Procurement Services has an annual internship program for college students that enables them to spend a few months learning about the responsibilities of a procurement agent.
The program offers interns first-hand experience with the buying process from start to finish. The internship responsibilities include taking part in meetings with both suppliers and U-M units as well as assisting procurement agents in bidding efforts, contract creation, and everything in between.
During the program, interns may have an opportunity to work closely with different procurement agents on their assigned buying team. This partnership gives the interns a wide variety of contracts and gives the procurement staff training and supervisory experience.
“We give our interns meaningful and relevant work so they can learn and gain real-life experience in the field. Our goal is for them to have something meaningful to add to their resume when they are done,” said Todd Coon, a supervisor in Procurement Services, who leads the internship program.
Another benefit of the internship program is the opportunity to network and land a job. The Procurement Services Department, for example, has a history of hiring interns into full-time positions upon completion of their internship and graduation.
The internship program typically receives around 200 to 250 applicants every year from U-M and Eastern Michigan University. The program is not limited to these two schools and applicants from other universities are encouraged to apply.
For more information about the internship program, please contact us at [email protected]
A few words from some of our current interns:
“What I’ve enjoyed the most is the camaraderie amongst the team and their willingness to teach. I’m grateful to work with people that go out of their way to invest in my success. I suppose I should add how enjoyable it is to work from home. My last place of employment required face-to-face with customers and everything seemed to be a five-alarm fire, I much prefer this new arrangement.”
Bennett Gillam, Print and Professional Services Team
“I have enjoyed being able to learn something new every day. Everyone in Procurement Services has been incredibly helpful and gracious with their time. I have been given so many opportunities to learn. I have been able to sit in on supplier meetings, learn about the UPS campus ship process and how to read, comprehend, and make edits to all different types of contracts, among so many other things. I have gotten to know many wonderful people here in Procurement Services as well as in the different units around campus. I’m looking forward to learning and growing more in the future here.”
James Provenzano, General Goods and Services Team
“The openness that each individual in the unit has shown me to help ease the introduction process, as well as the willingness to teach, has been the most enjoyable in my experience thus far. This unit definitely works as a well-oiled machine, where everyone does their part and seeks to help others where they can. I look forward to continuing to help this team work efficiently and effectively with each project!”
Micah Higa, Technology Team