Learning on the Job: Ru Wang, MBA Candidate

Ru Wang is an MBA student at the Sprott School of Business and is currently completing a virtual summer internship at GoFor.

1) Tell us about your internship.

I’m working as a Human Resources Intern at GoFor. GoFor is a last-minute, last mile logistics marketplace for the on-demand delivery of building materials and equipment for the home improvement and construction industries. They are a technology and data driven company. My supervisor is the Director of People, Culture and Performance and I assist him with various projects and daily tasks. I am primarily responsible for recruitment and onboarding including screening candidates, participating in the interview process, and presenting onboarding sessions to new employees. I also completed driver audits and conducted research regarding company policies. My work is quite wide-ranging with each week different than the last and my supervisor assigns tasks according to the needs of the business.

2) How has the experience been?

I’m quite enjoying working in this company because it is a fast-growing environment which has helped me develop faster and become more professional. Everyone in the organization is working towards a common goal, which is to make the company better. It’s like a big family here. We celebrate employees’ birthdays and various festivals. It’s an amazing internship where I have been able to apply knowledge that I learned during my MBA studies.

3) What were your goals when you started this internship? Were you able to achieve them?

At the beginning of my studies, I was more interested in finance and I didn’t have any experience with human resources. When I started my internship, I just wanted to know more about HR and better understand how HR worked in a company. Absolutely, I’ve achieved the goal. I think what I have learned far exceeds my expectations. The most important one is that I became interested in human resources which is really good for me because I now understand and can do both HR and finance.

4) What are some of the lessons you’ve learned?

I have learned a lot from this internship. The most important one for me is how to communicate with others which is something I learned from my supervisor. Additionally, I’ve gained exposure to almost all aspects of human resources including how to screen and interview candidates, how to use an HRIS platform and how large of a role HR plays in a company. Since this was my first time doing an HR internship, all things were new for me. Actually, the whole internship process has been a learning experience for me. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to join weekly executive meetings. During them, I learned how each department reports to the CEO and I saw how important the CEO is in the company. Previously, I only knew theories about CEO and executive positions but now I have the opportunity to work with them and this practical experience has helped me better understand those theories.