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Summer Internship with Marathon Oil was Fun, Welcoming, Captivating

Althoff worked with Houston, Texas-based Marathon Oil Corporation, in the procurement sub-department. Marathon Oil is an integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; oil sands mining; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation. It is the fourth largest United States-based integrated oil company and the nation’s fifth largest refiner.

The talent acquisition team at Marathon did an “incredible job” helping Althoff adapt to the program and work in Houston, she said. Once she was oriented, she “absolutely loved being out of state. I had never been to Texas, so it was a completely new experience. My clichéd opinions, other than the assumption that lots of people wear boots – even to work – were changed.”

While getting to know the culture of Texas and the business itself, Althoff also worked with an advisor and a supervisor to complete projects that she said were “extremely hands-on and directly impacted the business.” In this way, Althoff could decide if working with companies like Marathon Oil was a good fit for her career after graduation.

Althoff found useful contacts for networking in Marathon Oil, and in other companies as well. She worked on some projects with a recent graduate of NC State, Katherine Boswell (B.S. business management, ’08). “She was a great help in getting to know the business and with day-to-day work activities,” Althoff said.

A typical day on the job consisted of work on different projects, including aviation, company upstream/downstream integration, and contract process flows, among others. Althoff was never bored because she “never worked on one thing for a long period of time.” She had opportunities to prepare and update her schedule throughout the day. After Althoff went through several training sessions about company practices, software, and history, she “succeeded in completing” cost-saving initiatives.

Althoff’s professors in the College of Management gave her an advantage by preparing her well for the business world.

“Professor Donovan Favre did a great job of preparing me for what I faced at work,” Althoff said. “I felt much more prepared than students from other universities in my department. In fact, the only other NCSU intern and I felt that were the most prepared out of the group and were familiar with most of the topics presented during our training.” BUS 475, taught by Favre, and BUS 472, taught by Donald Warsing, were highly influential in giving Althoff skills she needed for success.

When Althoff graduates from NC State, she plans to stay in the supply chain management branch and focus on purchasing. Her experience in Texas opened her eyes to both international and domestic opportunities. She said she would “love to be placed in a job that allows [her] to travel frequently.” Althoff has put applications in to several diverse fields, including energy, banking, oil, sports, pharmaceuticals, and government positions.

She has had several other internships during her college career, including student assistant for NC State Football, marketing and promotions intern for Live Nation, and intern for Carolina Hurricanes operations and member of their Game Day personnel team. She also served as a short-term intern for NC State baseball operations.

Althoff has also volunteered for many community involvement activities at NC State, such as University Ambassadors, College of Management Peer Leaders, the American Marketing Association, the University Scholars Program, Phi Eta Sigma, the Supply Chain Club, NC State Football, and Carolina Hurricanes.

She will graduate in May 2010 with a BS in Business Administration and a concentration in operations and supply chain management.

Althoff said her internship assignment was “a fun, welcoming, and captivating place to work,” as she had thought it would be when she applied. The most valuable bit of insight that Althoff gathered from her experience is one that may be helpful for many others: work well with other people and “there are always opportunities to learn if you are proactive enough to look.”

Photo

Mandy Althoff, second from left, with fellow summer interns.