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Katie Keimel ’04
STUDENT NEWS
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
18
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
Students
in the
spotlight
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.