Through the Eyes of an Intern

As a junior in the Honors Business program at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), I knew that I needed to have experience in my field of study before I went out into the “real world.” I had started searching for summer internship opportunities during the fall semester but hadn’t begun applying because summer had seemed so far away then. When one of my professors emailed me to ask if I would be around during the spring semester, I quickly responded that I would indeed be at IUP. 

I was curious about why she had asked me about my availability. I knew a lot of my honors cohort members were studying abroad, but it was not as if I was the only student left in the program. I received a response from her saying that she had a human resources internship opportunity if I was interested. I had never considered working as an intern while I was enrolled in classes, but I was definitely interested and applied as soon as I could.

Applying to be a human resources intern at Kuzneski Financial Group (KFG) was one of the best decisions I’ve made so far. I’ve been able to learn so much about the HR world under the supervision of Corey Berkey and have gotten some very beneficial experience to add to my resume. I was able to work on projects that helped me to develop better Excel skills and learn a lot about the insurance industry. Being able to discuss problems, with real examples from Corey’s experiences, really helped me to learn a lot about HR issues and further develop my problem-solving skills. Plus, having the opportunity to work with some great people these past sixteen weeks was an important bonus. There are so many experiences from my short time here that I could talk about, but I’ll spare you the whole book and just give you the highlights.

When most students hear the word “intern” they picture a person who is stuck in a room with no windows, filing stack after stack of endless paperwork, and fetching everyone their coffees. However, that image is vastly different than my experience here at KFG. I was lucky enough to always have something to work on that had meaning and that I could be passionate about. One of the experiences that was most exciting to me was the opportunity to participate in interviewing to find a new employee. I was able to write some interview questions and use them during the interviews for a few candidates. I loved the opportunity to experience being on the other side of the table. Each day that I got to participate in interviewing, I practically bounced out of the office when it closed. It was these experiences that led me to enjoy even the smallest tasks like data entry or filing. I knew that I liked human resources, but getting to try out the job helped me to see that this is something I really do enjoy and that I could do it for the rest of my life.

Regardless of never having considered it until my professor mentioned the position, interning during the semester was extremely helpful. I was able to use the material I learned in class while I was working on projects at KFG and vice versa. It was helpful to be able to relate the two and, in a way, immerse myself in human resources topics. Don’t let the fact that KFG is a family-owned business fool you, their open-minded approach to business and knowledgeable employees gave me the chance to work on a number of projects that have helped me to learn a wide range of useful information. I feel that my time here at KFG has helped me to build a strong foundation for any future endeavors in the world of human resources and I couldn’t thank the company more for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow as a future professional.