Abby Maldonado

I never actually saw the movie "The Internship," but I've been told it gives a pretty accurate representation of life as a Google intern. Though the free food, housing, and other perks are awesome, it's really the experience I gained and the relationships I formed that made my internship experience truly amazing and worthwhile. At Google, I was surrounded by and working with the smartest people in the world.

As a Staffing Intern within the People Operations department, I've came to understand how Google attracts and hires the best talent. My work centered around consolidating staffing best practices across the organization and leveraging them globally. I interacted with recruiters from all over the world and gained exposure in many different areas of recruiting. My ILR education definitely served me well as an intern at Google. It was exciting to see what I learned in the classroom play out in the workplace.

I was definitely challenged as an intern at Google. During my first week as an intern, I was tasked with understanding and solving issues that recruiters face by one of the Staffing Directors at Google and told that this would be my project to own. While the project was certainly ambiguous, I was excited (and of course a bit nervous) to take on such a broad project. With the incredible guidance of my manager and diving deep in to the day to day life of a Google recruiter, I was able to tackle my project and achieve positive results. I hosted 15 recruiter focus groups across various regions to identify issues and interact with recruiters to understand their challenges. I also had the opportunity to plan, host, and execute a Google Hangout Series dedicated to sharing staffing best practices to combat said challenges.

Aside from my day to day project work at Google, I took various staffing training classes and even took an introductory Python coding class! Opportunities at Google are endless. Ideas truly are currency at Google, no matter your level or position. I am so thankful to the ILR Credit Internship Program for giving me the opportunity to work at such a revolutionary company. I would highly recommend this internship to other ILR students interested in working in an exciting, fast-paced work environment. You won't be disappointed!

- Abby Maldonado