Q: How is the D'Amore-McKim Corporate Residency different from a traditional internship?
A: The Corporate Residency provides you with the opportunity to become a member of the team. Because you have six months to learn and carry out extended-term projects, you're able to have the same responsibility and workload as other full-time staff members. You're always expected to sharpen your skill set, and often asked to take the lead on projects. For example, in my residency at UTAS I worked with members of the team to collect inputs and analyze growth opportunities to create the 2015 Aftermarket Sales Plan.
Q: How did you impact the business?
A: I truly believe I was able to impact the business at UTAS during my Corporate Residency because of the many cross-functional opportunities that were available. I worked with several strategic business units during my tenure to create high-level presentations for the C-suite. I also created streamlined processes for several data collection projects, such as the Military Aftermarket Review and 5 year strategy. Additionally, I developed tools in Excel to help team members pull data more easily from the internal system to improve efficiency.
Q: How has the Corporate Residency solidified your career path or set you up for success in the long run?
A: My experience gave me multiple skills that I can utilize in my future career. I sharpened my analytical abilities through multiple projects working with big data in order to pull out the key messages. I also further developed my communication skills by working with people from different backgrounds in order to reach a common goal. Overall, I feel that I am well prepared for my future in the supply chain industry.