Intern Corner - Fall 2016 Analyst Interns Continued

Previously in Source One’s Intern Corner, we introduced you to a few of our fall analyst interns Zakariah Kulam and Catherine Nardone. They shared their individual experiences so far and discussed what they enjoy about the learning opportunities and work environment at Source One. In this continuation of the series, you’ll meet more of the young professionals interning at Source One this fall including Caitlyn Ullman, Luke Wilson, and Dejana Dosen. They describe  how they each contribute to procurement and strategic sourcing processes in specific ways for different projects at Source One. Each offer their own learning experiences participating in the program, and share what it's like to work both one-on-one and in groups with the rest of the Source One team including consultants at every level. As we approach the end of the year, Caitlyn, Luke, and Dejana discuss their plans for the future and where they see themselves after they complete their internships at Source One. 

We’re excited to feature even more young professionals who shared their personal experiences in the internship program, and what they’ve been up to these past few months at Source One.

My name is Caitlyn Ullman and I am an Analyst Intern at Source One's Willow Grove office. I am 22 years old from the Wissahickon neighborhood of Philadelphia. I remained in Philadelphia to pursue my college degree at the University of Pennsylvania. I recently graduated in May with a Materials Science and Engineering major and a minor in Engineering Entrepreneurship. I greatly enjoyed the ability to learn about science and business and was eager to pursue a position that would allow me to continue exploring both. I am happy to say that I have found that as an analyst intern at Source One. 

Through work on direct materials projects I am able to speak with suppliers on a technical level while analyzing all facets of the project through a business perspective. I have developed a general understanding for the contracting and negotiations procedures and look forward to getting more experience with Source One's range of consulting offerings, especially because I'm aware of how they vary throughout the different industries we work with. It has been just over two months since I started as an analyst intern and I have already learned so much about the procurement and sourcing processes. I hope to eventually advance as an Analyst at Source One so that I can have more of these experiences and continue to expand my business knowledge.

My name is Luke Wilson and I am twenty years old. I grew up in the northern suburbs of New York City, and am currently a third-year at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Environmental Studies. On campus I am on the men’s club soccer team, a research assistant at the Harris School of Public Policy, a member of a few RSOs and a frequenter of the gym. At the University of Chicago a lot of my classes and schoolwork tends to be very theoretical, so I have always been interested in supplemental experiences that can give me more practical, hands-on experience. The Source One internship caught my eye as an opportunity where I could apply the analytical and problem solving skills I had been developing my entire life toward real-world, practical problems. After interviewing with Source One in the spring, I accepted an internship position to start in August. I have been working here since then, and have absolutely loved it so far!

The Chicago office is filled with funny, caring, like-minded people who make coming to work feel like fun. Since I have started, three new full-time employees and two other interns have joined, and each person has brought something new and unique to the team. So far in my time at Source One I have been involved with a wide and diverse range of projects, relating but not limited to; regional trade shows, plastic wrap, Swiss watch photographers, landscaping, invoice audits and refrigerator maintenance. My role on these projects at first was limited. However, as I gain more skills and knowledge about procurement, I have been able to take on more responsibility and ownership of the projects I am working on.

Source One has been able to expose me to industries I never knew existed before, and most likely never would have if not for my time here.  Stepping into the world of procurement was not something I had planned on before discovering Source One, but I am happy that I did. Whether or not my future career will be in procurement, I know that my time here at Source One has been incredibly helpful in learning what exactly I like and dislike about different kinds of industries and different kinds of work!

My name is Dejana Dosen and I am twenty-one years old. I am originally from Serbia, a country in Eastern-Europe and made my way to the Windy City of Chicago at age 7. I am currently a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago majoring in Information Decision Sciences with a Concentration in Business Analytics and a minor in Management Information Systems. During my first few semesters of college, I found myself having a difficult time picking a single major because of my curiosity in every subject. This curiosity lead me to Source One Management and the exciting career opportunities in sourcing and procurement.

On my first day at Source One I was introduced to the Chicago Team and was immediately put at ease by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. Each person that I met was willing to help me with any questions I had and made sure that I felt comfortable; it really made my transition to Source One so much more enjoyable. Before Source One I had quite a few internships, but never had as much responsibility and real work assigned to me as I do here. So far I have had the opportunity to work directly with one of the Senior Project Analysts with a major client on a project and be the designated Sourcing Analyst on the team. This gave me exposure to the sourcing and procurement process with tasks including data collection, data analysis, the RFP process and the creation of a baseline report.

While new work can be intimidating,  every task I've been introduced to has been an opportunity for me to grow and develop new skills. The experience that I gained at Source One Management thus far has allowed me to further build my analytical and communication skills. I walked into this internship unfamiliar with the sourcing and procurement field and now I see myself pursuing a career in this field after graduation.