Mia Marinovic

What is your internship, and what are your basic duties?

I am a human resources intern in ALLETE, a utility company headquartered in Minnesota but with offices and projects all over the US. My role has been filled with so many diverse duties and responsibilities as I work under the Talent Solutions team. My main ongoing project is helping to redesign the onboarding process for the entire company, followed by assisting the HR Analyst in charge of Learning and Development. There are many other smaller scale projects I am working on as well such as designing the Talent Solutions website within the company, analyzing current issues and finding solutions with best practices for effective change management in mind, video editing for various projects, helping with administrative tasks and so on.

How does this internship align with your interests and/or major?

I am a psychology major with an ELI minor, and this internship perfectly aligns with my aspirations for a potential career in organizational development. Through my experiences and the people I’ve met in the past four years, I’ve come to find that psychology could be more than counseling which was my original assumption, and found this field where I feel like I belong.

Mia's intern cohort with the CEO of ALLETE.What’s the best part of your internship?

The people. Moving to a completely new place solely for an internship has been somewhat scary, but all the people at my workplace have made me feel incredibly welcome. I feel supported in my growth here, and all my supervisors and colleagues are to thank for that. Also - we have a popcorn machine…

What specific skills are you gaining?

Project management, leadership, problem analysis and data backed solutions, in depth research, coding, Microsoft 360, conducting informational interviews and focus groups, creating adult learning materials…

How has this internship influenced your understanding of the industry or field you’re pursuing

I’m hoping to pursue a career in HR, and this is giving me a great overview of what that entire world looks like. I’m not only learning about my team but all the teams within the department and their duties. I will feel a lot more prepared to apply for a job in this field after graduation knowing all that I know thanks to this role.

How has Lewis & Clark supported you in the process of finding and securing your internship?

I found it through Handshake, and went to the Career Center walk-in hours for help prepping before my interview. I’m also grateful for the summer online course because it allows me to be enrolled in a class even outside of Portland.

Anything else you would like to add?

Don’t be afraid to go somewhere new… It might be exactly what you need!