Meet Team UPS

Q&A with Christian

What attracted you to UPS?

My desire to learn from experiences, especially since I’m a supply chain management major and I want to learn the backbone of UPS and how all the operations work. I thought that for me, this would be a great opportunity to grow my career and build my resume. This experience was something that I couldn't obtain anywhere else.

At a high level, can you tell us about your internship role?

I’m currently an IE intern so I am part of the Industrial Engineering department. I have been assigned a task where I’m looking at major facilities that are typically over capacity, and trying to relieve the capacity from those facilities to others that may not be utilized in the best way. I’m trying to find the cost efficiency. I definitely see the impact my work has—it helps the drivers and I feel like helping the people who are the backbone of the company is very important and gives them support.

What has your internship/co-op given you the opportunity to learn so far?

I’m learning a lot. I’ve been to a couple warehouses and the process for how everyone works together like a team to move packages and accomplish a goal is really amazing to me. I’ve been to the semi-automated facility; that place alone is massive. The inbound and outbound process is completely different. I have to go back again because there’s no way anyone can retain that much information. I’ve also learned to work as a team with my peers, networking and talking to people.

Share some tips for making the most of your UPS internship, such as networking with other interns and learning about the company's culture.

Hello there, future interns! Take every opportunity you can. Anytime there’s a meeting scheduled for you, listen and get everyone’s name. Understand what everyone does, talk to everyone, become friends with everyone—because they will help you. Be nice to people and show them kindness. Also, take every opportunity seriously. Listen to your sponsor, supervisor, other peers around you—everyone. Because everyone is there to promote you and help you grow. Treat everyone with respect.

What do you enjoy the most about UPS’s company culture?

The thing I love the most about this company is when I talk to someone that has had a UPS position for a very long time, they tell me that they’ve done everything. From truck driving to packaging to management, they’ve done it all. That’s amazing and crazy at the same time. I'm a person who learns from doing stuff—so if that happened to me, I would understand everything a lot.

In what ways has your work felt meaningful thus far in your internship?

The work I’ve done really helps support the backbone of the company. I’m helping all the people in the warehouse to be more organized and more cost efficient, basically making their job easier. I want to support as many people as possible, so I’m happy that I get to do that.

What are your career goals? How do you feel your internship will positively impact your career goals?

The experience in IE will help my supply chain management passion because it’s giving me experience and teaching me lessons about how UPS operates and how these package companies operate, and that’s the best you can get. It’s helped me understand inbound, outbound, air hubs to apply later on in my career. My career goal is to make a difference in the world with my supply chain knowledge. My mom grew up as an immigrant and she always told me to help other people, even if they didn’t ask for help. So I want to help other people, and that’s the point of supply chain—to help the world flow.

What separates UPS's internship program from the other internship opportunities you looked into?

I think the main thing that separates UPS from other companies and internships is that everyone who works there – is for everyone else. Everyone’s friends, everyone’s family – everyone’s ride or die. Everyone there appreciates other people and that goes a long way. It’s hard to trust other people – but the people at UPS are really there for you and that’s amazing.

How’d you get an internship?

My dog ran across the street and towards a lady. After talking together, she asked for my name. She mentioned that she was going to refer me to UPS after learning about my education background and that she thought I’d be a great fit after our conversation. I was looking for an internship and she led me to this opportunity. That same day, I applied on UPSjobs.com.