“College students frequently make the most of winter break by traveling to a warm locale or stockpiling hours of sleep before the spring semester. Although the ILR Winter Internship Program (WISP) offered by ILR career services is not exactly a ‘break,’ it offers what I believe to be the most valuable career exploration and work experience program at Cornell. During the Fall semester of my sophomore year, I saw fliers advertising WISP and attended the information session. Winter internships omit the formal interviewing process and allow students to select their choice of project or employer. Most important, though, is the opportunity to explore a career in human resources, or any other ILR field, under the guidance of seasoned ILR alumni.

“As the lottery date approached, I frequently scanned Career Services’ webpage to see if any projects appealed to me. I paused at one that sparked my interest: the NBC station in Miramar, Florida offered a human resources internship project in which I would teach the trainers how to upload employee work histories into an online experience database. It was perfect; the combination of human resources experience and computer work, plus the added bonus of working for a well-respected media conglomerate, would challenge my HR proficiencies in one of the most dynamic, fast-paced, and attractive industries.

“Luckily my time was early in the lottery and I secured my first choice. I welcomed the move from New Jersey to scenic Florida, seizing the opportunity to live on my own and without the built-in social network of college. Looking back, I see how the experience strengthened my problem-solving skills in the workplace and day-to-day situations.

“My first day at NBC was awe-inspiring. I met Mike Pustizzi ’80, my ILR alumni mentor, and his enthusiasm for Cornell, human resources, and NBC facilitated my transition to the new work environment. After a brief, yet amazing tour of the station’s set, production studios, editing bays, and newsroom, I began my project.

“Since NBC’s work-experience database was implemented just before my arrival, I had to learn the online registration and submittal process before leading the training sessions. My initial days entailed learning the system myself, becoming the resident advisor, and then coaching team leaders how to use the online experience database. When not training employees on the computer, I was on the phone with technical support staff, solving problems as they came up and troubleshooting various scenarios. Within a couple days, the technical support team and I worked hand-in-hand and our daily problem-solving sessions sharpened my communication skills. My responsibility to work independently and drive the project’s performance in a collaborative atmosphere could not have been possible were it not for ILR.

“I credit the ILR staff for this tremendous opportunity. Although the WISP program is designed for career exploration and not as a summer job pipeline, I was subsequently offered and accepted a summer position within NBC’s human resources department. This past summer I returned to Florida where I worked with NBC and Telemundo human resources professionals to help merge the two workforces. While there, I also observed the critical significance of my WISP training project since the experience management system also drove the business’s performance reviews, secession planning, and internal transfers throughout General Electric. My experience confirmed that the WISP program reinforces the ILR School’s commitment to provide future practitioners with a stimulating, intellectual education that seamlessly transfers into and enhances the workplaces of tomorrow.”

Katie Keimel is a founding editor, webmaster, and graphic designer of the Cornell Pre-Law Journal, and a member of SHRM. She will intern with Dell Computers this summer.

—Katie Kiemel, ILR Connections, Spring 2003