John Deere Provided Great Internship Experience for Supply Chain/Management Student

The BGSU College of Business undergraduate curriculum goes beyond business as usual.  Internships are encouraged so students are able to obtain real-world experience and apply knowledge from their academic courses to the workplace.  Having an internship also improves a student’s chances of getting hired even before they graduate.

Here is a narrative from student Jodie Brand who took advantage of obtaining two internships with John Deere in Moline, Illinois.

Jodie Brand, Class of 2015
Specialization:  Supply Chain Management & Management

For the past two summers, I interned with John Deere in Moline, Illinois. This past summer, I served as the Advanced Tech & Innovation and Supply Chain Integration Intern at the Moline Technology Innovation Center. In this role, I was responsible for collaborating with engineers to define their critical technology areas, re-designing their Advanced Technology and Innovation SharePoint site, and hosting a supplier innovation day with one of their suppliers.

As a result of the experiences I encountered this past summer, I have grown a great deal professionally and personally. Professionally, I truly learned the importance of collaborating with fellow employees outside of my functional area. Additionally, I learned that networking is one of the most important and beneficial things you can ever do. By networking with fellow employees, you will be able to have multiple sources to utilize when you need assistance, and it will also allow for opportunities to present themselves when you least expect it.

Personally, I have learned what it truly means to become an adult with responsibilities. I was living seven hours away from home, so if I ever had any sort of problem, it was up to me to figure out the solution. Additionally because I was in an untraditional supply management role, I learned how to deal with challenges effectively and how to reach out to others for help when I was unsure.

Because of the growth that I experienced last summer, I would recommend that every student partake in an internship before they graduate. In order to land that internship, I would recommend that students get involved in business organizations on campus and to take an active role in those organizations. I would also recommend utilizing the Career Accelerator to polish  your resume and interviewing skills in order to stand out during your interviews. Last, but not least, I would recommend attending every job fair possible.