The action was fast and furious recently for the 23 dressed-for-success MTSU Concrete Industry Management program students. 

They utilized a speed interview process with industry companies seeking summer internship candidates Friday (March 21) in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room.

Representatives from one local and nine out-of-state companies seeking interns interviewed the CIM students in eight-minute increments for two, two-hour rounds throughout the morning.

Louisiana native Marna Shipp, a junior in the CIM program, called it “a phenomenal experience.”

“I met a lot of great people,” the Murfreesboro resident said. “I’ve been waiting for a blessing.”

A nontraditional student who is both a mother of two sons and grandmother, Shipp said she loves everything about the concrete program … “the professors, the way they conduct classes and help us grow to reach our full potential has been a phenomenal experience. I wouldn’t take it for anything.”

Brook Simon, a sophomore CIM major from Pleasant View, Tenn., said his was a good interview experience.

“I like the companies here. They are giving us good information,” he said before quickly moving to another round of interviews.

Alumnus Tim Ketavongsa said it was a great event for him to be involved with as safety director for Delaware Valley Concrete of Hatboro, Pa., outside of Philadelphia.

“It takes me back 10 years to when I was sitting in their shoes, looking for an internship myself,” Ketavongsa said.

With his decade in the industry himself, the 2004 MTSU graduate said he “can give them a lot of advice for whatever direction they want to go. I would tell them to get the internship experience and pick what you want to do.”

At a table and seated in front of the internship candidates, Ketavongsa said he “could be more of a mentor to students as an alumnus. I would like to see them take the right path.”

Dezaree Rodriquez of Orlando, Fla.-based Prestige Concrete said she and commercial sales and marketing manager Kelly Stanton “found a few really good prospects who have the background and interest.”

Rodriquez said the speed interviewing process was new for their company, but one that was both a good and enjoyable screening process.

Nicole Green, CIM marketing and recruiting coordinator, said the internship event went very well.   

“It’s a new format. I think it’s something that’ll stick,” she said.

Green added that internship candidates could have lunch with the prospective summer employers and also schedule further interviews in the afternoon.

“It’s a quick way to screen many candidates at once,” Green said.

On March 20, Atlanta-based Oldcastle Precast made offers for full-time employment to two CIM students, Green said.