How can I find internship opportunities as a freshman?
How can I find internship opportunities as a freshman?
McMaster-Carr is an innovative e-commerce company helping customers build anything because we offer everything. We’ve thrived for over 120 years thanks to our relentless focus on the customer experience, adaptability, and world-class operations. Our curious, exceptional people are always at the center of our evolution, turning new challenges and disruptive technologies into opportunities to learn new skills and get important work done that makes our customers’ lives better. We take pride in developing our business capabilities in-house, offering our teams unparalleled opportunities to solve problems across technology, product merchandising, publishing, distribution, and customer service. Our dynamic teams, enriched by diverse perspectives, collaborate in person to achieve the best outcomes for our customers.
5:45 AM: My day starts with catching the Blue Line heading to Rosemont, where a
company shuttle picks me up and takes me the rest of the way to work. I use this
time to read on the train, usually finishing a book or two each week. It’s a peaceful
start to the day.
6:45 AM: I settle in at my desk with a fresh mug of free coffee and catch up on
Slack. As the lead of two Production reliability teams, my first task is to check in on
our systems—no alerts or work requests this morning, which is always a good sign!
I dive into my heads-down work, focusing on automating direct deposit payments
from customers. Today’s to-do list includes setting up secure FTP protocols with
our banks, expanding data models to accommodate new information, and testing
our payment ingestion flow.
10:00 AM: My teammates arrive around 8:30 or 9:00 AM, and our first meeting
kicks off at 10:00. We’re discussing the rollout of a new feature that requires
coordination across teams for data changes and software migration. We map out
the timeline, assign ownership, and create a recovery plan in case things don’t go as expected. Our implementation manager from Remittance Processing joins to
advise on the best time for installation, which helps us reduce any rollout risks.
11:45 AM: Time for a break! I start a “lunch train” using a Slack bot that lets
people know where and when I’m eating, so others can join. A couple of coworkers
hop on, and we grab a long table in the cafeteria to eat together.
12:30 – 3:30 PM: Recently, I was assigned a new team to oversee, so I split my
afternoon between reviewing their project documentation and meeting with
stakeholders to better understand priorities. I have one-on-one check-ins with
engineers and review code for an upcoming software install the team is planning
for later this week.
3:50 PM: In on the first shuttle, out on the first shuttle. I catch the Blue Line home
and arrive around 5:00 PM, leaving me plenty of time to either take or teach a
yoga class in the evening. It's the perfect balance to a productive day!
Learn more about Jenna!
What’s your favorite Harvard memory?
“There are so many to choose from...one of my favorite traditions we had in my
freshman year dorm was a weekly Doctor Who viewing session with the entryway
supervisors. They always made homemade popcorn!”
Why McMaster-Carr?
“I’m an ex-pre-med. I was going to take a gap year before applying to med school
and then decided my senior year that I didn’t want to go. I had written a senior
honors thesis and knew I didn’t want a career in academia. I was looking for a
third path as a biology major. McMaster-Carr was an opportunity to build a brand-new skill set in a growing, lucrative industry. That’s why I joined. Why I’ve stayed for
9 years is the variety of topics I’ve gotten to work on (everything from warehouse automation to data warehousing), the caliber of colleagues I work with, and the company culture of continuous learning.
Favorite part of working at McMaster-Carr:
“I get to solve puzzles all day. I can honestly say that I don’t have boring days at
work!”
Favorite hobby outside of work:
“Yoga. I have my RYT-200 certification.”
6:30 AM: My day kicks off with an iced cold brew from Starbucks, the perfect fuel
for my commute into work. I hop on the Metra and pass the time reading or
listening to a podcast, a nice way to ease into the morning.
7:45 AM: Once I arrive at my desk, I take some time to plan my day. As part of the
Content Strategy Team, I’m currently focused on the Product Family Move
Upgrade. This project involves migrating content from our legacy systems to newer
ones, which means restructuring data and writing fresh, top-tier copy. My
responsibilities include audits, data reports, and managing multiple projects to
streamline the process of upgrading our content.
8:30 AM: Time for a coffee refill before heading to our morning check-in. We have
these team huddles three times a week to sync up on daily priorities and flag any
potential roadblocks.
12:30 PM: Lunchtime is always a nice break. I either grab a bite in the cafeteria
with friends from across different departments—everyone from the warehouse to
publishing—or enjoy some quiet reading time. The range of experiences at the
table always makes for lively conversation.
1:00 PM: I meet with my Regional or Director for a check-in, where we review any
independent project work or data reports I’ve been handling. Recently, I created a
progress document for the Q3 Officers Meetings, which was exciting to share.
Some days, I also meet with one of my Vice Presidents to present key findings on
our ongoing projects.
2:30 PM: I take a quick break to grab a snack (Topo Chico seltzer is my current
favorite) and then head into a team working session. This is where we discuss
updates to legacy content as part of the upgrade. We tackle questions like whether
we should recategorize products or add new features and benefits. It’s a great time
for collaboration and problem-solving, ensuring we’re on the right track for
publishing content in the new system.
5:00 PM: I wrap up the day and catch the Metra back into the city, making it home
just in time for my favorite workout class at Solidcore. Afterward, I take my dog for
a walk and enjoy a relaxing evening cooking dinner with my fiancé—a perfect end
to a productive day.
Learn more about Kennidy!
What’s your favorite Harvard memory?
“At Harvard, I was a member of the Varsity Women’s Swim & Dive Team. Many of
my favorite memories are from training, traveling, and competing with this
incredible group of women. One of my favorite memories was Ivies my junior year –
the team set numerous Ivy and Harvard records and 8+ of us qualified for NCAAs.”
Why McMaster-Carr?
“I worked in management consulting for ~3 years prior to joining McMaster-Carr. I
was looking for opportunities to continue to build on my strategy skillset, while
also gaining implementation experience. McMaster-Carr provided me the
opportunity to gain implementation exposure across a diverse set of business
functions. Unlike other opportunities, McMaster-Carr offered the ability to work
across a range of departments while also learning to lead teams.”
Favorite part of working at McMaster-Carr:
“My favorite part of working at McMaster-Carr is the work-life balance. During the
day, I have a very dynamic schedule filled with meetings, projects, and work
review. When the workday ends, I can fully disconnect. This is a large contrast to
my prior role and something I have very much enjoyed.”
Favorite hobby outside of work:
“I love going to workout classes and baking!”
Full-Time Opportunity Overview
Virtual interviews will take place 10/25