From global agriculture to professional careers: Three students gain hands-on experience through summer internships

What was your first day like?

My first day of work was an orientation day for the Research and Development interns. We learned about the history and programs at Corteva, got to know each other, and went on tours of the crop health labs on campus.

What did a typical day look like?

A typical day in the office looked like taking a Teams call with one of Corteva’s partners on an international project (sometimes in a foreign language!), getting lunch with a more experienced colleague to learn about their position and engage in mentorship, then attending an event on campus such as volunteering in the Harvest 4 Hunger garden, a nonprofit garden space that partners with Indianapolis food pantries.

What was the most interesting project you worked on?

The most interesting project I got to be a part of was helping draft an unsolicited proposal for an agribusiness and investment initiative. This project will be in collaboration with another American agribusiness in another country with the purpose of strengthening this country’s market position and advancing their business objectives, as well as lowering barriers to entry for U.S. agricultural investment opportunities.

Did you work independently or as part of a team?

I was managed remotely, so most of my work was done independently. However, I frequently worked with many different professionals across the company and the agriculture industry in general.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

The largest challenge for me was navigating a corporate environment and a big city for the first time by myself. It was nerve-wracking at first, but thankfully I had so many people there from the beginning to support me, and I was able to adjust to living on my own pretty quickly.

What skills did you improve the most?

I definitely learned the Microsoft Teams system a lot more thoroughly during my time as an intern. I also developed my skills in collaborating with people on writing and projects due to its importance in the agribusiness space.

Did you have a mentor or supervisor? What did they teach you?

My manager was Jennifer Billings, the Global Ag Innovation Leader for Corteva. I thought we had a lot in common since the first time we met in my interview, but she taught me so much more over the summer!

She gave me constructive feedback on the work I did, taught me about different systems in place at Corteva and in the agribusiness world, and gave insight into her many professional experiences, which are in line with what I strive to do as a career.

What surprised you most about working there?

The thing that surprised me the most about this job was how expansive it was! From the first time I drove to the office, I thought it was gigantic, but there’s also so much more to discover on the inside.

One time, I got to sing with Corteva’s band, the Agri-sounds. Another time, I ran a 5K around the building for safety month at the company (I got second place!). On top of all this, it’s just a great company to work for. I was well taken care of throughout the whole experience, so there were pleasant surprises at every turn!

What are you most proud of from your internship?

The thing I’m most proud of about my internship is that I got to assist with real projects that are impacting global food security.

How did this internship shape your career goals?

This internship experience only further solidified my passion for international agricultural development. Now, I have a clearer understanding of what a job in this field could actually look like, and I’m so excited to see what the future holds!

What was your first day like?

My first official day was traveling to our intern orientation conference in Bloomington, Illinois, with 40 other interns from the various co-ops under Growmark Inc.’s umbrella.

For my first day at the plant, it rained for the first week or so. I went ahead and knocked out a lot of my mandated training and went out to lunch with my manager.

What did a typical day look like?

I would get to the plant around 7 a.m., where a few others and I would begin to open the warehouse and shop, preparing for customers to begin arriving around 7:30 a.m. The drivers would get their orders for the day, so I usually helped with loading the trucks in the back unless there was a fertilizer wagon that needed to be picked up.

Most of my days consisted of either loading trucks and spreaders or delivering and retrieving buggies. When there was nothing to load, I would help customers as they came through the store looking for bagged fertilizer, seed, or small jugs of liquid fertilizer.

Occasionally, I would go out with a crop specialist and complete stand, rut, and density counts on corn and soybeans. The office would close at 4:30 p.m., but many days we would be there later, especially when the weather dried out and we were able to catch up on spreading that had been delayed due to endless rain or when we were working on repairing a truck or other piece of equipment.

What was the most interesting project you worked on?

Repairing both of our dry fertilizer blenders and coming up with creative solutions with my coworkers to get the blenders running so we could service our customers.

Did you work independently or as part of a team?

I worked as part of a team.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

Repairing the parking brake and the driveshaft on our backup loader after it fell off.

What skills did you improve the most?

I improved my customer communication skills and equipment operation skills.

Did you have a mentor or supervisor? What did they teach you?

My supervisor made sure I got to visit several different locations to see how different plants operated. He also made sure I got to ride with or work with each aspect of the plant, so I learned quite a lot through the experiences he provided me, especially with equipment operation and different aspects of agronomy, which I don’t have a background in.

I also worked closely with one of our loaders, Jake, who spent a lot of time showing me the ropes and teaching me how to operate everything in the back.

What surprised you most about working there?

How willing everybody was to go above and beyond to get what needed to be done, even if it meant long nights and early mornings, and still help me out when I had a question.

What are you most proud of from your internship?

I’m proud of creating personal connections not only with my coworkers but also with some of the customers. I’m also proud that I was directly able to contribute to an individual farmer’s success and ability to feed the growing world.

How did this internship shape your career goals?

I developed an interest in agronomy and newfound confidence for switching my minor to Crop and Soil Sciences. Through that experience, I discovered that sales isn’t necessarily what I want to do (as far as equipment), but I do want to work somewhere I can be out in the field almost every day, operate equipment, and directly contribute to the production of food.

What was your first day like?

The first day, we were all split up into the departments we would be working in; mine was apartments.com, and I got to know some of the other interns I would be working with on the day-to-day. We heard a few different people speak, met our managers and mentors, and went through HR training. We had lunch with our managers, then got started in sales school.

What did a typical day look like?

A typical day would start with a team meeting, usually at 9 a.m. My manager would go over daily goals with the sales representatives and talk about key objectives. I then would head back to my desk and would work on creating prospect lists, which are potential business pipelines for my mentor to call through, and would call through their prospect list. I would talk to property managers and owners of multifamily properties about their local market, understand their leasing goals, and marketing for their vacant units.

What was the most interesting project you worked on?

The most notable project I worked on was calling through the prospect list in rural Texas. I was able to apply the things learned in sales school, such as objection handling, value statements, and negotiating tips, in real-life conversations with property managers and owners. The objective was to understand their leasing needs and understand how apartments.com would be of value to them.

Did you work independently or as part of a team?

I worked independently when calling, but in a collaborative environment.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

The biggest challenge I faced was handling objections and people who did not want to be called.

 What skills did you improve the most (technical or soft skills)?

Throughout my time, I improved my soft skills the most. When cold calling, active listening and empathy are essential to building relationships, which is the foundation of any sale. Adaptability is a key skill I improved, as being able to respond and pivot depending on the objection or the way a property is performing based on factors can be completely different depending on the call.

Did you have a mentor or supervisor? What did they teach you?

I had a mentor and a supervisor who both played different roles. My mentor was able to show me the day-to-day and ease me into calling. My manager really taught me the importance of your mindset. How your mindset has the ability to control your day. In an environment where it can be very easy to get discouraged, she brought enthusiasm to every single meeting and conversation, which is something that will stick with me.

What surprised you most about working there?

How nice the people are and how easy it was to get along with them.

What are you most proud of in your internship?

Trying something that was a bit out of my comfort zone.

How did this internship change your career goals (if at all)?

While I am still interested in real estate and sales, it did make me interested in pursuing outside sales as well as exploring different career opportunities within CoStar.