job previously working at the local court house part time, but working in corporate america was a totally different feeling. I was unsure of what the culture was going to be like and what to expect from my supervisors and the other people within my department. In my head I had assumed that everyone would be very serious in personality and somewhat hard on me as an intern. However, it was quite the opposite. Everyone within my department was so outgoing and friendly. They all made me feel welcome and were so eager to help me with any questions. They really made me feel like a part of the team and that was a great relief for my first day jitters. It was a very professional environment and a comfortable place to work. I was surprised at how much fun they all had at work. Everyone had a never ending list of things to do and they would get it all done but still manage to find time to laugh and enjoy work. It was great to see and I hope that I can have that type of work environment when I graduate and begin my career.

3. Tell us about your work environment and supervisors. How many people do you work with? What is great about it and what isn’t?

My work environment was ideal to me. I had friendly co-workers who were eager to help me but willing to let me learn and do things on my own. My department was made up of nine people and had great team dynamics. I really felt like a part of the team. I was given meaningful work that was a great deal of responsibility but it felt great to be able to make a contribution to the department’s efforts. My supervisors were also great. They were very helpful and gave me great insight with their constructive feedback and taught me how I can improve myself as an aspiring professional.     

4. Tell us about your life outside of the internship. Are you living in a new location? Have you met new people?

Both of my internships have taken place during the school year so I am not living at a new location. My internship is located in Allentown, PA so it is a short drive from the college. During my internship last semester as well as my internship this semester, I have met many people within the organization and have had a chance to expand my 'network' as well as develop professional relationships with various employees within the Human Resources Department. I also have had a chance to build relationships with other interns through the networking events that PPL offers for the Cooperative Associates. At the events, we are able to meet and network with each other as well as meet with representatives from different areas within the organization.

5. If you are earning credit for your internship, what types of assignments/projects are required by the College to earn credit?

I earned credit for my internship that I had in the fall. I was able to earn 2 credits for this internship rather than just one because I was working 30 hours per week. To get this to count for credit, I was required to select a professor to advise me throughout my internship experience. I chose Dr. Katie Desiderio. I met with her bi-weekly and we discussed the projects and assignments that I have been working on for my internship. I was also required to submit one journal entry to her each week describing my experiences that week. For my final project, I created a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation describing my experience at PPL. I presented this to my department at work as well as Dr. Desiderio. For my final grade, I was graded on my presentation, my involvement in the bi-weekly meetings, my completion of assignments, as well as the feedback that Dr. Desiderio gathered from my supervisors regarding my performance. For my internship this semester, I was unable to get it to count for class credit because it was within the same department (Human Resources) at the same corporation.

6. What has been your most interesting assignment/task? What made it the most interesting?

My most interesting assignment that I have had in my current internship would be assisting with the Human Resources metrics project. I found that the most interesting because it really gave me a deeper insight into all of the planning that goes into all business functions within HR. I was able to assist in researching common metrics that various companies use. This was able to assist us in benchmarking common practices of other organizations. Although I did not have a large role in the project because I am still learning the role of metrics in corporations it was a great learning experience for me. I also enjoy participating in interviews. Being able to be a part of that aspect of the hiring process is not only beneficial from a professional standpoint, but also from a personal standpoint. I am able to learn what hiring managers like and dislike in an interview and what responses are seen as good answers or bad answers.

7. How is your internship going? Are you enjoying the work that you are given? Are you encountering any difficulties?

My internship is going great. I absolutely enjoy the work that I am given. I really feel like a part of the team and I am given meaningful assignments that add value to the team. I really enjoy that aspect of the position. The only difficulties that I can say I am experiencing is just being confident in the work that I do. Being given meaningful work as an intern is very intimidating so it is difficult to be confident in the work I produce. However, my team gives me valuable feedback that helps ease my mind. I really enjoy it.

8. What was the most difficult assignment/task/challenge that you were faced with? How did you deal with it? What did you learn from it?

I cannot pinpoint a particular assignment that was challenging for me, but I can say that my day-to-day tasks were difficult for me to catch onto at first. One of my main job duties is to search for candidates for our full-time positions. I work together with the recruiters and hiring managers to find out key characteristics that they are looking for in a candidate to fill that position and then I use various job boards and niche websites to source for candidates. When I first started this internship, I was very unsure of myself while sourcing. I knew what I was looking for, but I didn't know where to draw the line. It was rare that I found a candidate with all characteristics and skills we were looking for, so I was unsure of when to decide to forward a candidate along or not. I also had other concerns such as, when do I stop forwarding candidates, what is a good amount to forward to the hiring manager, etc. The way I dealt with this was I created a list of questions and sat down with a recruiter on my team so that I could get their input and learn from them. I also looked at resumes that some of our recruiters had forwarded along for certain positions so that I could see what they thought was a 'good resume'. I was able to learn that it always helps to ask questions and I also learned to never doubt myself because once I received the answers to my questions I saw that I was already on the right track.

9. What are your thoughts about your internship, now that it is over? What did you learn? What would you have done differently?

I absolutely loved my internship. It was such a great experience. I have grown so much professionally. It has really taught me a lot about the corporate world and it has helped me see where I fit in that world. It has also confirmed to me that I definitely want to pursue a career in Human Resources, particularly in recruitment. The only thing that I would have done differently is take advantage of all the opportunities that were available to me. I wish I would have requested to sit in on more meetings and be involved in more projects. I have been involved in a lot in my department but I am always looking to learn more.

10. What advice would you give to future interns? How did your internship benefit you? What tips/suggestions do you have for future Moravian interns?

My advice to future interns would be to take it seriously. All companies have a different workload for their interns, but whether you’re working on projects or just filling envelopes, take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the company, industry, and whether or not you feel that it is a good fit for you. Don't let any day feel wasted. I would also say make sure to network. This is your opportunity to connect with professionals in the industry. Get to know them and let them get to know you. You can learn a lot from them and they can also serve as a reference for you in your job search as well. My internship benefitted me by confirming my career path as well as developing me as an aspiring professional. I would encourage all Moravian students to contact the career center and see what internship opportunities are available. At work this week, I read a research brief that was released in September 2010 from National Association of Colleges and Employers that stated that candidates with internship experience were considerably more likely to receive a job offer than those who did not have any experiential education in their background. They also stated that graduates with internships also tended to receive a significantly higher starting salary. Those statistics alone should be enough to motivate students. Pursuing an internship is not only beneficial in college but for the long run.