Top 5 Supply Chain Internships

If you’re interested in logistics and operations, chances are you already know about supply chains and the crucial role they play in the consumer economy. And if you’re trying to decide whether a supply chain career is right for you, you might be wondering the best way to research different positions. The easiest and most effective way to do that is through an internship.

Here are the top five supply chain internships.

Supply chain operations internship

As a supply chain operations intern, you’ll be working closely with one or more supply chain managers to ensure that operations run smoothly in one or more areas of the supply chain. Depending on your interests and the company you’re interning with, you could be focusing on any number of areas including purchasing, inventory and distribution. Because of its broad scope, this internship offers a wonderful opportunity to gain exposure to several elements of a supply chain and is a great first step towards a career in supply chain management.

Logistics internship

Similar to an operations internship, a logistics internship focuses on several key elements of supply chain management from purchasing to distribution and transportation management. As a logistics intern, you’ll be assisting management in ensuring that processes are streamlined and efficient, and that all parts of the supply chain (from manufacturing to customer service) are working in sync.

Business analyst internship

While logistics and operations internships focus on streamlining general processes, a business analyst internship is a chance to do a deep dive into a few specific elements of the field. During this internship, you’ll be analyzing data related to company operations and making recommendations for how those processes can be proved. Key tasks include performing analyses of business systems, performing QA testing and reporting on the findings. This is a great internship for a business or computer science major.

Industrial engineering internship

An industrial engineering internship focuses less on the broad strokes of supply chain management and more on the specifics of one particular aspect. During this internship, you’ll be learning about the planning and coordination required to run one aspect of the supply chain such as distribution. You’ll also be ensuring that the processes in place meet strict engineering standards. This is as especially great internship for someone looking to expand their technical skills or for someone majoring in engineering.

Manufacturing internship

As a manufacturing intern, you’ll be getting hands-on exposure to the production side of a supply chain, particularly when it comes to the manufacturing process. Like an industrial engineering internship, this type of internship is especially great for someone interested in developing their technical skills and being involved with the production cycle.

Although supply chains have been a critical part of the consumer economy for a long time, they have gained increased importance in recent years as the processes involved in getting a product from the manufacturing plant to the consumer have changed. With those changes have come new and increased opportunities for careers in the field. If you’re interested in learning more about a supply chain career, consider taking on an internship to get a hands-on feel for what supply chain management really looks like.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as 3 Common Internship Mistakes and How to Avoid Them and find answers to common interview questions such as Tell Me About Yourself.