ICPF Partners (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)
meshed with the corrugated packaging industry. “Following the event, Richard Flaherty called me to per- sonally follow-up about my being nervous in being able to secure my first co-op/internship rotation. He gave me advice as he shared his knowledge about finding that first professional role and where to search. He reminded me of the career portal on the ICPF website and made me aware of dozens of corporate partners that recruit from the ICPF. I decided to post my resume and profile and get started with the job hunt. Kelsea Potthast, ICPF’s student program manager intern, was a huge help as I looked for co-op po- sitions and talked me through her personal ICPF applica- tion experience. I applied to several of the many corrugat- ed packaging solutions internship programs through the ICPF career portal and was grateful to hear these com- panies had an interest in me as well. I could sense these corrugated companies were genuinely intrigued in getting to know me and provide me with a solid foundation for the corrugated and displays industry and each department in- volved. I scheduled interviews and was able to tie down a co-op with the WestRock Corporation in South Carolina. “My co-op at one of WestRock’s sheet plants was a great introduction to corrugated packaging. I learned about the production and sales side and worked beside the design team editing CAD files and running the CAD table. The business unit quality manager taught me so much about the quality side of corrugated, and I was able to participate
“Coming into the game a year late, I learned a co-op rotation was required to graduate. I quickly started fol- lowing industry trends and encountered Richard Flaherty,
the president of the Interna- tional Corrugated Packaging Foundation on LinkedIn. His encouragement and concern for students to succeed in the industry were very reas- suring and supportive. After being introduced to the ICPF, I was invited to ICPF’s virtual Student Dialogue Dinner over winter break, where I had the opportunity to speak with a
Emily Anderson
dozen representatives from corrugated packaging com- panies that had earlier posted openings on ICPF’s career portal. Zoom breakout rooms made it possible to speak to multiple executives and gain direct insight from each after asking my questions. I was amazed by some of their display rooms and campaigns they had shared there on- line. I learned about the business side of packaging, the sustainability of corrugated packaging, and career oppor- tunities, while connecting with roughly 35 students across the country who had a diversity of majors from different schools. All of the students’ various majors and interests
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
24
www.boardconvertingnews.com
April 26, 2021
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online