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Internship Paves the Way Toward Career Goals

The second-year student in the NC State Jenkins MBA Full-time Program aspires to a top level management position and is concentrating his studies in supply chain management and finance. An interest in the energy industry – and the company’s reputation among his peers – drew him to the internship, and Chevron’s offer early last fall meant he could focus the rest of the year on his studies.

As a married student with two children, the internship away from home taught him something about himself. “ I found that being away from them for the summer is not something I enjoyed,” he said.

Beyond that, “My experience was fantastic,” McIntyre said. “I was given a challenging project that had real time concerns. I was able to wrap my head around a global issue that Chevron is facing currently, narrow the focus to my specific business unit, and make a recommendation for improved planning and supplier relations. The recommendation was accepted and is being implemented as we speak. It is a great feeling knowing that I was able to contribute to the organization by applying what I have learned at NC State.“

In the process, McIntyre also learned about the oil industry as a whole, Chevron’s role in the industry, and the critical role of supply chain management in enabling a company to fulfill its business plan.

He offers a few pointers for current first-year students exploring internship options.

“The first piece of advice is to attend as many information sessions as possible.Then talk to people who are familiar with the organizations that you have interest in and get their perspective on the company,” he said.

“During the internship, be willing to listen. Most of the people I worked with this summer had been with the company or in the industry for 20-plus years. They were a wealth of knowledge that you won’t find online or in a text. And you get to bring value because you are a fresh set of eyes looking at the situation and have not been conditioned to the company’s normal way of thinking,” McIntyre said.