Land O'Lakes Interns: As Program Grows, Participants Take On Greater Responsibility

"When you think of an internship, you think of sitting behind a desk, organizing paper clips or separating pens into piles of blue or black, but this has been much more than that," said Winfield Solutions Marketing Intern Alicia Keller, reflecting the view of most students at the conclusion of their summer internship with Land O'Lakes.

In the last few years, the Land O'Lakes internship program has grown to include about 50 interns, both undergraduate and graduate level, spread out in positions in more than14 states. These interns are playing an ever-increasing role in the current and future success of the company.

"We have interns throughout the company serving a variety of roles -- from corporate functions such as government relations and finance, to specific business roles like research and development and Answer Plot® interns," Land O'Lakes College Relations Program Lead Nick Koewler said. "I believe the growth of the program is a reflection of the great work our interns do year-in and year-out."

Throughout their 12 week experience, Land O'Lakes interns are typically given a specific project to make their own. These projects are far from busy work and often are important tasks that the department simply didn't have the time or personnel to complete on its own.

Because of this, students walk away from their internship knowing they made a substantial contribution to the overall success of the company. "I definitely got a lot of satisfaction out of seeing how the work I've been doing all summer will be produced on a large scale and really help out the company in the long run," Dairy Foods R&D Intern Dominque Sinopoli said.

Given the vital role many interns play, it is imperative to find students with the skills and drive to succeed in these positions. In order to ensure each candidate is a good fit, Koewler said recruiters work very closely with hiring managers to determine each position's needs and required skill sets, and then turn around and work with college and university personnel to target the students that fit those requirements.

However, he also said there is a certain skill recruiters look for in all candidates. "We are really looking for students that are go-getters, we want students to come in and really take their projects and run with them," he said.

In the end, internships result in a positive and productive 12 weeks for both the student and Land O'Lakes, as well as serve as a great way to evaluate potential future talent for the company.

"Internships are important for Land O'Lakes because they give us a feeder pool of talented indidivuals into a lot of our entry level positions," Koewler said. "They are a great way for not only us as a company to see how the intern does in a corporate setting, but also for the intern to come in and see what the company and company culture are like."

For more information about Land O'Lakes internships, or to see the upcoming Campus Events Schedule, visit the Careers page at www.landolakesinc.com/careers.

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