Georgia County Internship Spotlight

Throughout her internship, she explored the many facets of HR work. One major responsibility was managing new hire orientations. She reached out to candidates, onboarded new hires, and managed paperwork and hiring databases. Kelly also operated social media pages, researched HR best practices, and participated in team meetings and gatherings. She said one of her favorite parts of her work during the internship was participating in a county hiring event where she utilized personal skills and executed original ideas. Kelly's favorite part of the internship was fostering connections with co-workers.

“I think that they really made the space just feel safe for me to learn.They were very open and inviting to me – learning how to do their jobs and shadowing them,” she noted. Through her relationships with colleagues, Kelly developed professional communication skills and new confidence in her ability to grow and thrive in her future career.

When a new opportunity opened in the Augusta-Richmond HR department, Kelly transitioned from intern to full-time employee. Reflecting on the shift into the new role, Kelly noted that it had been easy because of the pre-existing relationships she was able to cultivate with her co-workers, as well as her familiarity with the work through the internship experience. Kelly said she was initially surprised to begin her career in county government, “But when this opportunity came about, I just feel like it all just worked out perfectly and aligned in a way where it was the best kind of surprise. I really do enjoy working here.” 

Destiny Chisolm, a recent graduate from Georgia Southwestern State University, interned with HR and the risk management department in Columbus-Muscogee County. As a student, Chisolm studied communications and emerging media. She developed an interest in the internship with the county as an opportunity to explore HR and use her existing communications and event planning skills. 

Chisolm’s major internship project was planning and coordinating a safety event for the Columbus-Muscogee community. She reached out to public safety departments such as EMS and the fire department to coordinate demonstrations, brought in nonprofit representatives, and managed various vendors such as food trucks. Chisolm also designed original marketing materials for the event.

In addition to event planning, Chisolm completed research on city vehicle insurance and the operation of vehicle insurance policies. She also shadowed her supervisor, Risk Management Analyst Lauren Vance, through her work responsibilities with the county. At the conclusion of the internship, Chisolm said that her favorite part of the experience was learning more about how county government works.

Though Chisolm did not initially expect to work in county government, she moved into a full-time position with the HR department after her internship ended. As for her time with the county, she enjoys meeting more county staff and building relationships with her colleagues. Her work now is also more hands-on and fast-paced than the internship experience, and she feels she has more of an opportunity to use her creative skills in her work. So far, she has helped coordinate a women’s networking event and is assisting with the promotion and management of a fundraising campaign for United Way.

In their respective counties, Kelly and Chisolm continue to deepen the professional relationships they both enjoyed in their internships. While they both did not initially expect to start their career in county government, the GCIP internship provided a starting point and enabled Kelly and Chisolm to engage with their communities, build personal skills, and develop as young professionals.

To learn more about the GCIP, please visit our website at https://www.accg.org/caf_index.php.