A high degree of satisfaction
Former students say majoring in ID has led to satisfying and rewarding careers
By Victoria Fraza -- Industrial Distribution, 11/1/1998
When Kim Rossen decided to major in industrial distribution at Texas A&M University, she did so with the idea that she was making a lifelong decision. She saw the job-hopping being done by many Generation Xers and wanted no part of it. She wanted, instead, a degree that would give her a focus along with a certain amount of flexibility. Industrial distribution seemed the perfect choice."When you go into college, you have no clue as to what you want to do," says the 27-year-old, who graduated from Texas A&M in December of 1993 and went to work for Warren Electric, the electrical distributorship she still works for today.
"ID gave me a well-rounded degree," Rossen explains, adding that she was exposed to a range of industries over the course of the program.
Many ID graduates feel the same. A recent alumni survey conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's industrial distribution department showed the majority of the school's ID grads are happy with their careers in either distribution or manufacturing. What's more, the survey showed that many of those graduates credit UAB and their ID degree for much of that satisfaction. The survey, conducted last year, polled alumni who graduated prior to 1995.
The ID degree -- at UAB and at other schools around the country --prepares students for a range of careers in the industrial channel. The curriculum is generally made up of business and engineering courses, with some schools choosing to focus more heavily in one of the two areas. While former students like Rossen say they enjoy the diversity of the curriculum, employers seem to appreciate it as well. Schools like Texas A&M and UAB are inundated with companies looking to recruit graduates each year.
Since UAB's ID program is just seven years old, most of those surveyed in 1997 were still in their first jobs out of school. In choosing that first job, they said the most influential factors were: potential growth and path of advancement; location; the company's training program; and the size of the firm. First-year starting salaries -- excluding bonuses, cars and other fringe benefits -- ranged from $21,000 to $33,400. Current salaries for UAB's ID graduates range from $43,000 to over $90,000.
The UAB survey also asked alumni what they disliked about their careers. Topping that list was a lack of significant challenges; the routine nature of the position; corporate/company politics, including issues involved with family-owned distributorships; and the lack of a real training program. Still, most alumni described their positions as challenging and varied, with a high degree of autonomy and a certain degree of flexibility. Most reported working a 50- to 55-hour work week and seemed satisfied with that lifestyle, according to the survey.
The proof is in the pudding
Renee Rutherford, who graduated from UAB in December of 1990, says her ID degree prepared her well for a career with Pittsburgh, Pa. manufacturer Cutler-Hammer. It's a point that became most clear to her when she interviewed with the company along with 20 others -- all engineering students -- more than seven years ago. In addition to the technical knowledge Rutherford received from the ID program, she also learned valuable business skills that set her apart from the other candidates. Today, Cutler-Hammer still hires many engineering students, says Rutherford, but the company has begun to hire many young people with ID degrees, as well.
Rutherford says she chose UAB's ID program because she was interested in marketing and wanted to combine that interest with a technical education. She was confident the two skills would make her a marketable person -- and it seems she was right. She worked in Cutler-Hammer's inside sales department for two years and moved to outside sales for three years before her career took a non-traditional turn, as she describes it. While most people move from outside sales to a product manager position, Rutherford's experience and education made her the perfect candidate for the job she's held for the last two years -- strategic programs manager, a position that consists primarily of running distributor marketing programs.
"It can be tough for marketing people to land in the right jobs," says Rutherford, whose experience in the field started when she was an undergraduate working to promote UAB's ID program to prospective students. "So, I think my background helped me in that respect."
While marketing can be a tough field within industrial distribution, Rutherford says her career has been a rewarding one. Over the summer, she was looking to make yet another strategic career move within Cutler-Hammer.
A tradition of excellence
When Shell Hubbard graduated from Texas A&M in 1988, he had offers from every company he interviewed with. Hubbard decided to work for Womack Machine Supply, a Dallas-based distributor of hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical components. He's been there ever since.
"In all honesty, when I took the job, I viewed it as a stepping stone to something else," Hubbard recalls. "I had a lot of confidence that if it didn't work out, I had a good degree, some experience, and I could go somewhere else."
Hubbard says he was attracted to Womack because it was a private, family-owned company that was full of what he calls "21st century thinkers." The mid-sized firm had sales of $57 million last year, and is known as an innovative company for its use of technology. For instance, Womack Machine Supply has a sophisticated satellite broadcast system used to conduct company-wide training and to communicate with the branches in its five-state area.
Those factors, combined with the potential for growth, have kept Hubbard at Womack for the last 10 years. He started in inside sales, moved to outside sales and is now a regional sales manager. He says one of the most rewarding parts of his job is coaching new salespeople -- many of whom are graduates of ID programs. The company has 20 former Texas A&M students in its ranks today, and continues to recruit from the school as well as from several others.
"We believe that when we started recruiting (from Texas A&M) back in the 80s, that we were investing in the company for the next 40 years," he comments. "It's a fantastic program that's contributed a lot to where we are today."
Hubbard says ID students are likely to be more aggressive, excel more rapidly through an organization and become more prominent players in the industry. And the combination of business, engineering and sales training they receive makes them valuable candidates for a variety of industry jobs -- whether they be with a distributor, manufacturer, or in some cases, even with the end user. Hubbard and others also note that most ID programs across the country -- and there aren't all that many -- work closely with industry professionals, giving students a practical education, while allowing them the chance to meet and talk with industry leaders.
"With the ID program, you have flexibility and you have contacts," says Hubbard. "There are more doors open than you can imagine."
WHAT IDGRADUATES LOOK FOR
The factors that most influence industrial distribution students when choosing a first job are:
* Potential growth and path of development
* Location
* The company's training program
* The size of the firm
Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Industrial Distribution Dept.
WHAT ID GRADUATES DISLIKE
Some of the things graduates are dissatisfied with in their first industry jobs are:
* A lack of significant challenges
* The routine nature of their position
* Corporate/company politics (including issues involved with family-owned distributorships)
* The lack of a real training program
Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Industrial Distribution Dept.
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