Internships and co-ops: building a Safran talent pipeline in North America

September 14, 2017

Safran companies across North America offer internships and co-op educational programs, giving university students the opportunity to learn vital job skills and Safran the opportunity to promote the Group’s various divisions while building a pipeline of incoming talent. Career fairs, staffed by Safran recruitment teams representing divisions as diverse as human resources and engineering, are where such connections often begin.

It was at one such career fair at Texas A&M University that Safran met Hannah Dressen. As a result, Dressen – a senior at the school majoring in supply chain management – took on a summer internship with a Safran Supplier Performance Management team.

“I’d learned about Safran at the career fair and interviewed with them the next morning,” said Dressen. It was on the strength of that interview that Dressen secured a 13-week summer internship. “I’m so glad I had this opportunity – it’s a unique company and its culture really does set Safran apart from other companies,” said Dressen.

Her internship entailed a temporary move to the Safran USA Supply Chain Engines Support office in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Dressen was responsible for tracking the shipping and delivery rates of each U.S. supplier managed by the office and working to reduce any delays and backlogs.

The Safran experience

The favorite part of her internship, she said, was visiting a supplier site to see firsthand what had until then been just impersonal spreadsheet figures. “I spoke with the supplier about the data I had been looking at and then walked the plant to see how the company made the parts we were being supplied.”

Dressen credits the career fair with launching her summer work experience opportunity with Safran. “It led directly to the internship that I was offered,” she said.

Like perhaps any good learning experience, Dressen also encountered challenges to overcome, like “learning to communicate with my French counterparts effectively. It was a bit hard only being able to talk with those coworkers in the morning because of the time difference,” she said, but praised Safran’s efforts to create a cohesive culture that embraces the best from both countries. “There is a lot of innovation, and I would consider it to be a very progressive company, not only in their technical side but also in the company culture and work-life balance.”

“My main take-away from this internship would be perseverance in facing projects that seem difficult,” she said. Her advice to other students looking to make the most out of their internships: “There is a solution to every problem.”

Upcoming Career Fair

Safran will be taking part in the Texas A&M Business Career Fair held September 18-19, 2017.

Job Opportunities

Entry level job openings and internships are available on the Safran USA career page.