by Sharon Liu
It was with great pleasure that I received an offer from the United Nations for an internship in HR Policies. I was a little nervous prior to the beginning of my internship as I have no knowledge on legal and policy issues. However, because of my little knowledge, the internship turned out to be a very rewarding experience. The first day I came into the office, I felt like I was back at Thunderbird. There were NO duplicated nationalities among my colleagues. We have people from Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and it was a truly “global” office. My supervisor was from Germany. Unlike the typical serious German guy, he was very easy-going and helpful. Most of my tasks involved tons of readings and research, which helped me gain a much in-depth insight in general HR practices. I have drafted email responses for some high-level managers including the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management. My internship has largely helped my writing skills, and has taught me how to write in the “UN language.” In addition to my daily tasks, I had the opportunity to sit in some meetings in the General Assembly hall and really tapped into the world of United Nations. I have heard of some of the debates for Rio+20 happened in Brazil, and attended the Social Innovation Summit held at the UN Headquarters. With all the things I have learned and all the people I have met in New York, this will definitely be one of the most unforgettable experience I had in my life.
