I received a B.S. in Business from Wake Forest University and worked in Software Quality Assurance at Hewitt Associates for three and a half years in Chicago. After having worked with HR managers at Hewitt, I wanted to learn more about the profession and chose Cornell as my best option.

While at Cornell, I interned at Sun Microsystems and eventually took a full time role with Microsoft in Seattle. Currently, I am a Senior HR Generalist within MSN in San Francisco, CA. Over the past two years here at Microsoft, I have done Employee Relations, Generalist, and Recruiting work. Whereas I used to be in a technical role, now I get to help create the culture and shape the work environment for those in technical roles at Microsoft. It was a great career switch for me, and it was all possible through Cornell.

I decided to come to the MILR program because I thought that the depth and breadth of HR courses that are offered in the MILR program were the best way to round out my business experience and prepare me for a career in HR. Cornell has opened lots of doors for my career and has connected me to some of the smartest people and best companies in the country. The MILR program specifically has given me great resources and networks, and really challenged me to think critically about the bottom line impact of human resources on a business. In addition, the breadth of classes I took prepared me to take on various roles within Microsoft. We are such an agile business--it requires the HR professional to wear different hats and to work with others and pick up new knowledge along the way. 

- Chad Peshak, MILR '04