Andrew Desloge

Initially I chose Kansas State for the landscape architecture program. After a summer internship before sophomore year I realized business was a better fit for me.

After learning more during my summer internship I felt like I had found my passion. I realized I could reach my future goals with a business or engineering degree. I opted for a degree in Management since I was more excited about the leadership side than the technical side.

• College of Business Ambassadors
• Chimes Junior Honorary
• Silver Key Sophomore Honorary
• Sigma Chi Fraternity

I had two internships with the same company, working in different functions each time. In my first internship I completed a two month project that improved the way the company processed new orders.

Making a good impression during an internship and staying connected to your former team leaders is a great way to get your foot in the door after graduation. Before I graduated I had an offer to return to Watlow, the company I had previously interned with and still work for today.

I also attended career fairs junior and senior year to make sure I had more than one option before graduation. The career fairs were a great way to learn about other organizations and get practice preparing for interviews.

Most days start with a team meeting to make sure we all know the plan. Often I will spend time planning improvement events and getting teams together. Usually I will have status meetings and personal development meetings with direct reports and end the day with independent work on my projects.

Our company has a great purpose & vision that I find myself really excited about. My favorite part of my job is understanding what the next step in advancing that vision is and implementing it with my teams. Right now I am working on expanding our World Class Operations vision for two product lines that have incredible potential.

Maintaining a balance and focusing on the most vital projects can be challenging. There are always new projects to start so it is important to prioritize your resources wisely. I am still working on getting that balance right!

I would suggest getting engaged with companies that either make a product or have a vision that really excites you. You will spend a lot of time at work, so it will help when you love what you do, as well as the company you do it for.

When I joined Watlow after graduation I spent two years in the Rotational Development Program. In a short period of time I gained exposure to different parts of the business and variety of career paths that were available in the organization. It was great to test drive a job and learn the ropes a little bit before determining which direction to pursue further. After the program I chose to go deeper into Supply Chain. Today all of my focus is on the operations and supply chain part of our business.

Seek out opportunities to get involved at K-State. When I transferred into the College of Business an advisor suggested involvement in three ways: university-wide, a group specific to your major and a group specific to your living arrangement on campus (fraternity, sorority or residence hall). I found that to be helpful advice.

I get married this summer- half of my groomsmen are people I shared four years with in Manhattan! We have shared our networks with each other and I received help preparing for the GMAT (grad school exam) from one of my friends from K-State. Despite the fact we ended up in different states and different industries, every fall we do our best to get the group back together for at least one football game!