Although some job seekers complain about having to complete lengthy applications and of delayed responses from employers, finding the right person for an available position is an involved process. This summer, Rachel Hirsch ’15, a psychology major and mathematics minor, is working as a recruiting intern with the Human Resources department at the Warner Music Group (WMG) in New York City. She found the internship online and received support through the Career Center from the Joseph F. Anderson ’44 internship fund.
WMG has internship programs in most of their offices, which span across the country, so Hirsch and three other recruiting interns are each responsible for a region. Her work consists of reading hundreds of resumes and applications submitted for openings in the fall. Although Hirsch is primarily recruiting for the Los Angeles and Burbank offices in California, she has also helped source candidates in NYC, Miami, Salt Lake City and Nashville.
After reviewing applicants, Hirsch conducts a preliminary phone screening to test the individual’s fit with the company and then sends promising candidates to corresponding departments in the California offices. In addition, she has had individual intake meetings with more than 40 hiring managers in California, who all have open intern positions in the fall. Once she has a better understanding of the manager’s specific need, she forwards the resume and, hopefully, makes a match.
Hirsch is thoroughly enjoying her work: “Recruiting is like putting together a puzzle with 1000 different pieces. It can be so frustrating at times, but once everything falls into place the result is perfect.” Organization and multitasking are two key elements of the fast-paced environment, although communication with her team members, supervisor, and clientele is also paramount.
Later in the summer, Hirsch will be helping to “onboard” the candidates, she will send out official offer letters, input the future employees into the online system, and send out the paperwork and background checks. Through her work, Hirsch said that she has “learned about the music industry in general, and about every single department within WMG.”
Being thrown into a new field can be challenging, yet Hirsch is lucky to have a mother who is “a really great resource for […] career-related questions,” having worked in HR since graduating college. Hirsch admitted, “it’s weird to think I want to have the same exact position as my mom, but [this internship has] been really fun!” After graduation, she hopes to find a full-time position as an human resources recruiter.
Rachel Hirsch is from Hartsdale, N.Y., and is a graduate of Edgemont High School.
