Luke Patterson, New Pig intern
and Penn State Blue Band Member,
a photo by LAUSatPSU on Flickr.

It is only fair to you, the reader, for me to begin by making you aware that the title of this entry is quite misleading.  First, it implies that my days at my summer internship with New Pig Corporation are typical or mundane.  The title also pegs me as an intern who works directly with the methods that deliver products to customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.  While both descriptions are occasionally true, they are not sufficient.  Instead, I have provided an informal look into one of numerous plausible days as an intern at New Pig:

7:15 A.M. – Drag myself to the company gym and sculpt my beach body for the ladies.

9:00 A.M. – Drive to the other end of the company campus where the warehouse and traffic office (mine) are located.  Log in, catch up on email, open MS Excel/Access in addition to internal software applications, and definitely do not quickly check Facebook and Twitter (shhh).

9:15 A.M. – Depending on the status of my project(s), either continue collecting and investigating data or check in with my supervisor to discuss my next objectives.  My long-term goal is to identify sources of profit loss in the entire order fulfillment process and develop solutions to these problems.  Thus far, I have collected a sample of data from 2011 and analyzed it to find missed profit opportunities between what New Pig representatives have charged customers for shipping and what the carriers themselves have billed New Pig.  I am currently putting the finishing touches on a numerical demand-based analysis for inventory optimization in our Reno, Nevada, warehouse.

10:00-11:30 A.M. – Either continue my assignment or attend a meeting.  Often times I am meeting with my boss to review my work and discuss what to do next.  This project is very fluid and can change directions at any moment.  I enjoy being able to have a significant say in what I think are the most valuable subsequent actions in the process.  Other days, though, I meet with colleagues from my previous internship (also with New Pig) to keep in touch and maintain important relationships within the organization.
 
12:30 P.M. – Lunch time!  I usually eat at my desk and take a few minutes to read news, listen to music, and develop my LinkedIn profile (connect with me).
 
1:00 P.M. – Resume or begin working on the most current phase of the project.  Later this week, I will begin work on a cost/benefit analysis of opening a new warehouse in the Midwest.  This particular job incorporates many of the techniques any senior economics student at Penn State would have learned up to this point (theory of the firm, cost curves, regression), so I am looking forward to getting started. *A quick side note: While it may seem like I get a heavy workload, it’s only because I ask for one.  I would encourage any intern not to be afraid to say something such as, “Here’s that report you wanted. (Briefly explain results and observations).  It seems to me like it might be worth looking into ________ next.  What would you suggest?”  Every bit of effort will only benefit you later.

3:00 P.M. – As things begin to wind down around the office, I will often grab some coffee and sit down to observe my coworkers so I can gain exposure to the nuts and bolts of logistics.  They perform vital tasks that get items to the right customers in the fastest and most cost-effective way and serve as a liaison between New Pig and transportation companies.   My supervisor emphasizes that this is learning experience as much as it is work experience.

4:00 P.M. – Finish working on data.  Make a list of objectives for the following day.

5:00 P.M. – Leave for home.

I could probably write a different one of these every day for two weeks and it would never be the same. Hopefully this puts to bed the notion that interns can’t be trusted to do valued work for a firm.  My next post will be a proven effective guide for the Career Fair.  I’ll talk to you then!