Michael Rago
- Supplier Account Manager
- Collins Aerospace
School Information
School: University of Connecticut
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2015
Career Information
Working For: Collins Aerospace
Title: Supplier Account Manager
Industry: Aerospace/Aviation
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I manage supplier accounts around the globe by creating relationships, organizing and prioritizing open orders, ensuring compliance with applicable contracts and administrative law, maintaining daily communication, and escalating critical issues. I stepped into this role managing 8 suppliers with ~150 open orders, and have seen increasing responsibility as I now manage ~500 open orders. I have driven results with several months over 95% OTD.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?Making UConn’s Dean’s List for the first time. I achieved this accomplishment for earning a 3.769 GPA in the Fall 2015 semester.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
An opportunity to expand my network, gain real-world business experience, and develop myself as a professional.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
I have gained an immense amount of real-world business experience from this internship. It has provided me with a solid foundation of skills that are necessary to strive in any business position.
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
I would say my favorite client was Tien Nguyen from Rocky Hill, CT. I did her small interior job in May 2015. I would like to let her, as well as my other clients, know that I am so thankful for the opportunity to have met you and to have worked with you. Thank you for giving me a chance, and although everything didn’t always go perfectly, thank you for allowing me to gain great experience.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
Always keep your long-term goals in mind, as there are going to be negative aspects to almost any profession you carry out. If you are able to keep your goals in mind, you will be able to better pursue tasks at hand.
How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?
I am actually roommates with a fellow coworker from College Works Painting. I have met many friends from College Works Painting, and continue to hangout and keep in touch with them.
If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?
College Works Painting, a great complement to a college degree.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Like I said before, keep your long-term goals in mind if you would like to succeed. It is hard to market, get better at estimates, and deal with problems experienced in production. However, if you remember why you took the job in the first place, it will always allow you to reestablish yourself as a professional.
Many college students struggle to choose between an internship specific to their target industry or doing CW. What advice would you give them on this subject if they wanted to enter your career field?
Well I am a student currently, but I would let them know that this internship provided me with great real-world experience in a wide variety of business disciplines, so it is worth it to try it out for yourself.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
It is so important to put the work in and truly understand the material you are learning. This knowledge will be used for the rest of your life, so make sure you do your best to learn as much as you can.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
The day I booked an $11,000 project with my district manager!
Last words of wisdom?
Always be hungry to better yourself.