Leveraging learning for supply chain success
Brian, who also minors in business analytics and accounting, is ready to bring his ideas and expertise to the field, all while striving to meet customer satisfaction in an evolving industry. He has already landed his ideal job, and after graduating in December 2021, he will begin his career with Steelcase as a supplier quality engineer. “I am especially eager to use my knowledge in data modeling to provide fast solutions,” Brian says. “The variables are always changing. What was right and works today will not necessarily work tomorrow. This daily challenge of meeting customer expectations in a fast-paced environment is what I am most excited about.”
Brian has been able to build a robust professional portfolio at Western. The Business Bronco has been an active member in the Supply Chain Management Association and Phi Sigma Pi national honor society and has participated in many events through the Zhang Career Center. In fact, Brian’s favorite experience at WMU Haworth has been the career exploration process, including practice interviews, resume critiquing and career fairs.
A valuable part of those experiences was hearing feedback from professionals and discovering roles that would be a great fit for his goals and interests. “I have spoken with the top leadership at Steelcase, and they are moving into a unique space of data modeling to help with decision making,” Brian explains. “During my business analytics courses, we covered topics like data modeling and mining. I am excited to see where I can leverage these skills from the classroom to my career.”
Another experience that stands out to Brian is an A3 project that he worked on in Dr. Sime Curkovic’s class. Used by many supply chain professionals, A3 is a continuous-improvement process that applies a strict, simple procedure to problem solving. The assignment allowed him to collaborate on real ideas, plans and goals with an existing company, which was a bonus on his resume for employers. “When I was doing interviews, this A3 course project I worked on was gold. Employers love to see you demonstrate your skills,” Brian says.
As a college student who is on his way to a successful career, Brian has some words of advice for current and future Broncos. He emphasized that WMU Haworth gives students the resources they need to succeed and suggests prioritizing these five things:
- Education—Learn the material and form a connection with your professors.
- Resume—Start building your resume early with help from the Zhang Career Center.
- Interviews—Attend practice interviews and ask for feedback.
- Negotiation—Learn to negotiate for your needs and wants.
- Accepting an offer—Practice accepting (and even rejecting) an offer professionally and remember to celebrate when you land your dream job!