Charlie Meiklejohn
Bachelor of Business
Major: Human Resource Management and Employment Relations
Minor: Marketing
Some placements end when the hours are complete. Charlie Meiklejohn's nine-week placement with Millennium Hotels and Resorts New Zealand didn’t just give him the chance to see how different areas of HR come together in a real business environment – it also turned into a permanent role.
My workplace experience
Placement organisation:
Millennium Hotels and Resorts New Zealand
Role:
HR Intern
Length of placement:
9 weeks
What I worked on
I completed my work integrated learning placement at Millennium Hotels and Resorts New Zealand, working as an HR intern for 9 weeks. It went so well that I was offered a permanent role at the end of the placement, and I'm now working there as a human resources coordinator.
During my placement I got exposure across several parts of HR rather than just sitting in one specific field. I supported learning and development initiatives (supporting a company values rollout campaign), assisted with recruitment processes (phone screening and general recruitment from office roles to front line roles), helped with payroll administration (setting up new employees in our HRIS and Payroll systems) and contributed to a few special projects along the way (a recognition programme, process mapping and redesign of the internal disciplinary process). Getting that breadth so early on gave me a much clearer picture of how the different HR functions connect and support one another.
Skills I used (and grew)
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Project management
- Teamwork
How AUT prepared me
My Bachelor of Business gave me a solid foundation to work from, particularly frameworks like ADDIE and Agile, which came up in real ways once I was on the job. Courses covering employment relations, recruitment and organisational behaviour meant I wasn't walking in blind. It made the transition from theory to practice feel much less daunting.
What I learned
I learned how much HR relies on context and relationships, not just process. Things rarely play out exactly like the textbook examples, so being adaptable and asking good questions mattered just as much as technical knowledge.
My tip for other students
Say yes to as much variety as you can, even the tasks that feel outside your comfort zone, because that's where the real learning happens. Ask questions constantly and don't be afraid to admit what you don't know yet. It also helps to treat the placement as a genuine trial on both sides, since it can turn into something ongoing if you put the effort in.