Cars and Business Development

Sam Desai

07-30-2024

Growing up, my dad always used to say, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." While this didn’t make too much sense to me in my teenage years, today, as a junior at Purdue University, I now realize that he was saying I should be a go-getter. I should seek out opportunities, talk to as many people as I can and work to expand my network. That’s the squeak! It will help me improve my chances of landing positions and gaining valuable knowledge. That’s the oil. He wanted me to show how much I care through words and actions and not be scared about reaching for opportunities.

My journey to securing internships has required exactly that.

I’m currently completing a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) with a specialization in industrial engineering and a minor in finance. While this degree is the perfect fit for me today, it wasn’t always so clear.

I discovered about IBE while casually browsing courses on the Daniels School of Business website. I was part of IBE’s inaugural class, so it was a little scary not having too much information. I didn’t know yet, but it would turn out to be one of my best decisions. I’ve always loved cars. I’ve also been interested in business and technical engineering. If someone told the eight-year-old in me that I could have it all, I’d be elated. That’s exactly how I feel every day as an IBE student. I’m grateful that at the Daniels School of Business, I don’t need to choose. I’ve never wanted to give up my business passions to pursue my engineering aspirations, or vice versa. I would not have both sides if I was just a student in the school of engineering or just in business.

The IBE program invests in every student. When I reached out to Ryan Case, the program director of IBE, expressing interest in opportunities within the field, he instantly connected me with professionals in his network who I could learn from.

While most college students speak to recruiters in person, I didn’t. Kickstarting college during the COVID-19 pandemic meant establishing a connection through the camera. Balancing eye contact, holding conversations and being engaging became a whole new ball game when done online and not just for class. When I interviewed via phone with General Motors (GM) as a freshman for my first internship, it created added pressure.

Even though there were sophomores and juniors from other business schools competing for the same position, I felt confident knowing that I had presented both engineering and business as my strengths. I must have communicated well because they hired me.

As a manufacturing engineering intern, I served as the main point of contact for multiple plants regarding all non-portfolio project budgeting materials. I also created organizational documentation to facilitate the distribution of $37 million in capital and operational spending for safety and sustainment project funding across all GM plants.

Contributing to the management of such a large sum at just 19 years old felt nothing short of insane—not to mention a little nerve-wracking. But that’s what I loved about GM; they never treated me like just a 19-year-old. They treated me like a seasoned professional, which gave me a taste of responsibility so early on. I was put in positions where I felt like I was truly part of the company, and this transformed my thinking and level of involvement.

Moreover, a huge contributor to my success in situations like these came from some of the seminar classes I took as an IBE student. These classes equipped me with the business skills I needed to adapt to professional settings and situations regardless of the field I was in. These skills came in handy quickly, especially when I needed to adapt to new environments every day.

The following year GM invited me to a second internship. The position involved a strong blend of business and engineering, and being an IBE student was a perfect fit. One aspect of my internship experiences I thoroughly enjoyed was how hands-on it was. Walking through the plant, finding and measuring different pieces at each station down to the millimeter and immersing myself in every part of the process left me with a new version of myself. Something as simple as checking the accuracy of measurements, ensuring pieces were placed correctly and repeating those processes regularly taught me the value of smooth and well-run processes.

Other non-technical aspects of the internship also paired well with my IBE education. Through the VIP and EPICS programs, I learned about engineering design, which came in handy during my second summer at GM.

GM trains you well to be professional, prepared, and ahead of the curve, and so does the Daniels School of Business. Training begins on day one, and you get a good sense of how to gain internships and represent yourself in those internships. IBE classes that focused on public speaking helped me open up and grow out of my initially shy self. Through these classes, I was forced to manage high-stakes simulations that taught me how to stand up in front of a group of people and respond. Even if I failed, I would learn.

Now, with all I know, I want to start working with products I’m passionate about. My current classes in operations management will make a large impact on my life as both an engineer and business leader. Looking back, I better understand what my dad meant. The opportunities I seized over the last few years were made possible through Purdue and by being proactive and persistent. I’ve learned to advocate for myself, to reach out and to follow up — that’s how I stand out.