Innovision Spring 2019

22 | INNOVISION MAGAZINE STUDENT INTERN How did you get your internship? Was it difficult I applied to Mack Trucks because I had a friend from KU that was already working there who was very passionate about the topic. I looked into his job title, and decided to apply myself. The application was not difficult. The process took ten minutes. My phone interview was about 15 minutes long with management and human resources and they took turns asking me questions about my education, previous experience in warehousing, hardships and successes I have experienced. What were some challenges you faced when starting your internship? In the beginning of my internship, being in such a different environment was intimidating. MackTrucks has well over a thousand people working every day in one building. I have not experienced an internship that was with such a large company. With time, I became comfortable with the environment. What do you do on a day-to-day basis interning at Mack Trucks? I work at the Lehigh Valley Logistics Center for Mack Trucks. The logistics center receives materials that support the plant in creating trucks. Every day, the group I work with receives materials and places them in storage while other materials are sent to the plant to keep the production line working. I experience day-to-day situations, good and bad, in warehousing. I observe and support other jobs like inbound, outbound, sequencing, goods receiving, planning and supervising. What did you learn at KU that made you feel the most prepared for your internship? Management courses like Principles of Logistics and Supply Chain Management made me feel prepared for my internship / Co-Op. I think these two courses helped me feel prepared because I was able to relate topics from the course back to what I was actually doing. If I didn’t have those courses, it would have taken me longer to understand the concepts that are used weekly at Mack. What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role? The most important qualities for someone to excel in this role would be confidence in your actions, understanding of basic logistics, willingness to learn and challenge yourself and be prepared to fail and learn from failure. What is one thing you didn’t expect? I did not expect to see so many other interns during orientation. Orientation was three days of learning basic information about the company. I was with 18 other students from around the country. I was with only three other people from PA. There were also interns that started a week before I did. In total, Mack Trucks was supporting over 20 interns during my time. I also did not expect all of the students to be in different stages of their educational careers. What is something you learned on the job that you wouldn’t in the classroom? At Kutztown, as a business major, classes on human resources and organizational behavior are mandatory for graduation. With such exposure, a student can feel very confident in the workplace. I felt confident going into meetings and understanding basic rules and definitions; however, reading and studying is very different than actually experiencing situations. Exposure to conflict is something that I would not have learned in a classroom. With this exposure, I think I am a little closer to building my career. Who would you say this position is for? This position is definitely for someone interested in logistics, project management, and monitoring people on the warehouse floor. What are your future plans with Mack? As of today, I was offered a permanent position as Mack Trucks and I took it with open arms. I’m excited to see where this opportunity will take me! LAUREN GILLELAND ‘19 Lauren Gilleland is a senior Business Management major with a minor in Logistics. She is currently interning at the Lehigh Valley Logistics Center for Mack Trucks.