I have done my MBA summer internship in the Gorilla® Glass business of Corning Inc. Gorilla® Glass is the tough and scratch resistant glass that protects our smartphones and tablets. I was located in Corning’s global headquarters at Corning, NY and had the opportunity to work with people from all over the world.

Project:

As a Marketing and Strategy analyst intern, I worked on three projects.

1. My first project was researching and analyzing the potential impact of a future touch technology on Gorilla Glass’s supply chain.
2. My second project was to build independent forecasting models to develop short term and long term outlook for glass that goes on tablets.
3. And third project was analyzing the impact of emerging digital ecosystems, such as, iOS and Android on Corning future success.

Culture:

In retrospect the description of Corning that most resonated with me came from Mr. Wendell Weeks (CEO) at one of the intern events, where he called Corning a “Big-Small” company. My interpretation of this is that we are a big global corporation with values of a close knit family. According to my experience during the past three months, it requires three E’s to succeed in this culture.

1.Enterprise-ability:  From day one it was really on me to take responsibility and be a go-getter. I was never micromanaged: but rather, mentored periodically and guided whenever I was stuck.

2.Empathy: People in Corning are extremely approachable. It is very easy to reach out and form mentoring relationships. I requested feedback and guidance by way of smart interviews on a periodic basis. I realized the importance of communicating early and frequently with all the stakeholders in a project.

3.Expertise:  Be methodical but recognize that any analysis has shades of grey. I learned not to get consumed in tasks without knowing the big picture.

At the Corporate level the internship program is extremely well structured.  There are several events that gave interns exposure to senior leadership and functions within Corning.

Location: 

My reflections would be incomplete without mentioning my thoughts on the town of Corning.  The location exceeded all the expectations I had coming into this internship. I had a very positive experience. I was taken by the surrounding natural beauty and the warmth of the people. And proximity to bigger towns present lot of weekend getaway opportunities.

Finally, I am grateful to all faculty members from Smeal who equipped me with tools to tackle diverse set of business problems during my summer. It is satisfying to have the feeling that I had an impact by working on projects that have strategic importance in the short run for Gorilla Glass. I am confident that this and my past experiences will help to set a foundation for my future professional success.

Takeaway:

Three E’s : Enterprise-ability, Empathy and Expertise, are skills that can give you an edge in any company during your summer.

 

Arvind Dutta, MBA Class 2013