Stories and Viewpoints

When Brooke Carr started her first internship in talent acquisition, she describes herself as starting with a blank slate – one that her mentors helped her fill out as she moved farther along her career path.

“I was a finance major. It’s what came naturally to me, but I knew it’s not where I wanted to end up,” she recalls. “When I saw the talent acquisition internship, I liked the thought of being able to work with different functions and connect with people.”

Brooke had just completed her junior year at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, studying finance and health care management. So when she accepted the internship, she viewed it as an extension of her education.

She started out learning how talent acquisition touches every aspect of the company’s business. Beyond finding and hiring candidates, she learned the strategies behind the job – recruitment and employer brand, for example.

“It really opened my eyes,” she said.

A speaker series and other events throughout her internship, such as participating in a mentor circle, allowed Brooke to start building a network and meet other colleagues throughout the business.

During her senior year of college, Brooke returned to the talent acquisition team for a second summer. She took on new responsibilities, which included supporting recruiters, working with the corporate brand team, representing the company at career fairs and helping implement a new applicant tracking system. At the end of the summer, she became a contractor, eventually transitioning to a full-time role. Brooke’s internship experience gave her a strong foundation and reinforced her career choice.  

“I loved what I was doing; I loved my team. There really was just no question in my mind it’s what I wanted,” she said.

Today, as a senior specialist for global talent acquisition, Brooke has seen many pieces of the talent landscape change since her first internship. Remote roles are much more common and coveted. And today, candidates may be fielding many competing offers from different potential employers. She and the rest of the team help hiring managers understand and navigate trends.

What hasn’t changed is the passion that Viatris’ people have for their work: “That’s what stands apart from other companies,” Brooke said.

She now recruits interns, using her unique perspective as one of its graduates to inform students about its advantages.

“I appreciate that I wasn’t limited to my job description. I explored so many different areas of the company,” she said.

For Brooke, the diversity of experiences she gained early in her career by interning is what stands out: “Finding what you love and working for an organization you truly believe in will help open doors that you couldn’t imagine.”