My Global Internship Experience

McAfee

Jun 05, 2018

5 MIN READ

By: Madeleine Human Resources, Intern

Picture this: approaching the end of your double degree, applying for internships and work experience in your field of choice – Human Resources – but being rejected due to your inexperience in the corporate world. All you have to offer potential employers is a promise to work as hard as you can, soak up as much information as possible and complete tasks to the best of your ability – but this still isn’t enough for you to get an opportunity.

Well, this was me.

Starting in Sydney

That is, this was me until McAfee took a gamble on me, and gifted me with three wonderful months of experience through an internship in the Human Resources department.

I began my internship in the Sydney, Australia office where I had the opportunity to meet the HR team. They became my go-to team any time I was unsure of something – they were friendly, honest and most of all, helpful. After my first week, I felt like I was a key member of the team. I even got to sign the pledge wall that all McAfee employees sign when they join the company, showing dedication and commitment to work together towards the same vision. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of!

Moving to Melbourne

After my time in Sydney, I was transferred to McAfee’s Melbourne office for the remainder of my internship. If I had to choose one word to describe this office, it would be ‘fun’. There is always something happening – plenty of social events to help bring the team together. The office is constantly themed to represent the latest major holidays, the pool table is often in use while business discussions occur and it’s not uncommon to have music playing in the background.

Throughout my time in Melbourne, I was immersed in all the basic HR functions, had plenty of exposure to global communications and built strong professional relationships with McAfee employees across the globe. I learned what it meant to network and how important networking would be for my professional career.

As the end of my internship drew closer, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to fly to Dallas, Texas to complete my final week as a McAfee intern at their Plano location.

My first impression of the Plano office was incredible. The team made me feel so welcome, and I instantly felt comfortable – they had even hung Australian flags over my desk! I get the feeling that this office truly focuses on the happiness of its employees – from the scooters around the office to the team lunches and Pups at Work (P.A.W.) Day each Friday. Everyone loves puppies in the office, right?

My time in Plano was a week-long, intense rotation of all Human Resource functions – an experience enhanced by the fast, efficient pace that the Plano office operates at.

The Plano team arranged for me to work with all areas of HR to learn the different functions, experience some inspiring meetings and contribute to meaningful initiatives. I was also able to discover which areas of HR interest me the most, and had the opportunity to ask a million questions of established people in these fields.

The Experience of a Lifetime

Having spent time in multiple McAfee offices, it’s obvious to me that McAfee is a unique place to work. Employees were motivated, driven and hungry for the same end goals, but warm, friendly and fun. The company’s approach to its work is collaborative, encouraging and empowering, as demonstrated by the continuous brainstorming and feedback sessions across various teams.

Going back to Australia I feel confident in finding the next step in my HR career after University. The knowledge and experience I have gained in my time at McAfee, as well as having the company on my resume, will give me the advantage I need to secure my next HR role.

I can’t put into words the knowledge that I am taking away from my time at McAfee – I have truly had the most inspiring and fun three months here as an intern. I can’t thank McAfee, and in particular the HR team, enough for taking a chance on a student without any corporate experience.

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