4 Skills I've Developed Through my Operations Internship

As my operations internship with Sims Global Solutions continues, I have realized just how important this experience has been to the development of certain skills. I have always viewed internships as valuable ways to gain experience and build skills, and both views above have held true through my time with Sims Global Solutions. Skill development is extremely important, especially for someone such as myself, who is just beginning a career in supply chain management. With that in mind, today I wanted to share some of the skills that I have developed this summer through my work as an Operations Intern!

Attention to Detail: I am typically someone who likes to look at the big picture rather than details, but this internship has allowed me to look at things through a different lens, and with a much higher attention to details, no matter how small. This attention to detail has been most prevalent when discussing load details with carriers. Whether it is accessorials for shipping, special pickup or delivery instructions, mileage, types of equipment available for shipping a particular load, or even the rate we are paying, it is of utmost importance that all of this information is relayed to the carrier when I book a load with them. Making sure that the carrier is aware of all of this information when they are booked will lead to a smooth process from pickup to delivery; which keeps our customers happy with our services and contributes to a consistent supply chain.

Risk Management: This is a skill that I have used daily mainly through talking with potential carriers for the loads that we have on our company loadboard for any given day. When talking with these carriers it is important to pay attention to many things including authority, which is their ability to legally operate, active insurance, safety violations, suspicious activity, along with many other things such as matched information that they may have with other carriers or business entities. Here it is extremely important to stay vigilant with the type of carriers I am looking for. By using proper risk management I am able to identify solid and trusted carriers, and that leads to confidence and security in knowing that our customers freight will remain safe and secure, and will arrive without any major issues, which overall contributes to a well-working supply chain.

Ownership: This skill is very important for anything you ever do. You always want to take ownership of your work and what you do, and in my case, my internship has served as a catalyst for developing this skill. Whether it is a carrier that I have vetted within our system, or a load booked with my name on it, it is always important to recognize the work that I have done and to see it through until completion. Without ownership things can get confusing, especially in an industry as fast-paced and complicated as logistics. Here you can find more information about why taking ownership is so important: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/steering-your-own-ship-importance-taking-ownership-rajat-verma#:~:text=Taking%20ownership%20is%20one%20of,as%20well%20as%20your%20mistakes.

Time Management: When working any job or internship, time management is crucial to being a successful employee. With this in mind, I have learned not only how to keep track of all of my daily tasks, but also to manage and complete them in a timely manner. There are only so many minutes in the day, and it is important to maximize and make the most of each one, especially when you are working on something. There will always be someone depending on you to get your job done, and if you are not able to accomplish that, then it will only cause issues, and with that I have been able to see firsthand the benefits of effective time management within the realm of supply chain.

Looking at my internship experience so far I have seen a tremendous increase in my skillset across the board. While it is always important to learn new skills, it is also important to maintain skills you may already have just as I have with those mentioned above. However, the growth I have experienced would not be possible without all of the great people at Sims Global Solutions. I hope you all found this to be informative and I would like to thank everyone at Sims Global Solutions for creating an environment that encourages continual growth in every employee’s skillset.

?