For those who are just beginning their careers, internships can be extremely formative in the personal growth of those who have the opportunity to take part in an internship experience. As I begin to look back at the many weeks of this summer, I am able to realize just how formative my internship with Sims Global Solutions has been. Through working as an Operations Intern throughout this summer, I have experienced growth in numerous ways. Below I am excited to share with you all some of the areas I have experienced growth in this summer!
- Career Knowledge: Before beginning my internship with Sims Global Solutions, I was always interested in a career in logistics and supply chain management, but was unsure of what that could really look like for me. Throughout this summer there has been so many things I have learned about careers in supply chain. Whether you are in the operations or sales side of supply chain and freight brokerage, there is plenty to keep you busy. Looking specifically at the operations side, I have realized that much of the work here has to do with the carriers that fulfill shipments. You could be booking a load by taking inbound calls or making outbound calls, growing carrier relationships by making calls to new carriers, vetting carriers within the internal system to ensure accuracy, or tracking shipments to ensure proper pickup and delivery. Looking at a career in operations, I have learned that there are many responsibilities involved in such a role, and more importantly, I have learned how important building relationships with carriers is. Without solid relationships with carriers, things quickly become difficult. With all of this knowledge I now have about a career in logistics, I believe that it is something that I would enjoy greatly looking at my future career path. Here you can find more information about what to expect for a career in supply chain management: https://scmtalent.com/supply-chain-management-careers/#:~:text=Supply%20Chain%20Management%20Careers%20are,%2C%20order%20fulfillment%2C%20and%20manufacturing.
- Soft Skill Growth: Throughout this summer so far, I have also experienced tremendous growth in many important soft skills. These skills are extremely important for any business professional, and I am extremely happy to have grown in this aspect. The main soft skills I have experienced growth in through working as an Operations Intern are communication, time management, and negotiation. My communication has seen growth through talking with carriers on the phone, and talking them through the load, everything involved, and the steps they need to complete to ensure we are on the same page. I have grown in time management by handling many daily tasks throughout each day. It could be booking a load, making a check call, requesting a POD from the carrier, or booking a load. No matter what I am doing, I now realize more than ever how important time is, and without proper management, things can often be neglected, which can cause issues within the supply chain. My negotiation has also grown tremendously through this time as I have learned what effective negotiation is like, and how to go about it when talking with carriers about the rate they can expect to be paid. Having this skill in the supply chain industry is extremely important, because negotiations ultimately drive profit, and without profit companies typically fail, which can also be detrimental to the supply chain.
- Learning to be Flexible/Adaptive: Working in a field where things are always changing and moving in the blink of an eye has been extremely beneficial to me as it has formed me into someone who is now very flexible and adaptive to changing circumstances and situations. When things would change quickly, my former self would typically be upset by the fact of changed circumstances. However, from my time this summer with Sims Global Solutions, I now realize how important it is to embrace changes and adapt as quickly as possible to them. Adaptation cannot be stressed enough because without it freight will not move, and the supply chain and ecosystem of freight will fall behind.
Looking back at this summer so far, there is no doubt that I have grown in many ways. I believe that this growth will be extremely beneficial as I return to class in the fall and as I continue my career in the future. The growth I have experienced would not be possible without the amazing people and internship experience at Sims Global Solutions. I would like to continue to extend my gratitude to everyone at Sims Global Solutions for the opportunity to work with them day in and day out. I look forward to the final weeks of my summer as an Operations Intern and look forward to continued growth in the future!
