This summer, Business Badgers are bringing their classroom smarts to internships across the country. As they tackle real-world challenges, our students will give us an inside look into their experiences. Follow along as we highlight their perspectives and insights.
Brock Poggensee
Senior majoring in operations and technology management
Hometown: Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Internship: Operations Leadership Intern at Amazon.com in Patterson, California
An internship with Amazon sounds pretty cool. How did you make that happen?
I first heard about my internship at a lunch n’ learn hosted by the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management. After meeting the recruiter and attending the university Career Fair, a couple interviews later they offered me the Operations Leadership Intern position.
Has anything surprised you about your internship?
What has surprised me most is the adjustment to a fast-paced work environment necessary to be successful in Amazon. It is very important to make appropriate, spontaneous decisions and to be confident in every action you take in a professional setting.
What concepts from your classes or student organizations do you use?
The concepts I am using most from the Wisconsin School of Business include process improvement, forecasting, and leadership. Using the tools I have learned in my courses, I am able to use forecast metrics to allocate sufficient labor to different processes throughout the fulfillment center. My leadership experience in my student organization has allowed me to set clear expectations for associates and be a mentor and coach to improve their work experience at Amazon.
What advice do you have for underclassmen applying to internships?
Be open-minded and apply to as many internships as possible. Even if you apply for an internship and do not receive the position, having interview experience under your belt will make you more marketable and open doors you never thought were possible.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
Working in the real world is a very competitive, fierce environment. Take the tools you learn at the Wisconsin School of Business and apply them every day to make yourself stand out. Whether it is networking with professionals in a company or industry, working those extra hours to meet a deadline, or taking time at the end of the day to thank people for their work, do what it takes to make your reputation blemish free.
“9-to-5: Living the Intern Life” features Business Badger students learning about the working world this summer in internships across the country. Follow along with their adventures, lessons, and advice on the Wisconsin School of Business website and social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
Tags: