Cargill, Incorporated: Summer and Fall 2012
Company: Cargill, Inc.
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Facility Type: Vegetable Oil Refinery and Packaging Plant
Department: Production
Title: Intern
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Facility Type: Vegetable Oil Refinery and Packaging Plant
Department: Production
Title: Intern
Cargill, Incorporated, based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, is a leader in the food ingredient manufacturing industry and is the largest private company in the United States. It operates many business platforms that all process a specific type of food, such as corn, salt, vegetable oil, beef, etc. My internship took place in Cargill's Dressings, Sauces and Oils (DSO) business unit. This unit is responsible for receiving crude vegetable oil that is farmed as seeds or fruit, then crushed into a liquid form by other processes. Once the crude oil is received in a DSO facility, it cleans and adjusts that feed into usable products, which range from every thing from M&M coatings to whipped cream to simple bulk vegetable oil. Every type of oil, such as palm kernel oil, soybean oil, canola oil, have unique properties that make them advantageous over other oil to make certain products. The challenge for DSO is to utilize each type of oil's characteristics to meet the demands of an ever changing food market.
As a first-time co-op, I learned everything from Cargill, because before this job I had no experience in any manufacturing role.
1. Managing Multiple Responsibilities
I was charged with a variety of challenging capital projects. In the relatively small facility (about 100 employees and contractors) I learned how to wear many hats to address day-to-day challenges while keeping my projects moving at an efficient pace. Since I worked for Cargill for two consecutive terms, I became very good at finishing as many projects as they could throw at me. By the time I finished, I had completed over a dozen projects. Some were easy and only needed a few documents written, while others were very open-ended and required much creativity and technical knowledge.
2. Adapting to a New Environment
I moved to Charlotte, committed to my first industry job for eight months, with no ties at all to the community. It was a challenge moving to a new city and a new living situation while trying to learn the basics of the job at the same time. However, this experience has proven to be extremely valuable to me. When I look for my first full time position, I will be able to adjust quickly to any situation, in any industry, because I have done it during my co-op. I believe that I differentiate myself from many other students because of my willingness to take on challenges in unfamiliar areas. Talking to many of my former co-workers, few of them have worked in the same location their whole careers, so the lessons I learned in Charlotte will certainly carry over in the future.
As a first-time co-op, I learned everything from Cargill, because before this job I had no experience in any manufacturing role.
1. Managing Multiple Responsibilities
I was charged with a variety of challenging capital projects. In the relatively small facility (about 100 employees and contractors) I learned how to wear many hats to address day-to-day challenges while keeping my projects moving at an efficient pace. Since I worked for Cargill for two consecutive terms, I became very good at finishing as many projects as they could throw at me. By the time I finished, I had completed over a dozen projects. Some were easy and only needed a few documents written, while others were very open-ended and required much creativity and technical knowledge.
2. Adapting to a New Environment
I moved to Charlotte, committed to my first industry job for eight months, with no ties at all to the community. It was a challenge moving to a new city and a new living situation while trying to learn the basics of the job at the same time. However, this experience has proven to be extremely valuable to me. When I look for my first full time position, I will be able to adjust quickly to any situation, in any industry, because I have done it during my co-op. I believe that I differentiate myself from many other students because of my willingness to take on challenges in unfamiliar areas. Talking to many of my former co-workers, few of them have worked in the same location their whole careers, so the lessons I learned in Charlotte will certainly carry over in the future.