The Supply Chain Management Career Fair on Thursday, January 19 attracted over 1,100 students looking to land internships and full-time jobs. Over 130 companies filled the Breslin Student Events Center, all seeking top talent from a pool of students enrolled in the nation’s number one Supply Chain Management program at the Broad College of Business.
Broad alum Connor Moul represents his employer, AbbVie, at the SCM career fair.
Connor Moul (Supply Chain Management ‘16) currently works for AbbVie as a supplier risk analyst and returned “home” to East Lansing to recruit students for internship opportunities at the pharmaceutical giant. “It’s great to be back. It’s fun to be passionate about the pharma industry and getting to meet kids that want to develop themselves within it,” he said.
In a sea of competitive peers, standing out can prove to be a challenge, especially when everyone is in the same program. What are companies like AbbVie looking for? “We’re looking for career experience, jobs that have ties to our work, people who have led teams, and have shown innovation in their work,” said Moul. But what if you don’t have the ideal experience? “It’s about not being afraid to speak to the skills you already have. Pitch them and spin it… how can you transfer the skills you have to our company?”
The SCM career fair brought in more than just Michigan State students and alumni. Zayneb Makki, a senior studying Supply Chain Management at Wayne State University, came to see what opportunities she had for herself. “This is one of the biggest supply chain career fairs, and it’s a great school,” said Makki. She found that recruiters were more than willing to look at her resume and see what she had to offer despite not being a student at MSU.
Zayneb Makki studies SCM at Wayne State University but made the trip to MSU for one of the top career fairs in the field.
Before she got into supply chain management, Makki worked as a pharmacy technician. She realized she wasn’t passionate about the field, but more interested in how big manufacturing companies sourced their projects. Her boss let her take the lead on the project, and from there, she did what it took to get her degree in supply chain management.
When talking to recruiters, Makki embraces her background that sets her apart from her peers: “My pharmacy technician experience, management experience, and being a Muslim-American,” said Makki. “It’s good to see what different people from different backgrounds can offer.”
Understanding the value you can bring to the table may be the first step you need to take to be your most confident self when looking to land the job or internship of your dreams.
