Starting a new career is a time of excitement, change and a bit of uncertainty. Participating in internships can equip students with professional experiences to help them excel in their careers. At Pratt, we offer internships in a variety of fields at locations across the country providing real-life job experience allowing students to apply their classroom learning to real world situations. And, for some students, a successful internship can turn into the start of a full-time career.
In this series, we feature employees who began as interns and now have thriving careers at Pratt. Each shares his or her insights and advice on interning with as well as transitioning from student to professional.
Packaging designers at Pratt Industries bring to life a variety of custom packaging solutions for a number of industries including consumer goods, e-commerce, food and beverage, automotive, agriculture, retailers and many others. Amelia Bullins got a first-hand glimpse into the creative and functional projects that our packaging designers create every day during her internship with Pratt Retail in Atlanta.
Amelia Bullins, DesignerBullins shared that when she was applying for internships she was worried she may not get the hands-on experience that she desired. However, when she joined Pratt, she was able to jump in and take on projects of her own, creating structural and branded displays and packaging used by various customers.
“I had the opportunity to work with my creative director on a project to optimize quarter pallet designs for moving supplies for one of our clients,” said Bullins. “It was really interesting to take part in transforming an idea and working through the steps of getting it into stores.”
When Bullins graduated, she received an offer to join the Pratt Retail team as a full time designer. She says that working with the same team made the transition a relatively seamless one. Her team brought her into new projects slowly, allowing her to ask questions and understand job expectations.
“I work with a talented group of people who help me learn every day,” said Bullins. “It’s exciting to be able to jump into new projects that allow me to enhance my skills and grow professionally.”
Bullins also credits her internship with helping her realize that the corrugated packaging industry is one in which she wants to build her career. Before her internship, she wasn’t sure of where to begin, noting that she sent out numerous resumes and applications to a variety of companies in the area. She started to get discouraged, until she came across the opening for an internship at Pratt right around the end of the semester. Her advice to other interns or recent graduates is to not give up when applying.
“Do not get discouraged if it takes a little while to find the right internship,” said Bullins. “Sometimes it can be a numbers game, so send out as many resumes or applications as you can. I did and found a great opportunity at Pratt that ultimately turned into a full-time position.”
For more information on internships and career opportunities for students and recent graduates visit our Careers site.
Pratt Industries provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.