Understand the People, Know the Company

Understand the People, Know the Company

It took me about 10 different majors (my poor parents) before I was able to finally land on Human Resource Management. When I tell some people I want to go into HR, their response usually goes something like: “HR, the people that make you fill out all that paperwork, I don’t care about that stuff.” And it’s true, HR does make you fill out a lot of paperwork, important paperwork, but I bet you DO care about some of the stuff HR does. HR is involved with recruiting to help an organization grow, training, compensation and benefits (now, tell me you don’t care about that), among many other things. I was so excited when I was offered an internship with Schneider Downs because I was going to see all these HR disciplines in action. When you only learn about these topics in a classroom setting, you tend to forget how things work in reality versus the perfect situation taught in a textbook.

I enjoy telling people at the firm that I am the HR Intern. They often look confused or intrigued. “Really? That’s interesting.  I didn’t know we had HR interns.”  When you think about Schneider Downs, I have a feeling that the first thing that comes to mind, probably even the first 10 things, does not include the Human Resources Department. So when I started, I wondered what my role would be in a department of such a small size. However, the small size has been one of the most beneficial aspects, because all parts of HR are constantly happening around me. 

I have learned that one of most interesting parts about working in HR is you really get to see the company as a whole. During my time here, I continue to realize how each and every department, whether it be Audit or Tax, Internal Computer Support, Marketing, Consulting, HR, among so many others, play an integral role in creating the brand that is Schneider Downs and Co., Inc. When you look at all of these different parts working together, you really remember that employees are a company’s greatest asset, and this is no exception here at Schneider Downs.

As far as my internship itself, this is the perfect perspective I was looking for. I think often one of the biggest complaints about an HR Department within a company can be how out-of-touch they can be with the employees and the different things they do within their job. Often for a company of an enormous size, it can be almost impossible to be anything besides somewhat out-of-touch. At Schneider Downs, you get a very unique perspective. The department is able to know the employees by name, what they do and what he or she brings to the company.

I want to thank Schneider Downs for giving me the opportunity to explore the HR profession and for welcoming me to the firm.

Contact us for more information about Internship Opportunities at Schneider Downs and read more about our interns’ experiences in our blog.