Moreover, I had to follow all safety rules and regulations, including cGMP and EHS guidelines, to ensure product quality and consistency. As well as maintain line speed and packaging standards including bottling, capping, labeling, and packaging products into shippers and forming pallets. Other tasks included weighting products and counting containers to ensure proper fulfillment of each order. Overall, I had a painful and challenging learning experience.

Overall, I didn’t like my experience. Some days I had blisters on my fingers and suffered from back pain due to bottling and capping different types of mouthwash. However, I did learn a lot about the manufacturing industry and all the work it takes to make a final product. In a bigger perspective, it made me reflect about how I only had to do this during the summer but that most of the workers there had to do this to make a living (or try to). Hence, my experience made me appreciate my education even more because possibly with an education I don’t have to work as physically as other people do. My summer job experience also made me appreciate the work it takes to make a product.

Overall, my job experience made me become humbler and more understanding of what factory workers go through to be able to get a paycheck.  I’m glad that I worked there, even if I didn’t like it, because it made me more humane and knowledgeable about factory working conditions. Hence, working at a factory led me to achieve the SUMMIT learning goals of being exposed and gaining an appreciation for different cultures, critically examine the relationship between marginalized cultures and their work environments, probe a fundamental question of value and meaning, develop effective time management skills, identify and asses one’s own values and abilities, and construct a personal definition of human rights.

Credit: “Illustration of a factory” by “Tomtheman5” is licensed under Creative CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Moreover, when I first started, I observed that the managers did not look stressed but calm and comfortable with their work. My observation made me feel more comfortable to be myself, which would help me work at my full potential. At McCormick Place, I completed more human resources tasks. For example, I filled I-9s, SSN cards, grievances, and other. Also, at McCormick Place, I translated Aramark’s orientation, interview, application files. Furthermore, I also helped with job fairs and even interviewed and hired applicants. Lastly, at McCormick Place, I was taught how to use ICIM’s, an applicant tracking and recruiting software system.

At Navy Pier, I completed facility management tasks. For example, I was taught how to make a bill for one of our clients. Besides, I made employees weekly schedules and corrected their times using Kronos. Kronos is a time reporting system. Also, I gave tasks to various employees and made sure they were completed. Lastly, I helped manage the set-up of meeting rooms, and show clean up.

After having completed my internship, I learned much valuable information and skills. For example, I was able to gain the abilities to know how to use Kronos and iCIMS. Further, I also learned how to interview applicants and how to judge whether they will get hired or not. In addition, I learned how unions work, since Aramark’s employees are union based. Also, this internship was not what I had expected because it was more about learning how to be a manager, instead of just being given tasks to complete. I enjoyed this process more than I would’ve had taught because at the same time I was learning and also networking with different clients, managers, and staff members from different backgrounds and ethnicities. Also, I liked that I got feedback from my progress, to be able to rate my success as an intern. From my work ethic, I was told I could use them as references for future jobs applications. Overall, this experienced mattered because I was able to get an HR experience; HR is the field that I want to work in.

This internship experience has led me to want to apply for a manager position at Aramark. Mainly, because the managers and staff told me they were going to recommend me once I graduated from college. However, this has led me to realize that if I can get a manager position, I can also get other positions. Hence, I will apply to different places and work for the best.

The major learning goals were that I developed and practiced effective time management skills and identified and determined my own values, interests, and skills. Further, I used critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry, and when possible, the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes (specifically dealing with grivances). Lastly, I weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, act ethically, and reflect other values that are the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.