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Name: Anne DietrichInternship: Hexion Inc. |
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What was this internship like?Hexion is a chemical company that makes oil additives, wind turbine resin, automotive chemicals, and other chemicals. It is very diverse, and the internship involved working on a sustainability task force, which was responsible for creating a sustainability report and making the company more sustainable. There was a group project where we found an organization to support that aligned with Hexion’s mission statement. We supported a local elementary and worked to increase STEM education. We also updated their environmental marketing policy. A lot of my time, I spent online researching, for example, marketing guidelines for other companies to determine what the most strict policy was, and looking at reporting frameworks that define a company as sustainable. How did you find this internship?Business Administration (ENR3640/3642) class in EEDS curriculum works with Hexion to make connections in class. The best part of the internship: Because the company was so global, I had a partner in the Netherlands to work together on a project. Hexion provided a lot of learning opportunities in a local and global scale, and I learned a lot about the structure of business as well, and what goes into making sure the company was sustainable. Advice for students interested in a similar experience:
-When applying to big companies: Don’t be afraid to speak up during the hiring process or in the office, because connections in the company will be made and your ideas will be appreciated.
-Pay attention to certain frameworks or guidelines or developments in classes to apply to real life jobs. It might give you an advantage if you understand these when you interview.
Also, be familiar with sustainable accounting systems and other aspects [in EEDS] to have a wider base for applications and being hired.
How did this affect your career goals?This internship was great, but I realized that this is not what I want to do. A lot of time was alone doing work, and my energy comes from teams. I learned that I worked a lot better in teams, and that as my transition out of college, I would like to find a job that is partly field work partly in the office. I enjoyed my time at Hexion, but this internship helped me find out what I don’t want to do. |
Anne Dietrich
Advice from Career Services: One of the best outcomes you can have from an internship experience is to figure out what you DON’T want to do before it’s too late. These types of experiences help you figure out what motivates you, where you thrive and what is a good fit for you personality.
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