Business student lands dream job before graduation

When Cameron Munro graduates from Durham College’s three-year Business Administration – Operations Management program next month he will cross the stage already a full-time employee at one of Canada’s leading consumer packaged food companies.

“I am on cloud nine knowing I have a salary and full benefits waiting for me,” said Munro.

Munro, who is currently participating in the Leadership Track Career Development Program with Maple Leaf Foods (Maple Leaf) in Mississauga, is putting the management skills and specialized industry software knowledge he gleaned from the college’s expert faculty to good use.

This past month he began work as a production supervisor and he’ll continue to work at Maple Leaf’s various locations across North America for the next three years. The opportunity will enable him to gain industry experience and build on the knowledge he’s already  acquired through his studies and through a 16-week internship working in supply chain management that saw him travel to Mexico to help implement corporate practices.

Confident he was a perfect fit for the company following a campus recruitment session, it was Munro’s program co-ordinator who helped arrange an interview for him at an on-campus job fair. One interview led to another and he was accepted into the program.

“My level of appreciation toward the faculty of the School of Business, IT and Management and the Career Services team who helped me prepare for the aggressive recruiting process can’t go without saying,” said Munro.

A past member of the college’s Operations Management Society, he credits his business etiquette and confidence, refined through internships and volunteer experience, as the tickets to his success.

Now, as he finishes his first month on the job, Munro feels that he has already had excellent exposure to the company’s operations.

“The management and supervisor teams have been very welcoming as well as the hourly employees on the floor,” said Munro.  “I have been able to spend plenty of time with different people in their roles to get a broad perspective on what happens at our site on a day-to-day basis.”

Along with running his own production lines with about 30 employees, Munro also represents six other supervisors in daily status meetings with the management team. He’s even started a project to implement better practices to help cost savings.  “I can see many opportunities to come and am eager to learn and contribute more as I go,” added Munro, who is already feeling a huge sense of achievement.