At ITW, we value investing in the career development of our people, and this process begins with our internship programs. Interns are encouraged to think and act like entrepreneurs and are provided significant responsibility and autonomy to get things done.

However, the process doesn’t end there. Many of our interns go on to become full-time employees, where they continue to grow and develop. Our internship program lays the foundation for interns to develop a strong network and gain exposure to our diverse businesses and on-the-job opportunities to help prepare them for long-term career success at ITW.

Speaking From Experience

We sat down with four current ITW employees to talk about their experiences going from interns to full-time employees.

Olivia Arreola, Weld Technician - Commercial Platform at Miller Welding

Olivia entered the three-year Miller Welds internship program in 2018 after graduating from high school. In 2021, after the successful completion of the program, she was offered a full-time position as a weld technician. Today, she works on the commercial platform team while pursuing her bachelor's degree in welding engineering.

Eric Jipp, Director of Sales and Engineering at ITW Drawform

In 2001, Eric started as an ITW intern in an automotive test lab facility. He came across the opportunity at ITW after attending a job fair at Kettering University where he was working toward a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Since then, he has held eight roles of various responsibilities at ITW and now serves as the director of sales and engineering at ITW Drawform overseeing commercial operations in Europe and North America.

Mark Parry, Vice President & General Manager at Hi-Cone WW

Mark first started his career on the production floor at ITW Devcon. Throughout his college career pursuing a degree in computer science, he served as a summer intern in their IT department. Upon graduation, he was offered a position as a Business Analyst at ITW TACC. He has since taken on many cross-functional roles across the ITW enterprise and now serves as the vice president & general manager at Hi-Cone.

Lovisa Rodriguez, Project Engineer at Deltar Fasteners

Lovisa held her first ITW internship in 2018 with PowerTrain Plastics as an applications engineer. After graduating from North Park University with a degree in mechanical engineering, she was offered an internship with Deltar Fasteners, where she now serves as a full-time project engineer.

We asked these interns turned full-time employees a series of questions about their experiences, how it has shaped their individual careers and what it means to them to foster the next generation of Great ITW Leaders.

Here is what they had to say:

How would you describe your internship experience at ITW?

Mark Parry: “Being an intern at ITW is unlike any other internship. There are so many opportunities to gain hands-on experience, try new things and meet new people. My internship gave me the autonomy to network and experience different areas of the business, which allowed me to figure out what I really wanted to do with my career.”

Lovisa Rodriguez: “My internships at ITW allowed me to experience two different environments within the company – a more corporate setting and a manufacturing plant floor. This change of pace really helped me to understand the breadth of the company, its decentralized culture, where I could fit in, and how I wanted to advance my career.”

What was unique about your internship at ITW?

Eric Jipp: “ITW gave me a real sense of ownership as an intern, separating the opportunity from other internships I was pursuing during my time in college. I had a real sense of daily responsibility and a sense of shared risk – and reward – with my full-time colleagues. Internship success at ITW comes from the effort you deliver.”

Olivia Arreola: “From day one, ITW’s culture was so welcoming. From my colleagues to management, I felt that I had so many positive role models around me that were welcoming and willing to help guide me through the program. My internship was such a positive growing and learning experience.”

Were there mentors or senior leaders who helped guide you as you transitioned from intern to full-time employee?

Olivia Arreola: “Women in the welding industry are not common, so it was nice to have female mentors along the way that helped guide me through my internship. When I got to ITW, I had several mentors that inspired me to try different things within the segment and eventually encouraged me to pursue my education as a welding engineer.”

Eric Jipp: “The best managers made for even better mentors. They made expectations clear and were always supportive of my career goals. Throughout my internship and early career at ITW, it was apparent that talent development was important to ITW and that they were willing to put in the work to retain high-potential individuals.”

What advice would you share with current or future ITW interns?

Lovisa Rodriguez: “Take risks and speak up. ITW has so many opportunities across the enterprise that if you want to try something new, leadership will find an opening where you can grow and learn new things.”

Mark Parry: “Don’t be afraid to fail. At ITW, we believe that failing fast helps you learn in the long run of your career at ITW.”