Helping Your Pet's Favorite Brand Recruit the Right People
When Andrew Han '23 saw an ad for a summer internship with the online pet supply retailer Chewy.com, he applied without many expectations.
Little did he know that accepting the internship would open him up to career possibilities he'd never considered before. He shared some of his experiences, his favorite work perks, and his biggest takeaways from his summer with what just might be your pup's favorite brand.
Note: some responses have been edited for length.
Andrew Han '23
Major/Minor: English and Sociology double major, Government minor
Hometown: Grantham, New Hampshire
Internship: Sourcing Recruiter at Chewy in Boston, Massachusetts
What is an average day at the Chewy like for you?
I get to the office, get settled into my desk, and get right to sourcing. It’s important to be efficient while you work as a sourcing recruiter so that you have the most amount of time to find the people that you are looking for. During my breaks, I talk to my friends in the office, hang out on the fifth floor (which has cool stuff like a dog park, pool and table tennis tables, gaming consoles, and a lot of snacks), and even just enjoy the view from the window. Going into the office might be tough for some people, but with all the employee perks at Chewy, I would have to be crazy not to go in.
How did your St. Lawrence connections help you secure this position?
In the past, I've worked with the Center for Career Excellence to learn about the hiring process, job search, LinkedIn tips, and resume suggestions. Shout out to [Associate Director for Career Education] Michelle Gould!
What has been your favorite task or project so far and why?
My favorite task was the actual sourcing at Chewy. I had fun learning how to screen software engineers and hope to do something similar in the future.
What have you taken away from this experience that you will apply to your future career path?
Keep an open mind. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a job, but I saw an ad from Chewy that interested me, and wanted to pursue an internship. I went into my experience at Chewy with an open mind since it was something I hadn’t done before, and I was well rewarded. This internship has changed me for the better and allowed me to pursue a newly discovered interest.
What have you learned at St. Lawrence that you could apply to the work you’re doing?
It was similar to my job in Admissions. Instead of trying to sell St. Lawrence to prospective students, I was trying to sell working at Chewy to prospective employees. I learned more conversation skills, recruitment strategies, diversity advice... the list goes on and on.
What about your experience so far are you most proud of?
Presenting in front of people from my team, my manager, and my manager’s boss. There were a lot of important people in the room, so I was a bit nervous. I'm proud of myself for presenting well and fully answering some of their questions at the end.
