PepsiCo

Packaging Engineer Co-Op

January - June 2020 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Over the course of this co-op, I was provided every opportunity to apply and expand upon my classroom learnings. In just the six short months I worked at PepsiCo, four of which were remote, I was able to grow as a Packaging Engineer more than I could've ever imagined. PepsiCo provides an outstanding work-life balance and I found everyone there to be an absolute pleasure to work with.

What I wish was different

While mostly limited due to COVID travel restrictions, I wished I had the opportunity to travel and attend more plant trials than I was able to over the course of my co-op. Plant trials were a very fulfilling part of my co-op and I'd say they are critical in taking the most away from the overall experience.

Advice

I would advise anyone working for this company, regardless of position, to put yourself out there as much as possible. I was able to make the most out of my co-op by reaching out to colleagues and offering support on their projects or any other work needing assistance. Also, everyone is more than happy to lend a helping hand when requested so don't hesitate to ask for help when needed.

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Supply Chain

June - August 2021 • York, PA

What I liked

the people

What I wish was different

since the pandemic is still around we did not get to do a lot of the regular intern events

Advice

be willing to shift your hours

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Supply Chain Engineering Intern

June - August 2020 • Plano, TX

What I liked

How much they care about their interns, employees’ willingness to help interns, company culture and values

What I wish was different

We often had longer days and packed schedules (it was a shorter internship because of covid)

Advice

Ask all the questions and network like crazy outside your org too, learn about what other employees and departments do

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Sales Management Intern

June - August 2020 • Grand Rapids, MI

What I liked

It was an interview that still got to happen over the Covid-19 pandemic. There were a lot of group projects that proved useful for networking.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more work to do as we had a lot of free time.

Advice

There isn't a lot of training, but the training they do give you make sure you have it down completely. This is one of the biggest components of receiving a full-time offer.

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Accounting Control Intern

June - August 2020 • White Plains, NY

What I liked

Everyone was very nice and worked as a team. They were always open to talk to if I had any questions. I was able to network with different senior management and learn more about the company and how interrelated the various roles were.

What I wish was different

I wish it would've been in person, because I feel like I could've had more meaningful interactions. However, with COVID, that was not possible. I would've had the full experience.

Advice

Just don't hesitate to reach out to others and connect. They all have great advice. Be proactive.

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Supply Chain Leader Intern

June - August 2021 • Rosenberg, TX

What I liked

I liked being able to interact with the other interns and frontline employees. Very hands on projects.

What I wish was different

I wish I had the chance to stay longer!

Advice

Ask questions! Don't be afraid to form relationships and network with others!

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Supply Chain Intern

June - August 2021 • Wichita, KS

What I liked

I enjoyed the aspect that there was a great amount of autonomy to either spend my time on the floor interacting with others, getting to know the project, etc or to spend my time in the office in-order to complete certain tasks that needed to be addressed. There was also not a lot of guidance, which really broke me out of my shell since I was able to spend more time in different sectors of M&W to get to know how everything worked together to make our finished products.

What I wish was different

I wish that there was a bit more guidance throughout the entire internship. It felt as if the team was not ready to receive my help as an intern. Possibly having a stronger structure, plant tours to different plants as well as rotations with different departments would be quite beneficial. Leaving half of the time to be dedicated to our own assigned projects.

Advice

Do not sit in your office and wait for someone to come give you work. M&W is quite busy and there will always be something that can be learned. Get out there and ask questions!

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Marketing Intern

May - August 2022 • Harrison, NY

What I liked

The intern projects were real and involved. There was a great work culture and wealth of knowledge and resources available to interns.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Supply Chain Analyst Intern

June - August 2021 • Plano, TX

What I liked

Networking with people in different supply chain roles.

What I wish was different

I wish it was in in person because it was remote due to covid.

Advice

Try to meet as many people as you can and expand your network.

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Sales Management Intern

June - August 2021 • Cleveland, OH

What I liked

Great Money

What I wish was different

What I thought I would be doing going into the internship and what I did were very different

Advice

Not sure I would recommend this but I for sure learned a lot

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Supply Chain Intern

June - August 2022 • St. Louis, MO

What I liked

I got great insight into how industrial America functions, especially in the beverage sector. I liked that I was able to ask my own questions and explore how the production plant worked. They also connected interns with mentors from other PepsiCo locations to have guided discussions, and I found these immensely helpful to vent my concerns or learn more about a career with PepsiCo.

What I wish was different

I wish my supervisors better laid out their expectations of me. It felt a little too free form at times, and I needed deadlines and projects to work on. I wish the company would have done more to facilitate events between employees as well. I only got to know the other STL interns at the end of the summer, as things were wrapping up.

Advice

Communicate about your workload and pace to your supervisors. You shouldn't feel guilty, they want you to succeed and learn just as much as you do.

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Sales Management Intern

May - August 2022 • Phoenix, AZ

What I liked

Autonomy within the work day & friendly co-workers.

What I wish was different

I wish I knew more about the role before beginning the role.

Advice

Make the most of the all the opportunities that are given to you.

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Sales Management Intern

May - August 2022 • Alexandria, LA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the autonomy and the freedom to build towards my summer project. Frito Lay is also very good about getting you connected with other members of the company and getting the chance to ask questions.

What I wish was different

I would prefer that I got to work with other interns as well. For my area, I was the only intern, and I covered all of Central Louisiana.

Advice

Ask a ton of questions and talk to as many other people as you can for advice and help! Everyone at Frito Lay is very nice and is willing to help you.

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Sales Management Intern

June - August 2022 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

The overarching theme throughout my internship was "make what you want of it" through complete ownership of your work and experience. My internship was very robust and let me practice my interpersonal and leadership skills in a professional environment. I got to be involved with so many different things over the course of my internship such as sitting in on hiring interviews, community outreach, and setting up a convenience store before opening. There were plenty of professional development/networking opportunities with people at location but also at the corporate level at PepsiCo. I was able to work by myself at my own pace on my project most of the time, so if you are someone that enjoys working without people checking in on you all the time, this may be the job for you!

What I wish was different

Advice

Take ownership of your work. Take it seriously but make sure to have fun while at the same time. Being flexible and stepping up to do things that others might not want to will help you succeed.

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District Sales Intern

May - August 2022 • Columbia, SC

What I liked

I enjoyed learning more Frito-Lay's operations and sales perspectives.

What I wish was different

I wish the experience was more intimate with senior personnels, a lot of the experience felt lonely.

Advice

I would share to consistently ask questions and take notes.

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Sales Management Intern

May - August 2023 • Charleston, SC

What I liked

I loved my internship with PepsiCo. They provided me with so many resources to learn. I enjoyed the people I worked with and loved that they allowed me to be hands-on. I would encourage anyone to apply for a position with PepsiCo.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have heard from my manager with some of the more specific details sooner. I felt like I was slightly unprepared for the first day.

Advice

Ask as many questions as you can. They offer so many resources for their interns, but it is up to you to take advantage of them. You are given managers, buddies, and mentors. There are many networking opportunities as well that you should take advantage of.

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Sales Management Intern

May - August 2022 • Madison, WI

What I liked

I really enjoyed learning how a Fortune 50 company operates from the ground level up working with both senior management and front-line employees. I had to familiarize myself with PepsiCo selling techniques and metric-based data to increase execution in underperforming stores.

What I wish was different

I wish that there was a more structured plan for what responsibilities need to be achieved for a set week. However, when working in an industry with many moving parts, it is hard to plan ahead of time as there are always factors changing. Meaning, the individual must be very flexible and utilize time management carefully.

Advice

My piece of advice is to ask as many questions about things you are not familiar with when you start as that will only help your learning process and future success!

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Performance Intern

May - August 2022 • Charlotte, NC

What I liked

Great teams/manager, learned a lot about manufacturing, great experience

What I wish was different

Employees were transitioning roles and site director took another position. More structure to warehouse to assist interns.

Advice

Finish your projects. Get close with front line. Ask questions

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Software Development Engineering Intern

May - August 2023 • Plano, TX

What I liked

I loved all the hands-on experience I got. I made something the company could actually use. The rest of the internship program gave me a chance to meet and learn from many other interns and leaders in the company. Everyone is so willing to mentor interns and help them out. There are so many resources to also interns learn what they need for their job.

What I wish was different

I do wish I could meet other interns outside of my function.

Advice

To ace the interview process make sure to know the STAR method. I practiced it a whole before my interview and aced it.

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Supply Chain Intern

May - August 2023 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I loved the company culture and the way everyone was so supportive and helpful. Everyone I worked with was so open to setting up time with me to go over questions I may have had and wanted to see my learn the most I possibly could have!