Intern Speak: Experiences of Interns In HR Industry

For any organisation, the HR department is the most important department as it manages human capital. Right from employee engagement, and ensuring that workplace policies are adhered by all to resolving any dispute arising between the employees, this department plays a vital role in creating the right place for people and the organisation to prosper.

Doing an internship in the HR department of an organisation gives you an insight into the working of the HR department along with a lot of valuable learnings. You are able to experience real work-life and how a corporate firm works. Shared below are experiences of two individuals who completed HR internship in different sectors like the automobile sector and hotel industry. Experiences shared by these two young professionals will definitely help you understand what HR internships are all about.

Shweta Khatri

As a student of BBA in Human Resource Management (HRM) in the last semester before our graduation, I completed a paid internship for three months with a leading automobile company in New Delhi. I was given the responsibility of posting hiring advertisements on job portals and coordinating with external agencies regarding the same, screening potential candidates for the vacancies, organising interviews, sending offer letters to shortlisted candidates, data entry and so on. Apart from these, I also looked after the HR related queries of the employees and assisted in team building activities. The life of a corporate professional was new to me and in the initial days, I felt like I was being burdened with loads of responsibilities. But the one thing that cheered me each day was free and delicious meals served in the office canteen.

The entire duration of my HR internship was a great learning experience for me. I gained deeper insights of the HR department and its work culture. I got to know what it’s like to be working in the HR department of a big MNC. I made very good connections and friends there. At last, I would say that my biggest takeaway was that I became confident and well-prepared to join any company in the near future.

Also Read: Preparing For The First Day Of Your Internship

Aasma Ahmad

I completed my Masters in Business Management five months ago from Indian Institute of Business Management (IIBM), Patna with specialisation in HRM. Immediately after completing my MBA, I got an opportunity to join a top hotel in Patna as an intern for two months. It was not a high paying internship, I got a total of Rs 12,000 for two months but what I learnt there was much more valuable than money. I would say that it was my first job as I never felt that I was an intern there and working only for two months.

I was working under the guidance of one of the HR executives. She was quite strict with me during the working hours but was very friendly during the breaks. She taught me the basics of HRM workings. My job role was to post job vacancies on social media platforms and shortlist eligible candidates followed by scheduling their online interviews. The time when I was interning was the appraisal cycle of the hotel so, for around two weeks, I also looked after the employees’ attendance, their performance reports, their log in and log out time and overtime during the whole year etc. and submitted my findings to my reporting manager. I got to experience and see how the HR department of a company works and what are the challenges that it faces. Upon completion of my internship, I got an internship certificate. To summarise my HR internship experience, I would like to say that I got to learn a lot during those two months and I also experienced what it is like to work under pressure. What you read and learn in books are way too different from what you see in real life.

Also Read: Nailing Your Internship Interview: FAQs And Tips To Answer