Bronco Spotlight: Balajee Baskaran
Master of Science in industrial engineering, 2019
Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Site Resource at Kellogg North America
Each day of my job is very exciting and interesting. I work at the Kellogg’s Omaha manufacturing facility, which is the largest cereal making plant in America. As a CI site resource, I am responsible for managing people and process of two production lines, providing cost saving ideas, improving OEE, performing loss analysis and coaching concepts of TPM to management team. Also, I am the owner of Reliability Maintenance COE, 5S and RCA daily direction systems. The most fun part in my job is, when it comes to preforming root cause analysis and loss analysis, I have to play a detective role, finding all possible facts and data to make critical decisions. I watch a lot of detective shows on Netflix to enhance my detective skills and I am not joking, that really helps!!!
What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?
The most rewarding and challenging part of my job is being a people manager and gaining leadership experience. Being a manager requires a strong emotional quotient and situational awareness. I believe that true leadership skills can only be acquired through practical experience. My master’s program helped me to grasp the theoretical aspect of leadership and I practice those skills every minute at work.
What activities, resources, or people helped you prepare for your career?
WMU has the one of best academic curricula for Industrial Engineering in United States. This made my resume stand out from other candidates when applying for jobs. Also, I utilized most of the career center resources when applying for internships and full time jobs.
What advice do you have for students?
My kind advice to my fellow Broncos would be to get involved in Student Organizations and Clubs. Networking with other people and fieldwork makes you a strong leader and helps to achieve your career goals. WMU has the best college community; take time to enjoy with your friends and make the best out of your college life.