FOUND: A Snack Cupboard?

It's true that if you look hard enough, you'll find something funny and entertaining no matter where you are.

I've been in Schenectady for about a month, and last week I found something awesome --- a community snack cupboard.

 Filled with both the sugar, carb, and salty items that help to keep you going through the day, this semi-hidden snack area is located in the midst of finance professionals.

My personal favorite? The swedish fish and the peanut butter filled pretzel bites.

All Intern Career Fair: Schenectady Edition

Schenectady Area Interns Gather for Annual EventThursday, June 25th marked GE Energy Infrastructure’s 4th annual Intern Networking Event and Career Fair.

The events is an opportunity for Schenectady-area interns interested in GE’s leadership programs to meet one another, interact with program representatives, and gain advice on career selection.

Over 125 interns and representatives from 14 leadership and affinity programs from throughout the capital district filled a conference room in  Schenectady for the event, which featured a keynote address by the CIO of GE Power and Water, an ice cream social, and the opportunity to interact with leadership program representatives from across the business.

The presentation covered GE career paths and gave an overview of the Power & Water business - from the new Wind building in Schenectady to how government regulation changes have impacted our products. The message left the crowd feeling that it's an exciting time to be at Energy.

Many interns commented that the GE career path overview reassured the audience that what you studied in college won't hold you back at GE.

After the presentation, Interns were invited to visit booths during the career fair segment, which gave area EIDs time to ask questions directly to leadership.

One an EID intern located in Schenectady, said that she appreciated the chance to mingle with program leaders and some of her fellow interns. “I enjoyed being able to talk to people from different parts of GE Energy and from the various programs that [the company] offers,” she said.

Programs and Affinity Groups represented at the event included: IMLP, FMP, OMLP, CLP, EEDP, African-American Forum (AAF), Asian-Pacific American Forum(APAF), GE Women’s Network (GEWN), Hispanic Forum (HF), and the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Ally Alliance (GLBTA).

The annual intern networking event and career fair began four years ago and has been organized and managed each year by an IMLP intern supervised by Susan Kudlack, IMLP Site Representative, and Schenectady IMLPs.

From an IMLP Intern: A 2nd Day Field Trip

John (Intern) & Alana (IMLP) at GE's IT ShowcaseAs a new IMLP intern at GE Energy working in Schenectady, NY, I was quite surprised to find I would be going on a field trip my second day at work.

After getting the hang of my Outlook Calendar, I noticed that I would be attending the 2009 IT Showcase at the GE Global Research Center, located nearby in Niskayuna, NY.

GE exposes all of its interns to a variety of opportunities that showcase different aspects of the company, from guided plant tours to this trip to the Global Research Center. The GE GRC is, as they say, where “all the magic happens.”

Imagine stepping foot into the building where some of the world’s greatest inventions were discovered – including LEXAN plastic, laser light, and…the light bulb!

The guest speaker at the showcase was GE's CIO, who discussed the current standing of GE and answered some questions from GE employees in attendance.

A particular question, asked by the IMLP blog contributor and creator, Alana Edmunds, asked an interesting question that stirred up a few conversations after the presentation: “What impact do you think upcoming external social networking technologies will have on GE in the future?”

When asked whether anyone in the room uses Twitter,  Alana, Alvaro (an IMLP alumni), and myself were the only people to raise our hands!

GE presents us with a great opportunity to promote our unique insights, and whenever we can, contribute to the future success of the company.  GE creates a truly unique internship experience by opening its doors to innovative insights, even from a first year intern.

To learn more about what goes on at the GRC, visit the GRC Blog.

Guest Post by John Chilgren, IMLP Intern.

Schenectady or Bust!

A major aspect of the  Information Management Leadership Program (IMLP) is relocating - different places, roles, projects, assignment leaders, teams and... climates.

It's what makes those who graduate from the program balanced leaders, as they have seen and worked directly in multiple business areas.

Last Monday, both the moving company and car relocation specialist came to Atlanta to  pack up and move everything across the country for me, as I had finished my first rotation.

It was a day filled with bittersweet moments-- watching my room transition from full to empty, handing over the keys of my car to the man with the flatbed truck, turning in my keys and signed paperwork to the apartment community... but also exciting, because I knew that there was a new life waiting for me in Upstate New York.

So, I'm back in Upstate NY- home of my Alma Mater (Syracuse) and snow (I didn't see any snow in Atlanta!).

More to come on this new rotation soon!

Where in the US are 2nd Rotation Energy IMLPs?

It's about that time.

As IMLPs, we rotate every 6 months- a new location, new assignment leader, project team and job description. Where you can go and what projects you work on vary depending on what GE business you work for.
Energy IMLPs in the United StatesThe current group of 1st rotation Energy IMLPs in Atlanta (there are 6 of us here right now) are getting ready to split up over the course of the next two weeks.

As you can see by the map, we're moving all across the coast- from Atlanta, GA to Greenville, SC to Wilmington, NC and Schenectady, NY.

GE Energy has locations worldwide, and IMLPs have a chance to work at some of the largest locations, including headquarters in Atlanta, GA.

Personally, I'm the one headed the most far north, to Schenectady, NY (the #1 on the map, yes I did that on purpose), so expect some news from the north over the next six months.