Below is my summary paper for my 2016 Field Period.
My Field Period was an absolutely amazing experience. I was the Human Resources Intern at the P.A. Hutchison Company, which is an eagerly growing factory that manufactures books in Mayfield, Pa. My father works there as a third shift supervisor, so I was able to live with him and work during the day. I had been inside the factory before, but not really ever in the office. When I originally got my Field Period accepted and finally all setup, was incredibly nervous. Many things ran through my mind such as “How am I going to do this?”, “What if I am too slow?” and “I hope I don’t mess up”. It is very daunting to walk in to a new place and just start working.
My first day went by really fast. I began by meeting people in the office and then went directly to the Human Resources department and began learning about payroll. Payroll is a very complicated process-especially for having around 150 employees! Everyone’s hours are all very different and have to be checked, and inputted into the machine to make sure they are correct. I began doing this, and was able to help quite a bit which made me feel good about myself and the job that I was doing.
As time went on, I learned something new nearly every day. One of my favorite things to do was administer aptitude tests. The President of the company wanted all of the employees to take a specialized aptitude test just to see how our company compares with other companies in the United States. I was given the tests and a conference room to do the work. It felt really great to be given a task and trusted to do it efficiently, and correctly. After the tests were completed, I graded them and posted a sign by the clocking station (where people scan their hands when they come in and leave work) that stated something along the lines of “See Mack Ottens in the Accounting Office for test results”. That felt really awesome, because people actually came into my “office” (I was given a desk and computer in the accounting office which is next door to Human Resources because it was the only place that had room). Overall, our scores were higher than the national average!
Another key moment that I’m glad I experienced was the interview process. I had never been in an interview before, so giving an interview was something completely foreign to me! The first person we interviewed was a salesman that we picked up from the airport. Then, I called people and set up interviews in our office and met them at the door and brought them to where the interview occurred. I interviewed four people. Two of the people were hired! I am very glad to have hands-on experience with how an interview is, because I was able to see and hear things that should or shouldn’t be said at an interview. Although we interviewed for a few entry-level positions, I witnessed people dressed very unprofessionally for interviews, along with swearing and inappropriate things being said which really helped me see Human Resources from a much different perspective-people are different, and through Human Resources it was very beneficial for me to see that and actually understand it. I feel that participating in the interview process as a whole has most definitely given me a better understanding of what to do, and what not to do during an interview as well as open my mind to how different people are and learn to accept it.
I learned how to do many things during my Field Period, be it general office work, life insurance paperwork, payroll, interviews, giving people raises, even walking out into the factory to make sure everyone is doing fine and to answer any concerns they might have about anything that is going on, etc. I enjoyed every minute of it and am fairly certain it is the career I would like to pursue after college. What I enjoyed the most, however, was my last day. Not because it was over, but because my supervisor told me that I did a great job and that she hopes to see me in the future. Everyone in the office was sad to see me go, along with people in the factory. I learned the daily responsibilities of a Human Resources Manager: learning about OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), how to conduct interviews, and nearly everything else that was stated in my learning contract! This experience changed my life, I understand how much dedication it takes to have everyone in a company be on the same page and try to avoid any conflicts. I’ve learned how to solve problems efficiently and effectively which will not only help with my career here at Keuka, but wherever I go after Keuka. I am more than happy that I was able to achieve so much in such a short month at the P.A. Hutchison Company and I wish I could do it again.