By Anna Sterrett, Director of Business and People Operations
On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, several CANA employees volunteered their time to participate in a virtual event with Georgia Tech students. Throughout the course of the day, mock interviews were scheduled with several students, and they had the opportunity to receive immediate feedback to improve their personal presentation and employability skills. Resume reviews also took place, where students were provided with helpful tips and constructive criticism to broaden student knowledge of what employers look for when considering an applicant.
The day was a great success, and students expressed gratitude for the experience coupled with optimistic reviews from CANA employees. Mr. Cliff Carpenter, CANA Principal Logistics Analyst commented,"[g]reat opportunity for CANA to interact with top talent - I hope we were able to give these graduate students a flavor of what to expect in an interview experience with top tech firms." While Ms. Jackie Knapp, CANA Senior Business Operations Manager shared, “I believe it was a great experience for both of us. It allowed me the opportunity to hone interviewing skills that I haven't had the opportunity to use in a very long time. For [the student], I think it was excellent practice and provided some insights for his next interview.”
This event is a small sampling of what the CANA Futures Program is doing to make significant connections with students preparing to launch into internships, and fellowships, as well as into their chosen profession. Throughout CANA’s history, there has been a desire to extend an arm to assist with providing professional opportunities to young people. From this passion, the CANA Futures Program was born, where CANA developed this program specifically to seek out and provide a professional experience to college students, transitioning military members, their spouses, and veterans.
The CANA Futures Program consists of two programs. The first is the CANA Veterans Program (CVP). CANA prides itself on being a veteran-owned company and believes whole-heartedly in providing opportunities to others who have served our country. CVP provides those opportunities to not only veterans, but to their spouses as well. Through partnership with the federal programs Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship and DOD Skillbridge, CANA has been able to offer veterans and their spouses experience and training in the corporate environment.
From first hand experience, Ms. Ashley Castillo spoke to her experience with Hiring Our Heroes: “I would say as a spouse Hiring our Heroes really focuses on the silent ranks. They give us back the ability to speak and be equal in an area that sometimes feels impossible. In the workforce it is hard to prove why someone should take a chance knowing you may be leaving or to explain why you have gaps in employment. They work with companies such as CANA who believe and give possibilities to do it all.” Ms. Castillo was hired by CANA through Hiring our Heroes as a Business Operations Analyst, and has proven essential to its Business Operations Team.
The second program within the CANA Futures Program is the Corporate Interns & Fellows Program or CIFP. CIFP provides college students and graduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience in CANA specific industry sectors, such as logistics, program management, business development, software development, and operations research. CANA has found this process to provide a seamless transition from being an in-house trained intern or fellow joining the CANA Team as a hired professional.
One such success story belongs to Mr. Jack Murray, who began his professional career within CIFP. Mr. Murray shared, “[t]he internship program here at CANA was my first true professional job, and I was fortunate enough to get this experience during my time in college. I think that the way CANA’s internship program is run truly allowed me to develop my professional skills in a manner that was both comfortable and challenging at the same time. There was a good amount of independence and independent work that allowed me to take things in the direction that I wanted, but the support was always there if and when I needed it.”
As Mr. Murray progressed through his internship, it became clear that he was an asset to the CANA Team. He was hired as a Business Analyst, and what he learned within his education, in conjunction with the skills he developed through CIFP, proved to be a perfect match for what CANA was looking for. From his perspective, the experience was also one of great value. He stated, “[t]he blend of independence and guidance is done very well within CANA’s internship program. The best thing about the program is that you can reach out to anyone in the company, and they are more than happy to help you. Everyone here wants to see you succeed! CANA’s internship program directly led to my full-time position here at CANA, and it taught me a great deal about transitioning from the collegiate world to the business world. This program sets you up for success!”
For more information, please contact our CANA Futures Program Coordinator, Ms. Stephanie Allison.
Anna Sterrett
Director of Business and People Operations