Q: Why did you decide to major in industrial distribution, and what interests you most about a career in the supply chain field?

CHRISTOPHER DOWNEY

The multiple facets of the industrial distribution major make it a hybrid degree. In this field, one has the opportunity to integrate engineering, technical sales, and business management. These features of the degree allow an individual to interact with people on a daily basis, in return, building relationships founded upon technical sales and service.

The challenge of supply chain management is offering a high level of efficiency from the manufacturer to the end user. As an industrial distribution major, one has the ability to optimize production, decrease manufacturing time, streamline order fulfillment, and reduce cost.

During the summer of 2005, I worked as an intern for Halliburton in Houston. Throughout my tenure, I was able to see all aspects of the company's daily operations, including marketing, outside technical sales, management, customer service, inside sales, and laboratory research.

Whether an individual wants to be part of a large corporation or become an entrepreneur, one thing is for sure: this hybrid degree offers a level of versatility valuable to any industrial distribution-related industry.

TYLER DARLING

When it came down to choosing a major here at Purdue, I started out by choosing engineering. However, I quickly found that I was more interested in something a little more hands-on and not so theory based. That's why I chose the College of Technology. The industrial distribution field jumped out at me because it is a fast-moving field with a lot of opportunity for me to get my hands dirty solving interesting problems. The ID program also went hand-in-hand with the manufacturing aspect of the Industrial Technology field, which I chose to study along with it.

There are many aspects of the supply chain field that I am interested in. However, the area I'm most interested in is warehouse design and inventory management. It is easy to see how much an effective warehouse can help a company. It's rewarding to engineer a solution that can help a company operate efficiently in many different ways.

CARRIE ANN GEORGE

My biggest concern when entering the university was getting into a major that I would enjoy and be able to utilize upon graduating. I discovered industrial distribution and was instantly hooked on the variety and opportunity for employment. I was impressed by how passionate the students and faculty were about the program, and how close-knit and involved everyone seemed to be. I immediately wanted to be a leader and be part of something I could really make a difference in—and I have done so within [UNK's] Industrial Distribution Organization. I have helped make IDO a more student-run organization and have encouraged women, especially, to become more involved.

My favorite aspect of industrial distribution has been the networking I've been able to do among my peers and with companies in the industry. This, along with relationship building, is what I look forward to most with my future career in the supply chain field. I want to be someone my customers trust and rely on for quality service and product knowledge. I understand the challenges of being female in this industry, but I am confident my leadership skills and technical awareness will take me above and beyond others' expectations.