Mac Schwandt
- Associate Director, Project Leadership
- Abbott
School Information
School: Michigan State University
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2010
Career Information
Working For: Abbott
Title: Associate Director, Project Leadership
Industry: Healthcare
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I spearhead the delivery of world-class technology products and solutions. I lead and empower high-performing technical/executive teams.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?Lean Expert Certification. (Saved company $10M by leading a Vendor Warranty project in our SAP System)
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting was a necessary milestone in my life that has shaped my career & personal life in ways I cannot describe in one sentence.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
No doubt about it – College Works Painting was the reason I got my first internship with Honeywell (As well as 6 other offers I received that year). Having that on my resume got me an interview & the experiences that I was able to relate to my career got me the job.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
“It’s not that Serious” No matter what problem occurred or how bad things got, learning how to put things in perspective and find a way to get the job done no matter what was the greatest lesson. Nothing in life is ever that serious. Not after College Works Painting.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Don’t give up. It’s going to be hard. It’s supposed to be hard. If it was easy everyone would be doing this. It will be the most overwhelming & accomplishing summer of your life at the same time. You will feel like the world is crashing down on you until you get paid for the first time. This will be a cycle that you will feel weekly, but it’s all worth it.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
Intern with the company that you want to start your career with. Rotational programs are a great launching pad for your first entry level position post graduation.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Finishing my first paint job and celebrating with my painters. I had the best paint crew & fantastic support system. We made so many mistakes but those guys are still my best friends.
Last words of wisdom?
Being able to say you ran a $60,000 business with 4 employees and 20 + jobs in one summer is nice resume fodder. Learning how to effectively communicate, lead diverse groups of people & manage customer expectations is great character building. No matter how big or small your business is this summer, if you can leave College Works Painting gaining those key skills, you succeeded.