Derick Whitt, '08 B.S.B. International Business

Even before I graduated, I had a full-time job offer with Procter & Gamble in Chicago. I was selected for the summer intern program with P&G the summer of my senior year. The interview process was intense. Out of about 650 initial applicants, 20 were selected from top schools such as Harvard, Carnegie, Yale, Duke, OSU, WSU, and other universities. I started as a Customer Business Development Specialist, working with hotels, food services, and other commercial industries, representing their Pro Line products. Since being with P&G, I have had received two promotions and help to manage the Duracell product line.

Why Wright State?

Wright State offered the right combination of affordability and quality. Once I started here, the faculty and staff were both supportive and challenging – pushing me to do my best.

Tips for Success

• Don’t give up. I applied for seven different internships on the P&G website and didn’t even get a phone interview. On the eighth try, I was selected and begin the interview process that led to my full time job.
• You make an impression on employers and business leaders that help not only you but also your fellow students. At the end of my summer internship with P&G, the manager of the P&G program wanted to know how to recruit other Wright State business students – and she did just that by posting P&G opportunities on Wright Search.
• Make sure you are prepared for your job interview. Do your research, practice and put yourself in the company’s shoes. Why would they want to hire you?

Internships/Class projects

In addition to my summer internship with P&G, I completed an internship as an international trade assistant for the International Trade Assistance Center for the region’s Ohio Small Business Development Center. I applied my international business coursework in marketing, import/export strategies and international finance and accounting. I had a chance to work with businesses ranging from medical devices, hunting supplies and consumer goods. Proving myself in my initial internship definitely helped me in the P&G selection process.

Most valuable experience

Even though I was working as a manger at Home Depot and going to college full time, I decided to get some of my foreign language credits through a study abroad in Spain. The quarter I spent there, not only improved my Spanish skills, it demonstrated to employers that I was adaptable to different cultures and ways of doing business.