“When classes started in September 2003, I began searching for a summer internship in my native country of Japan. I gradually realized that finding a human resource internship in Japan can be as difficult as getting an offer in the United States without U.S. citizenship. I sent hundreds of e-mails to companies to inquire about internship opportunities. Only half of them replied, most saying, ‘We do not have an internship program for students specializing in human resources,’ or ‘We do not hire interns without human resource–related experience.’ As I faced the tough Japanese job market, I saw flyers advertising ILR’s Winter Internship Program (WISP) and attended an information session. Although WISP sounded like a good idea, no positions were posted for Japan. This is when I realized how valuable the ILR alumni network can be. ILR alumnus Andrew Doyle ’96, who was himself an HR intern in Japan as an undergraduate and is now working in Tokyo at Merrill Lynch Japan Securities, agreed to host my WISP.

“My first day at Merrill Lynch exceeded my expectations. Mr. Doyle introduced me to the CEO of Merrill Lynch Japan and to the HR staff there. After a brief, yet amazing tour of the stock trading rooms, I went to work. I was assigned three projects with only three weeks to complete them. I wasn’t expecting to be given responsibility for such significant projects—I thought I might be doing administrative work, data entry, photocopying, and so forth. The reality proved quite different. Mr. Doyle knew firsthand how valuable real projects can be to ILR interns. I recognized how fortunate I was to have this WISP and decided to take full advantage of the opportunity and exposure. Although all three projects were equally interesting and demanding, the one on trend analysis in training programs was especially informative. Unlike data we use in our class projects, which are assumed accurate (something that rarely happens in the real world), this project taught me to think critically when data are less certain. I thought I would just enhance my résumé, but my internship turned out to be an invaluable experience.

“As my ILR mentor, Mr. Doyle also offered good advice on taking full advantage of the MILR program at Cornell, tips for success, and courses he found especially useful. He also gave me a chance to learn just how important communication skills are in HR. Understanding the customer’s point of view and communicating one’s own are critical skills to the human resource specialist. What I might think is the best answer is not always the case for the customer. Again, these were classroom lessons that became more “real” in the workplace.

“After this invaluable experience, I decided to register for a Semester in Manufacturing course, which requires me to spend the entire spring semester with people from the engineering school and the business school. Doing several projects with students who have never thought about human resource issues is very challenging, but I believe I am learning critical soft skills such as building team cohesiveness and communicating effectively. I hope these soft skills will serve me well during my upcoming summer internship at GE Japan, which was also developed through ILR’s wonderful alumni network.”

—Sachiko Uno, ILR Connections, Fall 2004

See Also

• Sachiko Uno International Programs Profile