HR Internship at Boeing

Last year, I began my journey at the ILR School as a junior transfer. Despite starting my Cornell experience in a completely virtual setting, I was astounded by the constant support and internship preparation opportunities provided by the ILR School.

In my fall semester, I attended an executive roundtable discussion hosted by the Cornell Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS), gaining career advice and industry insight from various HR leaders. Among the speakers was ILR alum Mike D'Ambrose, the chief human resources officer and executive vice president of HR for the Boeing Company. When describing Boeing's company culture, Mr. D'Ambrose stated that he aims to "make leading a great life" a priority as an HR leader. Upon hearing such words, I knew that I wanted to work for Boeing.

After numerous interviews, I was accepted to their 2021 Summer HR Internship Program, an opportunity I would not have been aware of if it wasn't for the CHARS event. While extremely excited, I realized I would be embarking on a unique experience, interning at a company during a global pandemic and ultimately joining a company virtually.

Throughout my 10-week internship, I gained a breadth of invaluable experience and engaged in numerous career development opportunities, such as HR Intern Shadow Week and HR Intern Development Week. During Shadow Week, I attended various meetings for Boeing's HR Architecture Team, gauging insight into HR Systems Integration and Analytics. During HR Intern Development Week, I spent an entire week attending meetings filled with guest speakers, discussions on current and relevant trends in the industry, and intern bonding activities. The week concluded with a roundtable discussion with Mike D'Ambrose, who recognized me from the first roundtable discussion from the past fall semester and recalled to the team how he met me at the CHARS event. He told me how important networking is to your career. He went on to say how impressed he was that I seized that opportunity and how happy he was that I chose to pursue the internship at Boeing.

Reflecting on my internship experience, I see how his principle of leading a great life is rooted within the company. My peers created a safe and supportive environment, enabling me to have an unforgettable internship experience. Through the constant support of my teammates and the flexibility of my manager, I was able to learn more about my field of interest and therefore solidify my decision to pursue HR after ILR.