Interested in HR as a career and wondering how you might secure an HR internship? To get you the best tips, we spoke with the following:
γπ Degree(s)
γπ
°οΈ Grades
γπ¨ Skills & qualities
γπ§ Knowledge
γπ Certifications
2. What companies you can apply for
γπ Resumes
γπ Cover letters
γπ΄οΈ Interviews
4. How to secure a return offer
In HR, you don't need a relevant degree to work in the field. Our HR professionals told us that their best hires were people who didn't have any degree in the field.
My best intern/entry-level staff was actually a dental hygienist who wanted to switch careers.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
I led a team of junior recruiters at one point and one of them who really stood out came from a customer service background.
β Former campus recruiter @ Credit Suisse
Having a degree related to the company's line of business could help you work better with your clients (the company's employees).
Majors didn't matter for HR roles.
Since our clients were mainly finance and accounting people, it helped if an HR applicant had a degree in something business related, like finance. This would just tell us that they have some industry knowledge which would help them better communicate with our clients and translate HR into their terms.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
In a corporate setting, having an MBA could also help you better work with clients.
Getting an MBA can make you seem more relevant. It helps you look like "one of them" to your stakeholders and clients.
For context, HR has had a bad rap for so long. Before, HR was more back-end admin tasks like stamping payroll or handling immigration forms. It's only recently has HR been seen as valuable and something that could make the company profitable.
So business people may not trust or respect us unless we can understand what they're doing. How do I look at data? Can I do analytics? (They teach that at MBA - how to translate data into storyboard) how do?
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
Large corporations that get lots of applications tend to consider grades for internships.
For interns, we looked at grades. We didn't have a cut-off. 3.5 and above though is good.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
These are the skills and qualities that'll help you stand out as a student.
For interns, I look for how they're coming across in terms of people skills. Are they saying 'Hi, how are you?" Are they asking questions? Are they personable? Are they building rapport?
We want to see how you manage clients. If you're not able to speak well, our clients will ask why we hired you.
Eventually, you'll also need to be able to gain the respect of your clients. You need to go out and build trust with employees or you'll be seen as 'back office' people and it'll be hard to push certain HR ideas or influence them.
If I hire someone and they're only planning to do HR tasks all day, they're not going to make it.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
I want to know that you're not going to say anything personal with a client. You're formal at least until they get to know you.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
For junior people without a lot of work experience, communication is what I'd look for the most. Being a recruiter, you're either on the phone or emailing someone β and I want to know that you can do that professionally.
So I'd see how they send emails. When we used to hire entry-level people, we'd never make a decision until we received a "thank you" email. We want to see if they have the acumen to even say thank you. We'd also look at how well-written your email was. (Are there grammatical errors? Is it something you could send to a business owner or C-suite executive?) So we'd never hire someone until we could see they could write professional emails.
For context, if a company wants to reach out to an agency, they're going to email the general email which goes to the entry-level person who'll then forward it to the right person. If that entry-level person can't write emails, a company that's going to be spending tens of thousands of dollars with us is not going to hire us. You're the first point of contact for a lot of clients and candidates, so you have to be professional.
β Former tech recruiter @ Google
HR is customer service. In my role, I served a CEO, my boss in HR, and then 200-250 employees. So you're 200+ people who come to you everyday for questions β on top of my HR tasks. If it got out that I wasn't responsive to their needs, I could be fired.
Let's say an employee is having trouble with a performance review or an immigration form that isn't working. I'd have to troubleshoot through their issues and do so in a way that makes them feel like they got amazing service.
This means:
- Responding quickly. For example, even if you don't know the answer to a question, you'd respond, saying something like: "Thank you so much for your email. I don't know the answer yet, but I'll certainly get to you by the end of the day."
- Having some energy: "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Like in customer service, you'll have demanding customers complaining about unreasonable things. You can't just go "that's your problem." You have to help them without acting out.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
If I ask an intern to ask my partner about an event we're putting on, I can't have them be shy and not asking questions. She needs to be able to go "Hi, I'm an intern, it's nice to meet you. I know we're supposed to meet about this."
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
We can't explain everything to an intern. We'll tell them what we need them to do and give basic guidelines and tips, but there's always going to be things they need to figure out by being resourceful.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
Let's say you want to go into a more technical role, like compensation, where you'd help decide what the company pays its employees. You'd want to come in with some really good quantitative skills, so maybe you'd have a technical degree and experience looking at excel sheets and data.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
Being familiar with current trends in HR can help you stand out. A big problem that HR professionals tackle these days is keeping good employees from leaving the company. When an employee leaves, it can be costly for the company.
At an entry-level role, you won't be asked to come up with ways to solve employee retention issues. But having a basic understanding can show that you're serious about the field of HR.
So having an understanding of this and how you might approach the solution can help you stand out
To me, what stands out is someone who's thinking "How do we support our clients in a way that makes our workplace attractive to current and potential employees?"
And to answer that, you need to know why people are leaving their jobs. Let's say 80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. How as an HR person would you solve that?
As an entry-level person, you're not expected to know how to solve this, but if you're already thinking about HR strategically and as a way to support the whole company, you'll stand out.
HR isn't just putting together employee handbooks or knowing immigration laws. You do need to learn that stuff depending on your role, but it's stuff anyone could pick up over time.
However, not everyone can make the connection between the business and HR strategy and advance the business through HR.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
For recruiting, if you're aiming for specific roles (like marketing or tech), it helps to show you have some knowledge of those fields or are at least working to learn about them.
When I applied for my technical recruiting role at Google, I had experience recruiting but no technical experience, so I talked about how in my spare time, I'd watch Youtube videos about software engineering. It shows you're eager to learn and are hardworking. So I convinced them that I've been spending time learning about that field in my spare time.
β Former tech recruiter @ Google
I'd recommend getting a certificate from the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). There's a first-tier level, and that can be attractive to employers.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
You can find plenty of internships on Prosple. We have a vast selection of internships curated for students like you. Just filter 'til you find the right fit!
Look for big companies that have structured rotational programs. Think: Big manufacturing firms, tech companies (FAANG), banks, or professional services firms like the Big 4.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
Recruitment agencies (also called "staffing agencies") are companies that helps businesses find workers. They're like a middleman, matching employers who need staff with job seekers who have the right skills. Interning or part-timing at a staffing agency can give you a taste of recruiting, which is one important aspect of HR.
I've worked in both corporate HR roles and at staffing agencies and enjoyed both.
Joining a staffing agency is a great way to develop experience and see if you like the field of recruiting. It's not as high volume as recruiting at a corporation (where you might have to recruit for 30 candidates at the same time!) so it'll allow you to ease into the field, really learn the nuances, and see how things work before jumping into the deep end.
β Former campus recruiter @ Credit Suisse
You can apply for a recruitment agency who'll be working with a multitude of companies. You could start off in a recruiting coordinator role, where you help recruiters out with day-to-day tasks. Or you could do a front-desk type role, where you greet candidates as they came in.
This would give you good exposure to recruiters of all levels of seniority. I met some recruiters who'd been doing it for 20+ years and were making six figures. So you'd get a good idea of what your career would look like.
Any city will have these agencies. Pick depending on the environment you'd like. Some are very large and fast-paced β 50 people in a room making cold calls and cold-emailing. You'd learn quickly. Others are really small and intimate β think: 3 people who rent an office.
β Former tech recruiter @ Google
Don't forget you can look on campus for HR opportunities too!
My first experience in HR was as an HR assistant at a bookstore on campus. Actually, I was first hired in to a retail role, selling books, but once my boss saw that I was studying HR, he gave me the chance to dabble in HR functions there.
β HR manager @ an IT consulting firm
You can read more about her experience at What do HR interns actually do?
When I check resumes, I look for exposure to clients or any jobs that allowed them to work with a number of people. Since, as I mentioned, HR is like a high-volume customer service role.
I also look for leadership experience for anyone on my team . You need to be able to lead your internal clients. Telling them "We need to change this policy" takes leadership skills. You have to be transformative.
Let's say someone comes to you and says "we need to do XYZ." If you know that's not good for the firm or the people you support, you'd need to lead them to see that. "Looking at it from a data perspective or where we want to go as a firm, it would benefit you to do ABC instead." So you need to be able to get people to buy into a different approach.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
When I look at a college student's resume, I check to see:
#1 If there's anything unique to that person.
For example, if they're a leader of the business society. I like to see what they actually do more than their aspirations. A lot of college students put their aspirations (e.g. ""I'm seeking a job at an agency so I can work on my communication skills"). I never look at that.
I want to see what they're doing right now and if that relates. I want to know what accomplishments you're proud of. We want to get a sense of who you are and what makes you different.
When people put aspirations, it feels like a cheap way of selling yourself. It's almost kind of redundant. Understanding that the person who's looking at your resume is busy and you're trying to provide value. Anybody hires people who provide value to the company and what they're able to do.
#2 Whether they do things in their spare time.
Are you part of any clubs? Do you have any side businesses? Or are you a full-time student without anything else going on?
When you do things outside school, that shows me:
- you have good time management
- you care about being successful outside of academics (or what your parents say is successful). It shows you're driven.
For example, when I worked in New York, a lot of students were also creatives on the side (e.g. dancers, actors). They have crazy schedules, especially at night and on weekends. So if they can balance a schedule between classes, their creative stuff, and a part-time job at our agency, I know they're mature and manage their time well.
If you're applying to HR roles at big corporations, it helps to have some sort of corporate or professional experience.
I would also want to see corporate experience. It doesn't have to be HR-related, but it's good if it's in a corporate setting. I wouldn't hire someone with just coffee shop experience.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
For our best tips on writing resumes, check out How to craft a winning resume as a college student.
I like people going above and beyond but at Deloitte, because we had so many people applying for jobs, I don't know if recruiters actually read cover letters. For example, when we had 600 applicants, we didn't have time to look at them.
Personally, I'd still write one just in case they read it. Even if it's just a quick snapshot in terms of what differentiates you. It can't hurt. Keep it short and concise.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
Personally, I always get frustrated when I see companies requiring cover letters. I think they're a waste of time especially since most kids just use ChatGPT to write it.
Cover letters are aspirational and about what you want to do. I want to know what makes you different and what makes you tick. So if you submit a cover letter, I might spend 4-5 seconds looking at it. I'm going to spend most of the time looking at your resume, looking at what you're doing right now.
The thing about cover letters is that people don't actually care about what you write. They just want to see if you care. So if you write one, keep it short, concise, and make sure it's professional.
It's like how employers want to see if you're resume is grammatical β they don't actually care about grammar; they just want to see you care enough to be grammatically correct.
For more advice on cover letters, check out:
At smaller companies, you can expect a couple rounds of interviews. At larger companies, you can expect more rounds of interviews.
Typically, we'd have 3-5 rounds of interviews.
- Phone screening with a recruiter: This would be a short interview where the recruiter would briefly get to know you (e.g. maybe you're new to the area), ask about your strengths and weaknesses, and gauge your relevance to the role.
- In-person interview with me (direct manager): After the first round, the recruiter would pass me a list of people who passed along with their notes and I'd decide who I wanted to talk to. I'd talk to them for 30-45mins. I'd score the candidate on a few criteria decided by the company (e.g. communication, teamwork, leadership skills, technical skills needed for the role), and submit my notes to the recruiter handling the hiring process, and they'd see if this person should be moved onto the next round, which would be my boss.
- In-person interview with my boss
- In-person interview with a client: For example, if we're hiring someone to work with a specific consulting group, I'd have them meet with the CEO of the group. When I interviewed for Deloitte as an entry-level candidate, I had to interview with two client partners in separate interviews. Clients want to make sure you can give them the support they need.
- Cultural fit interview: Someone would be randomly picked within the HR group at Deloitte from any level or anywhere in the US to interview you. This is to reduce bias and avoid risk.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
#1 "Tell me about yourself"
Have a detailed but concise story about who you are, what skillsets you can bring to the table, and why you're interviewing for the role. A lot of candidates talk way too much.
If you have a concise story about yourself, it shows you're prepared and you actually care about this job. If you ramble on too long, it's because you're thinking of things on the spot. If you have a concise answer, you probably rehearsed it or thought it through, which shows you're actually interested in the job.
β Former tech recruiter @ Google
#2 Questions about weaknesses and failures
My favorite question is "Tell me what you learned from a failure." This gives me an idea of whether you have a growth mindset and whether you're able to handle criticism and feedback.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
When I hired an HR coordinator, I asked about her weaknesses to see if she's self-aware and thinks about how to improve.
β HR manager @ an IT consulting firm
#3 Questions about dealing with difficult situations
I'd typically also ask questions like:
- Tell me about a time when you had a difficult client.
- Tell me about a time when someone came to you and were upset.
I'm looking to see if you're able to solve problems, handle pressure, deal with ambiguity, things like that.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
#4 Other questions
You should also expect to be asked questions that gauge whether you'd fit into the company's culture and values.
Since our company works remotely, I'd ask them questions to gauge whether the're comfortable working remotely.
I'd also ask questions to see if they're able to make decisions on their own. Our company is very relaxed and we expect people to make their own decisions.
So I'd a scenario-based question like "Say you're working on a project or task and you're trying to reach out to someone but they're not available online. What would you do?"
A good answer to this would be like "I'd gather the research, look at the facts, reach out to anyone else who's a stakeholder in the project, see what their input is, and make an informed decision from there."
A bad answer would be to do nothing until you receive response and act emotionally (You're stressed out and send angry message to the person asking why they're not getting back to you.
β HR manager @ an IT consulting firm
Here are our best tips for answering the most common interview questions:
For more tips, see Smart questions to ask at your next internship interview.
If you really like a company and want to work for them full-time, what should you do?
Personally I've never had an intern come back (some of them were in high school!) but these are the characteristics I'd look for to see if we would really want to hire them full-time.
- Does this person seem highly engaged? For example, instead of just sitting in a meeting with clients, are they taking notes, following up and asking questions? Do they seem like they're bringing a level of thought and intellect?
- Does this person have a good attitude? Does this person go above and beyond? Is this person enthusiastic at work? (When people talk to you, don't just go "mmhmm" and "nod.")
- Is this personal professional when interacting with clients? Are they articulate? Are they concise? Do they actively listen?
- Is this person efficient? Are they getting their deliverables and tasks efficiently (e.g. before you expect them to)? Do they respond to clients quickly?
Across any industry, the most important thing is being engaged. If you work for a scrappy start-up, you may not need to be as professional as in a corporate setting. But if you're not engaged, that's going to be seen as bad anywhere.
No matter how smart you are, if you're shy, keep to yourself, don't look interested, aren't energetic or actively participating, and don't take initiative, companies won't want to hire you full-time. Employers look for your social, emotional, and relationship intelligence more than technical skills.
β Former HR leader @ Deloitte
For more expert advice, check out Interns: How to secure a return offer.
For more deep dives into the field of HR, check out: