In May 2017, Luke Stackable graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in human resources. He knew he wanted to pursue a career in recruiting, but he never expected an internship opportunity with Philips Lighting to turn into such an impactful experience. As a Talent Acquisition Intern, Luke is in charge of his company’s whole domestic internship and co-op program. Sure, it’s a lot of responsibility, but he’s certainly up for the challenge.
We talked to Luke about his internship experience so far and his advice for other interns looking to make their mark. Read on to hear what he had to say:
How did you first hear about the Philips Lighting internship program?
I went to a Rutgers career and internship fair back in February. I went there looking for some full-time opportunities for after graduation. But I spoke to Philips Lighting and a bunch of other companies and Ken Reiss [Talent Acquisition Consultant at Philips Lighting] told me about a talent acquisition internship that was available. I ended up leaving my existing internship for this one and it’s been a great experience so far.
What made you ultimately decide to accept an internship opportunity there?
My last internship was great and I was getting a lot of good exposure, but there wasn’t really an opportunity to go full-time once I graduated. That was really what convinced me to go to Philips Lighting—along with the fact that I’d be getting a lot of corporate experience in the recruiting world.
When did you first become interested in talent acquisition? Were you exploring it as a career path before this internship?
When I started my last internship, I was supposed to be an HR generalist dealing with compliance and resolving issues. Pretty quickly, I realized it wasn’t for me. So I spoke with my manager and did a bit of recruiting work. After that conversation, my work was everything from sourcing to phone interviewing to face-to-face interviewing to extending offers to people. Once I got my feet wet in recruiting, I never turned back. That’s definitely what I want to do with my career.
What are you responsible for in your role at Philips Lighting?
I’m responsible for the entire domestic internship and co-op program. I’m responsible for sourcing resumes, phone screening, presenting candidates to hiring managers, and scheduling and setting up digital and in-person interviews. This covers any industry, from [internships in] research and development to deep learning to the Internet of Things to more general internships like human resources, communications and finance. It’s definitely a lot of responsibility, having to learn all these new industries. There are [even] PhD-level interns that I speak with. I’ve had a lot of new learning experiences and gotten a lot of exposure to different areas of the business.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your role so far and what are the most important things you’ve learned?
Being able to break the great news that a student or post-grad got the internship. For some people, it can be life-changing to get experience at a big company like Philips Lighting. It can literally change the path of your career. Some of the most important things are how to communicate and better understand what people are looking for in a job or internship.
How does your internship at Philips Lighting compare to past internship experiences you’ve had? Is there anything unexpected about working there?
What really sticks out is the culture. Everyone here is super friendly and nice. Philips Lighting prides itself on being a lean organization. I have a connection and a good friendship with everyone on my team. It’s really just an awesome environment to work in. It’s also pretty cool that a lot happens outside of work. We did a happy hour to celebrate that I just graduated from Rutgers. That type of stuff tends to go unnoticed at other companies, but not at Philips Lighting. We celebrate the successes and personal milestones of our team. It’s definitely a nice perk.
Another thing that’s unexpected is how progressive Philips Lighting is with technology. I get a lot of awesome exposure that I wouldn’t get somewhere else. Old-school companies won’t give [new technology] a shot, where we have been using digital interview tech and exciting new platforms to reach our target audiences. The leadership is willing to try and test new technology to see what will help us attract the best talent.
What advice do you have for future Philips Lighting interns? How can they get the most out of their experience, no matter what department they work in?
If you’re putting in hard work, it’ll pay off in the end. I like to come in 15 or 30 minutes early to get a head start because I’m only here three days a week. I’d recommend that to anyone that’s just starting off at a new job or internship. It’s important to show your drive and be committed, and to take ownership of your learning and growth.
Inspired by Luke’s story and ready to pursue a career with Philips Lighting? They’re hiring now, so head over to WayUp and apply!
