Smurfit Westrock

Environmental Intern

May - August 2019 • West Point, VA

What I liked

The professional community. Everybody wanted you to be there and to work hard. Everyone was kind and cared about developing a professional relationship with you.

What I wish was different

I wish I knew from the beginning that it was okay to take a minute every now and then to talk to people, so I could develop my network.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions about past interns and their experiences working with them and their expectations of you.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Internal Audit Intern

May 2019 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

Flexible Hours Great Experience Travel Kind Co-workers

What I wish was different

It was perfect.

Advice

Ask questions in every meeting and show you want to learn.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Fiber Coordinator

February 2020 • Norcross, GA

What I liked

Really good communication.

What I wish was different

Room to grow.

Advice

Great experience for someone straight out of school, and no experience in the work force yet. Really great company and I think room to grow if you want to wait long term.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Norcross, GA

What I liked

I loved that they gave me responsibility to make real changes to the plant in order to improve workflow. They assigned a project to me with the expectation of receiving a plan and then implementation. They were paying me to make improvements, and I needed to justify my presence there and my salary. It may sound harsh, but in my opinion, that's the expectation of every job.

What I wish was different

This is not something that can be controlled, but there was a manager who worked there who was the largest knowledge base for the system they used. Unfortunately, she was on a training trip for the first half of my time there. As a result, I had no basis of information when learning how to use the system and generate reports.

Advice

I've seen other people review their experiences working at this particular plant. Some of them said that they spent their summer doing nothing. If they did nothing, it's because they didn't want to do anything. I finished my assigned project early, so I proposed another. In my time there, I completed two projects. The experience is what you make of it. If you are not feeling challenged, then take initiative and seek out other opportunities for improvement.

7 ${count} people found this helpful

Chemical Process Engineer

May - August 2024 • Stroudsburg, PA

What I liked

- Great work environment - Great opportunities to gain hands-on experience with the whole (recycled) paper making process -Experience with all levels of mill management

What I wish was different

- Main projects having more focus on improving the paper making process directly (Assigned primary projects assisted indirectly in the process)

Advice

Your internship is what you choose to make of it, choosing to get involved in whatever you're able to will make your internship exceedingly more valuable and enjoyable. Having the courage to take the step to involve yourself in things is very important.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Finance Intern

May - August 2024 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

- Worked on a variety of day to day activities and summer-long projects - Got to participate in budgeting process that allowed for interaction with senior leaders outside of my team - Improved my excel skills and built relationships with a large network of people in the company - Internship was during merger between two Fortune 500 Companies

What I wish was different

Less company-wide corporate meetings that doesn't apply to lower level employees as much

Advice

Take advantage of any team member that is willing to get coffee or eat lunch with you to pick their brains.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Graphic Design Intern

May - August 2019 • Chattanooga, TN

What I liked

Learned a lot of skills and new programs I haven’t been exposed to in the classroom.

What I wish was different

Wish I had been more prepared for the type of work I would be doing.

Advice

Be open to trying and failing as you learn new programs, people who have been through it will be patient.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Graphic Design Intern

May - August 2019 • Chattanooga, TN

What I liked

I got to learn new design softwares I would’ve never been exposed to in class and work with big brands on real projects.

What I wish was different

I wish I would’ve had more training in before I was thrown into big projects. I think my work would’ve been better because I would’ve felt more confident about it.

Advice

Be open to any opportunity that emerges. I didn’t think this would be something I would greatly enjoy or that was really in line with my major/career path. Although I was working in a niche of graphic design I probably won’t follow in my future, the experience was so beneficial and gave me specific skills that set me apart from others.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Process Engineering Co-Op

September 2017 • Covington, VA

What I liked

Each semester, the paper mill hosts 8-12 co-ops. Housing is provided, so there is no rent, no utility bills, you live with all of the other co-ops, and the two houses are neighbors, about a three minute drive from the mill parking lot. There are three days of training, then each co-op is sent to a different department in the mill. I was placed in the Power Department, which has been an incredible experience. I have learned so much about power boilers and steam/gas turbines. There hasn't been much yet to do in terms of chemical engineering, but I've done a lot of process engineering and analyzing power systems and fuel/exhaust used by the boilers. The mill is set in the cute little town of Covington, VA. If you like cities, this is NOT the place for you. There isn't much to do, so saving money is a plus, but it's very relaxed and enjoyable. There isn't much to do, but there are some really good restaurants, some amazing hiking trails, a beautiful waterfall, and an 11-mile gravel trail long the river where the train tracks used to be. Perfect if you enjoy being outdoors, or if you like quiet towns, or just want to experience a very laid-back co-op. Everyone at the mill is very friendly and super helpful. Since there isn't much to do in the town, you have a lot of down time, so I've spent most of mine so far just working overtime.

What I wish was different

I'm only a couple weeks in, but I've felt so far that I'm not trusted to do any major work yet. I've been given small tedious computer projects, which has been incredible to learn about the Power systems, but I haven't done much hands-on work. There is a good amount of down time to talk to operators and follow them around, but it seems that most of the people in power don't do much physical work. They look at things and talk to people, but only the maintenance workers really get down and dirty and get to take things apart. This is my first co-op, so this may be standard, but I'm partial to doing things with my hands. In my department, at least, there hasn't been much opportunity for that yet.

Advice

Establish a routine as soon as you start working. I've learned that most of the people at the mill start their day at 6am. My morning meetings are at 7, so I get in at 6 to prepare. My afternoon meetings are at 3pm, so I essentially work 6-4, ten-hour days. This means I can take Fridays off, or work time and a half, depending on what I'm in the mood for. But, I have my established start time every day, and just kind of work until I finish my task, and then I go home. I put a strong emphasis on getting to work early so I never have to feel like I'm sitting around waiting for 8 hours to hit so I can go home.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Graphic Design Intern

May - August 2018 • Jackson, WI

What I liked

The coworkers and the experience itself! Very cool to learn the different aspects of the corporate company and to work with professional as a student.

What I wish was different

The location, it was far from home so I had to live with other family members over the summer.

Advice

To just go for anything you think would be a great learning experience and that being scared is completely okay.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Assembler (Manufacturing)

June - August 2019 • Forest City, NC

What I liked

The money

What I wish was different

The pay

Advice

Get comfortable shoes

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Project Engineering Co-Op

August 2019 • Demopolis, AL

What I liked

I liked being able to see the inworkings of the engineering process on a day to day basis.

What I wish was different

Nothing, I loved my experience.

Advice

Take a gung-ho attitude with you.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Finance intern

May 2018 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

I was able to be directly involved in creating and presenting the FY19 Budget. Had direct contact and one-on-one conversations with executives through meetings and lunches . I was given meaningful projects that were challenging and great learning experiences. I was able to connect with other interns and create meaningful relationships.

What I wish was different

The only thing I wish that had been different is to have the opportunity to be more involved in day-to-day tasks rather than mainly projects so that I could have seen what a normal work day would look like.

Advice

I would advise to make sure it is known that you want to be involved and help with the big projects and tasks. Also, take interest and effort to learn more about your company and role. Lastly, make sure to network within your company; ask the executives to lunch or just to introduce yourself. Learn from them and have them know who you are.

1 One person found this helpful

Accountant Intern

August 2018 • Marietta, GA

What I liked

Great work environment Management's willingness to impart knowledge Opportunities to learn other functions

What I wish was different

More office space Faster internet Replace Microsoft Office 365 More access to the current software

Advice

You will only get out of it what you're willing to put into it. Ask for the opportunity to learn more/do more.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Process Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Tacoma, WA

What I liked

Great Coworkers, new experience

What I wish was different

More feedback from employer

Advice

Don't be afraid to try new things!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Physics Research Intern

May 2018 • Richmond, VA

What I liked

Great network of researchers. I felt my work mattered and was encouraged to take initiative in performing new research.

What I wish was different

IT was often problematic. Lots of computer struggles.

Advice

Learn about paper! Take initiative in building relationships outside your team. Take advantage of all the expertise an resources available.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Power & Recovery Co-op

May 2018 • Hopewell, VA

What I liked

I like getting to work side by side with operators. They have years of experience and there is alot of opportunities to learn from them.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been a packet for co-ops and interns that was an introduction to the paper mill. It took awihle to understand how the cycle related.

Advice

Google and youtube are your friend. If you dont understand something, ask questions, look it up, watch videos about it. It will really help you get more involved in the process.

3 ${count} people found this helpful

Mechanical Engineer

January - September 2018 • Tacoma, WA

What I liked

I was able to attend an early career development summit in Virginia through Westrock. It was my first “business trip” and I learned a lot from it.

What I wish was different

Advice

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Associate Reliability Engineer Co-op

June 2019 • Evadale, TX

What I liked

Great experience and pay!

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering Co-op

May - August 2019 • Demopolis, AL

What I liked

It was a great work environment. Everyone in the department worked together to get the jobs done. The mill environment is a great place to learn and it has all different kinds of engineering disciplines to be exposed to and work with.