Post Consumer Brands

Continuous Improvement Intern

June - August 2023 • Battle Creek, MI

What I liked

Overall, my favorite part of the internship was the fact that everyone was very welcoming to me. This includes not just the upper management, but also the operators on the shop floor as well. Most people were happy to talk to me, answer my questions, and even teach me. I never felt out of place and I felt like I was being treated the same as the other full-time employees. Interning at PCB has definitely made a great impact on my future education and career goals. As an industrial engineer, there are a lot of fields and roles that we can take on due to the versatility of the curriculum. However, interning at PCB has made me realize that I like being a CI engineer and I finally know which role I am going to apply for in the future (which is good timing since I am graduating in December 2023). I also realized that the food industry is a great industry to work in due to its stability. On the other hand, I was able to relate to the processes and ingredients, and that resonated with me and made the work much more fun! If anyone would like to know more about what it's like to work for PCB as an intern, tips and recommendations, or any questions about my experience, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn/Handshake and I'd be more than happy to chat with you!

What I wish was different

I wish that I started on my projects earlier and managed my time better, instead of spending time on my additional tasks/side projects. I also wish that I spent more time on the production floor and built meaningful relationships with the operators.

Advice

1. Take in any opportunity thrown at you and learn as much as you can. There are so many opportunities around the company that you can take on. 2. Always bring a notebook with you to take notes on the numerous acronyms and keywords that the company has. 3. Related to number 1, there will be a lot of opportunities here that you can work on, so start with the ones that will have the greatest impact first before doing the others. This will especially help with time management as you will have limited time with the company in the summer. 4. Build relationships with people and do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t break the trust!

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Design

June - August 2021 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

The people, teamwork.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be prepared for any task large or small. The value of a service attitude is appreciated by the whole team.

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Packager

June - August 2021 • Battle Creek, MI

What I liked

I loved the environment and work

What I wish was different

I wish it wasn't as loud, but it wasn't a big deal

Advice

You can learn a lot of physical skills which gives you determination and reliability

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Supply Chain Intern

May - August 2020 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

I enjoyed working at Post Consumer Brands because of both the people I met and the work that I completed. Everyone I met was extremely committed to my summer success and were always there if I had any questions. I was able to learn a lot of valuable information about many different areas of the company and helped work on various projects throughout the summer in demand planning, customer solutions, and supply chain excellence.

What I wish was different

I wish that my manger, my mentor, and I were able to come to a conclusion earlier in the summer on what my main focus would be in order for me to fully immerse myself earlier on in the summer.

Advice

Reach out to people in all sorts of departments and ask if they would have a half hour to tell you about their experience! I was able to learn about so many different roles that my internship was not directly related.

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Product R&D Developer

May - August 2020 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

I was able to work on a cross-functional team to work on the development of several cereals. Even in a virtual setting, I was able to network within the company and make lasting connections with my team. I loved the work I did, but what really stood out to me was the culture of PCB. Everyone truly wanted to see me succeed in my endeavors.

What I wish was different

In an ideal world, I would not have had to complete the internship in a partially virtual setting. However, I did my best to network within the company through online meetings. Human Resources, specifically Krissy Kocina, did a great job of making to a wonderful experience despite the current situation.

Advice

Make sure to ask questions, and seek out opportunities! The people are great at giving you opportunities at different roles throughout the company, all you have to do is ask.

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Marketing Communications Intern

May 2020 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

Great people! Post has a friendly culture and invests in early talent. I really enjoyed being part of a team and gaining a wide variety of knowledge and skills across the Marketing Communications department.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be open to learning new things! Post will help you develop your skills and teach you new things.

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Associate Brand Marketing Intern

June - August 2020 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

I really enjoyed the opportunity to work on meaningful projects and experience many different aspects of marketing. I worked on 2 summer-long projects and 3-4 smaller projects throughout the summer which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the different areas within brand marketing and work with cross-functional teams. Aside from the work itself, the culture was great and everyone at PCB works to put your interests and development first as an intern.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have had the opportunity to experience working in the office in person as the internship was completely virtual. However, I am very thankful for the accommodations made by PCB to not only keep the internship, but also setting up virtual events allowing the interns to connect with other people in the company.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask for help. I had the opportunity to work with many cross-functional team members throughout the summer and relied on their knowledge to point me in the right direction on my projects. Everyone is willing to help, you just have to ask!

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Shopper Marketing Associate Intern

June - August 2020 • Lakeville, MN

What I liked

What I enjoyed about interning with Post Consumer Brands was the immense opportunities to learn and grow my professional experience. I was given opportunities to work with cross-functional teams to get a well-rounded feel for the company and the CPG industry. The individuals I worked with provided great insight, answered all my questions, and helped me get the most out of my internship experience. I love that I was able to end my internship with a full understanding of how my position, the company, and the category is operated.

What I wish was different

My one wish is that I had more projects to work on earlier on during the internship.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share is to not be afraid to ask questions! Asking questions will help you perform to the best of your ability. Also, reach out to as many individuals within the company to build relationships and discover more about their roles. It can be truly helpful to build those relationships and see where else your interests may lie within the organization.

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Operations Engineer Intern

May - August 2020 • Northfield, MN

What I liked

My expectations were blown out of the water for the quality of this internship. I truly had an excellent learning environment given to me by my mentors and co-workers. My supervisor Jared was everything I wanted from a mentor. He not only was always there for me to answer any questions I had and help with my projects, but also pushed me to go out of my comfort zone to do greater things. I was able to complete five projects for Post at the Northfield plant, along with experiencing unforgettable opportunities with my co-workers and now friends thanks to the vast amount of resources PCB has to offer. Everyone at Post, especially my HR advisor Krissy, would go out of the way to make the interns feel like wanted members on the Post team, and they did an excellent job despite the many obstacles due to COVID-19.

What I wish was different

In a perfect world, I would have wanted there not to be a global pandemic going on during my internship, but Post Consumer Brands kept their promise to keep me and the other interns on board--unlike a lot of companies who just dropped their interns.

Advice

PCB's resources run deep, and they are there for you to utilize! Take advantage of everything they have to offer, they will be more than glad to let you experience everything you want to see. The Northfield facility is one of the largest ready-to-eat cereal manufacturing plants in the world, and the amount of information you can learn by studying every process' line is invaluable.

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Seasonal General Laborer 2

May - August 2019 • Northfield, MN

What I liked

The pay and flexibility they gave me with vacation.

What I wish was different

The job itself is a bit boring.

Advice

If you want a job that will be there summer after summer, and you’re a hard worker, then this is a great job for you. Plus the people there are all super nice!

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Laborer

May - August 2018 • Northfield, MN

What I liked

I liked working with a lot of different people and talking to them about their work experiences, as the majority of them were quite a bit older than me.