Connected Together: Intern Edition

“It is very exciting to see what you have learned in school be implemented in real-world scenarios. In this internship, you get to learn so much by doing, which makes it a very immersive experience. I will take what I have learned with me throughout the rest of my professional career.” Taylor Brown, ConnectiveRx Summer 2021 Human Resources Intern

In a special editing of Connected Together, we talk to ConnectiveRx interns Sterling Hiltabrand, and Taylor Brown about a typical day working in Human Resource, the most important thing they’ve learned while working at ConnectiveRx, and their advice for future interns.

What’s your role at ConnectiveRx?

Sterling: I am an Intern working with the Human Resources Departments but more specifically the Employee Relations Team. My primary focus is working on Re-Entry, which is the process of bringing everyone back into the office after working remotely for more than a year. I also assist with other Human Resources projects.

Taylor: I am a Human Resources Intern. I work directly with the Employee Relations Manager, Diane Houser. With the global pandemic, our team is working on safely bringing teammates back into the office. When I am not working on Re-Entry related items, I am assisting many HR teammates with other HR tasks.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Sterling: A typical day for me would be working with the Re-Entry team, Facilities, as well as the IT Department, making sure everyone coming into the office has followed the safety procedures in place. Later in the day, when Re-Entry slows down, I switch my focus to other Human Resources projects. Some of the projects I am currently working on include organizing job descriptions under the proper department, creating benefit letters, and collecting IT tickets for audits.

Taylor: A typical day for me is very interesting. There are some tasks that I complete every day, and some that are not necessarily everyday tasks. In the mornings, I keep track of daily attestations. The daily attestations are the forms everyone fills out to gain access to the building. Some days, I hold trainings for returning employees. Also, I help keep track of some email inboxes and make sure everything is either filed or sent to the correct person.

Which ConnectiveRx value resonates with you the most and why?

Sterling: The ConnectiveRx value that resonates with me the most would be Collaborative. Working in a team and having the ability to hear an idea that you might not have thought of makes solving problems and working on projects more streamlined and results in a better product.

Taylor: The ConnectiveRx value that resonates with me the most would be collaborative. Collaboration is very important to me because I was always a part of a team growing up and it is a value that I hope to carry with me throughout my whole life. At ConnectiveRx, not only are you joining a team, but also a family. They collaborate very well, and I think it shows through their work.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned during this internship?

Sterling: The most important thing I’ve learned during this internship with ConnectiveRx is that no idea is a bad idea. If you have something to say and you’re not sure if it’s helpful, say it anyway. It is always better to throw ideas out than to say nothing.

Taylor: There are many things I have learned during this internship. I would say the most important is putting the items I learned in school into action. It is very exciting to see what you have learned in school be implemented in real-world scenarios. In this internship, you get to learn so much by doing, which makes it a very immersive experience. I will take what I have learned here with me throughout the rest of my professional career.

If you could share one piece of advice with future interns, what would it be?

Sterling: One piece of advice I have for future interns is to ask questions. If you’re unsure about something, ask your teammates or manager, they are more than happy to explain something. Ask as many questions as you need.

Taylor: The advice I would share with future interns would be to go into this internship with an open mind and make connections along the way. It is very important to be broad-minded during this experience because it doesn’t focus on only one aspect of Human Resources. As an intern at ConnectiveRx, you will be able to learn many aspects of Human Resources, while developing relationships with co-workers.

Sterling Hiltabrand is a Senior studying Business Administration at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, and Taylor Brown is a senior studying Business Administration at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA.