Emersyn Gerken gravitates toward environments with a strong sense of community. It’s why she chose to come to Ohio Northern University to obtain a business degree in management.
This summer, she’s finding the same supportive culture at Miller Bros. Construction in Archbold, Ohio, where she’s a human resources intern.
“I’ve felt so welcomed by everyone,” she says. “Within my first week, I knew everyone on the team very well and felt comfortable going to them with whatever questions I had.”
At her internship, Emersyn is gaining hands-on experience across the full spectrum of HR functions, from payroll to benefits management to talent acquisition. Her projects have ranged from creating onboarding presentations for new hires to assisting with open benefits enrollment. She has also been invited to attend meeting with other divisions, including marketing, and even received a personalized tour of an active job site.
“Being at a construction company, there are always projects involving HR,” she says. “My supervisor has been intentional about exposing me to different situations, and I’ve kept busy doing projects that are meaningful.”
Her most impactful assignment was taking the lead on phone screenings for an entry-level position. Though initially apprehensive, she quickly gained confidence as she conducted candidate interviews and crafted post-interview evaluations.
“I learned a lot about how to ask strategic questions to get better candidate feedback, as well as how to effectively answer questions they had for me,” she says.
Her summer experience has only reinforced her decision to become an HR professional after graduation.
“Working alongside a team of HR professionals has helped me refine my skills in communication, professionalism, confidentiality, and problem solving,” she says. “I am so grateful to Miller Bros. Construction for giving me this opportunity and to Ohio Northern for giving me the tools to excel.”
