Anna Gallagher- Boeing

Last summer I was a Human Resources Intern with The Boeing Company in the Puget Sound region. As a member of the Learning, Training, and Development team, I was tasked with examining the existing training materials for hiring managers and providing recommendations for improvement. A majority of my time each day was spent working on this project. I read the latest research on hiring and training practices from Deloitte Consulting, interviewed managers who had engaged in the hiring process recently, and spoke with others who typically engage in the hiring process including recruiters and other HR professionals. In addition to this project, I spent my time learning about the business by touring the Everett Factory, Renton Factory, Wind Tunnel, Applied Physics Lab, and more. I heard from executives including Ray Conner, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Leanne Caret, CEO of Defense, Space & Security. My HR mentor helped me set up informational interviews with HR representatives working in a variety of roles including an Employee Relations Specialist, HR generalist, and HR manager in Commercial Aviation Services.

As an HR intern, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to the Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis for the HR Intern Development Week. At the BLC we heard from HR executives including Heidi Capozzi, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, were able to network with our peers from across the country, and presented our summer projects to a panel of HR executives. Other fun activities I participated in over the summer were attending an intern bowling social, a luncheon specifically for UW interns, and volunteering at a “Stuff the Bus” event, gathering school supplies for children in the Everett School District. I had a wonderful summer and am so excited to be returning to The Boeing Company after graduation as part of the Human Resources Career Foundation Program, a three-year HR rotation program. My advice for anyone pursuing an internship at a large company like Boeing is to fully immerse yourself in the experience—arrange informational interviews, join networking groups, develop friendships with other interns, and fully commit yourself to your work statement. Even at a large company, a single intern can make a great difference.