At Davenport University, all bachelor degree programs include an experiential learning requirement, and internships are highly recommended as an opportunity to not only cultivate valuable relationships with prospective employers, but also to develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.

Jake Plunkett, a senior working toward his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems with a Programming Specialty, recently doubled up on the opportunity by completing his second internship with Amway Corporation.

In 2016, he served as a Quality Assurance Test Lead, designing and executing test cases for new and updated applications, and as an Automation Developer, identifying business processes and developing automation test scripts that continuously test Amway’s website functionality. This past summer, he served as IT Project Manager for the Lead Agile Software Development and Integration Teams. His first internship was for credit, while the second was for added work experience.

According to Jake, the key benefits of his internships were the connections he made with Amway managers, guidance from co-workers, and the opportunity to connect what he learned in the classroom with what actually happens in the workplace.

The most exciting part of the internship was “working at a company that has a dedicated intern program. Amway sets up events for interns to get to know the company and to connect with executives,” he said.

Jake’s short term goal to obtain a full-time position in Quality Assurance at Amway is done, since they’ve already offered him the job! His long-term goal is to obtain a managerial role with the company. We will let you know when he accomplishes this, probably sooner rather than later! Jake understands that his internship helped him to build the connections necessary to secure a great job even before he graduates.

His advice to fellow students? “Get an internship early on, after your first or second year, and showcase your ability to learn. Then return to the same company and show them the new knowledge you’ve acquired!”