Black Collegian Career Center

Kamuela Worrell, a junior at Seton Hall University is confident she possesses the main characteristics an employer looks for in a job candidate --- work experience, communication skills, and motivation initiative. She attributes her job readiness to participating in internships.

Worrell said that she interviewed for her first internship after participating in the INROADS training program during her senior year at South Plainfield High School in South Plainfield, NJ. INROADS assisted Worrell, a psychology major, in landing an internship at Phillip Van Heusen Apparel Company where she began working as a human resource assistant in the Human Resources Department. She began interning at the company three summers ago, and periodically returns for an extra stint during winter breaks.

She credits INROADS with broadening her understanding of the workplace and teaching interviewing skills which she put into practice during her interviews. "During high school, I worked as a floor supervisor at CVS Pharmacy. This job was on my resume and it gave me a lot to talk about during my interviews. It was important for me to know my resume, and equally important for me to know information about the company."

Worrell said her first intern assignment did not consist of what many would call "grunge work," but entry-level duties that helped her learn the job. "My initial assignments consisted of things I needed to know before I progressed on the job. Later that summer, I was assigned management-type responsibilities. I worked with recruiters for the corporate office where I processed resumes, conducted phone screenings and scheduled interviews. By the second summer, I was working more closely with management reviewing resumes and conducting interviews. My responsibility was to recommend the best possible candidate who could meet the needs of the company."

Van Heusen has 444 retail stores carrying its specialty product line of Van Heusen dress shirts, Geoffrey Beene designer shirts, Bass clothing and shoes, and IZOD golf apparel. Last summer, Worrell said she handled the human resource actions of retail stores in three districts ranging from Wisconsin to Ohio. Some of her administrative duties included processing new hires, terminations, promotions, and salary increases.

"My internship experience is much more than I expected," Worrell said while citing the mentoring opportunities afforded her as an intern. " I recently returned from a trip to a store training in Lahaska, PA, where I had the opportunity to shadow one of our regional managers. I’m treated like a regular associate, even to the extent of approaching someone on the executive level with concerns."

Worrell attends Seton Hall in South Orange, NJ, where she is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar and is president of the MLK Scholarship Association. She lives on campus and works as a resident assistant in her dormitory. She is also the cultural liaison for the Student Activity Board.

"I realize that everything I’m learning during my internship and in school will help me reach my future goals. I encourage other students to get an advantage by using an internship to put yourself ahead by four years in corporate America," she added.

Linedda Cates-McIver is a contributing writer for the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans. She is also the communications coordinator for New Orleans Public Schools.