Current employment/job title: John Deere Customer Support Development Program Rep.
I am in the development program at Deere for those going into the Customer and Product Support function. In the development program, we work on project based roles within three different rotations within the company. Each rotation is different for everyone in the program and our projects are unique. My rotations have taken me from our headquarters in Moline, IL, to one of our training centers in Orlando, FL, and now to our Ag Marketing Center for the U.S. in Olathe, KS.
What do you like about your job?
My favorite part of my job is the diversity of roles and responsibilities I get each day. Our function is very diverse in the different projects we work; which makes problem solving so important for our role. In addition, there is strong culture at the company to develop yourself and your network.
How did you choose to work at this job?
For me, interning was the best way for me to choose this job. By interning, I was able to give the company a try and for them to try me out. After interning, I knew I wanted to return and I knew how great the company was. John Deere's mission to help food, clothe, and shelter the world, also brings meaning to my job everyday and reminds me of our need to feed the world's growing population.
How did the ag business major prepare you for your position?
The ag business major helped prepare me by giving me a full understanding of the ag economy and helped me grow my network. The reason I got my first internship company was actually because of the Ag Business Club's pre-career fair. At the career fair I connected with a recruiter at John Deere which helped me the next day at the Career Fair because the recruiter remembered me.
What advice would you give to students looking for work in a similar position?
I would recommend students try for internships to help them get their foot in the door for the industry. I would also recommend them to get involved in professional organizations during their time in college, such as the Ag Business Club, to help them grow their network while in college.
The above picture is during my recent trip to India I took earlier in the year. During my first rotation in the program I was supporting our small tractor factories worldwide, which included one of our factories in Pune, India. This has been my favorite experience to date at the company, and I hope I get the opportunity to travel more with the company to help support our global mission to feed, clothe, and shelter the world.