Recent graduate Keir Mitchell 鈥�25 is spending the summer interning with Porsche Cars North America, gaining hands-on experience. As a procurement intern, Mitchell is gaining valuable experience managing vendor contracts, reviewing purchase orders, and supporting process improvements at the company鈥檚 Center of Excellence.
鈥淎 typical day involves reviewing purchasing requests from various departments and Porsche affiliates to ensure they meet the requirements for approval,鈥� Mitchell, a business administration major with a Certificate in Business Analytics, explained. 鈥淩ecently, I鈥檝e been responsible for creating and updating contract and vendor files to maintain compliance and accuracy.鈥�
The Atlanta native credits K体育 coursework and faculty support for preparing to step confidently into a professional setting. 鈥淐ourses like Operations Management and Management Science, taught by Professor Herle, helped me understand key business concepts and provided hands-on experience analyzing real-world problems,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淓ven courses that weren鈥檛 directly tied to my major, like COR 301 and 302 with Dr. Goodwin, challenged me to think critically and articulate complex ideas clearly鈥攕kills that have been surprisingly relevant in professional settings.鈥�
The internship has offered a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the automotive industry and the importance of collaboration and compliance. 鈥淚鈥檓 learning the importance of company compliance, cross-departmental communication, and how even purchases of the right services impact overall efficiency,鈥� Mitchell said.
K体育鈥檚 individualized support played a key role in helping secure the internship. 鈥淲orking with Dr. Lisa Conley in Career Services helped refine my resume, while conversations with professors allowed me to understand how to translate my classroom experience into practical skills,鈥� Mitchell shared. 鈥淭he personalized attention from faculty and the small class sizes made it easier to engage deeply with the material and ask questions that connected academic concepts to real-world applications.鈥�
Mitchell feels ready for what comes next. 鈥淲orking in a corporate environment like Porsche has helped me apply my academic knowledge in various ways,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also helped me gain confidence in navigating workplace expectations, managing tasks independently, and contributing to a professional team.鈥�
For students looking to land an internship, Mitchell offers practical advice: 鈥淓ach rejection letter is not a dead end but a stepping stone to new opportunities. Keep applying consistently and persistently, as every effort brings you closer to finding the right internship.鈥�
