5 Tips from Hiring Managers - How to Land a Montana Tech Job or Internship
From left to right: John Suh, founding director of New Horizons Studio Hyundai Motor Group R&D Division; Christina Henderson, executive director of the Alliance and panel facilitator; Shawna Alexander, engineering senior manager for Boeing Helena; and Tony Rosanova, president and chief technology officer of Zoot Enterprises. On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, MHTBA and the MSU Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering co-hosted the panel “How to Get Montana Tech Jobs & Internships” to help increase the pipeline of students into high-paying tech jobs. Photos courtesy of Tyson Krinke, Bright Side Photo & Video.
March 24, 2023
By Melissa Paulsen
On February 22, 2023, three leaders from Boeing Helena, Hyundai Motor Group, and Zoot Enterprises spoke on the employer panel “How to Get Montana Tech Jobs and Internships.” The panel was co-hosted by the Alliance and the Montana State University Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering in celebration of Engineer’s Week. To help the next generation of prospective employees confidently apply for tech jobs and internships in Montana, each employer shared what positions they hire, what their internship programs entail, and how candidates can make a good first impression. Here are five key takeaways from the conversation.
#1: Do Your Homework
Tony Rosanova, president and chief technology for Zoot Enterprises, shares why students should research companies to make a good impression on recruiters when applying for Montana tech jobs and internships.
Each hiring manager agreed that the best place to start when applying for tech jobs or internships is to research the company. Learning what the company does, their core values, and their size, can help students determine if their values align and if the position is a good fit overall. Recruiters often appreciate when a student has done their homework because it demonstrates professionalism and a shared passion for the company’s mission.
“Understand what we do and why we’re here,” said Tony Rosanova, president and chief technology officer for Zoot Enterprises. “When you show up prepared [and] ready to talk to us, we’ll take your call. Engage with us [because] we want to know you’re interested in what we do as well.”
With locations in both Bozeman and Billings, Zoot Enterprises is a global software company providing origination, acquisition, and decision management solutions to the nation’s top financial institutions. Zoot hires for positions in sales and marketing, accounting, human resources, project management, business analysis, and quality assurance engineering.
Zoot’s internship program is entirely project based and hires around 10 to 15 new interns a year. The company transitions about 30 percent of its interns into full-time roles. Less than five percent of Zoot’s total workforce is fully remote as the company highly encourages face-to-face collaboration and creativity among its employees.
Rosanova also emphasized the importance of a candidate’s attitude and aptitude. “If you’re on an internship with us, you're working on real work, and you're working with real clients,” he said. “Our idea is that if you're willing to give us your time, we're going to give you something real [to] put on your resume. So, then, absolutely do your best.”
#2: Take the Time to Write a Cover Letter
John Suh, founding director of Hyundai’s New Horizon Studio R&D Division in Bozeman, discusses why cover letters are important during the employer panel “How to Get Montana Tech Jobs & Internships.”
Taking the time to invest in a cover letter can pay dividends. Cover letters allow a candidate to express themselves and their qualifications for the job much better than mere bullet points on a resume.
John Suh, founding director of Hyundai’s New Horizons Studio R&D Division in Bozeman, shared how students can use a cover letter to support their resumes with specific details.
“The cover letter is a great way to talk about yourself [because] it’s where you can talk about what you like about the company and why you’re applying,” Suh said. “It takes time to do that [but] writing is an important soft skill. I think [cover letters] do increase your chances [of getting an interview].”
Hyundai’s New Horizons Studio R&D Division in Bozeman designs and tests ultimate mobility vehicles, or cars that transform from 4-wheeled drive to 4-legged walking machines. One of the purposes of Hyundai’s ultimate mobility vehicles involves carrying payloads across remote or otherwise inaccessible terrain. Hyundai hires for a variety of engineering roles ranging from control software development, robotics, mechanical, electrical, and more. Positions in business operations are also available. Suh said Hyundai follows a 3:2 model where employees spend three days in the office and work two days remotely.
Internships with Hyundai provide valuable hands-on experience for students. Suh compared the program to an independent study. “What [Hyundai] offers is real engineering work,” he said. “You can own the project [and] make it something that you could put on a resume. Work hard [and] put your mind to it because, just like anything in life, the more you put into it the more you’ll get out of it.”
Bozeman’s R&D division is still at the beginning stages of building its team and Suh is looking to hire more interns over the summer. During the next two years, Hyundai plans to transition its work on ultimate mobility vehicles from the Silicon Valley to Bozeman.
#3: Showcase Soft Skills
Shawna Alexander, senior engineering manager for Boeing Helena, explains why students should hone their soft skills like teamwork and communication to help set themselves up for future success.
Shawna Alexander, senior engineering manager for Boeing Helena highlighted the importance of soft skills, or “people skills,” such as teamwork and communication.
“Recognizing and working on honing your soft skills is important,” Alexander said. “Being able to communicate and collaborate with people is invaluable. You can always teach someone the technical skills, but it's really those soft skills that are going to set you apart.”
Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. Alexander’s team takes an engineer’s design and produces the idea into a physical product. Her team has grown from 12 to 34 employees and Boeing is looking to continue its steady growth in Montana. Boeing hires for a variety of positions such as roles in engineering, quality assurance, manufacturing, industrial equipment, liaison, manufacturing, machining, finance, and business operations. While roles in engineering and manufacturing are often onsite, Boeing also offers some remote work opportunities.
Through its summer internship program, Boeing gives students real-world experience and often a direct pathway toward full-time employment.
“[Interns] need to put in the work, but if they show us what they can do, 9 times out of 10, we’ll keep them full-time because we like what we see,” Alexander said.
If selected for an internship, students can choose their hub, allowing them to explore new locations or stay close to home in Montana.
“One of the best things about Boeing is that you can go anywhere, and you can do anything,” Alexander added. “But here in Helena, you still have that small town feel.”
#4: Practice Your Pitch
In addition to researching the company and honing their soft skills, students should also practice their pitch to exemplify why they’re the best candidate for the job.
“Know your story and practice it,” Rosanova said. “Why do you want the internship? What do you hope to accomplish? Be a maniacal ‘practicer.’ When you practice, you have a better chance of getting the result you want.”
Alexander agreed and suggested that students should show up to career fairs prepared to talk about themselves and their goals. Students should also bring a portfolio of their previous work to show recruiters what they’ve been working on.
Rosanova added that hiring managers want to get to know the people behind the resume. He advised students to not be afraid of sharing what excites them and to let their personality shine at career fairs.
“Don't be afraid to share your passion,” Rosanova said. “We tend to want to be perfect on paper. But we're all human and we have flaws. We all have things that excite us, so be willing to share that, because that means you're more trustful and more transparent with us. We get to know who you are and then we can count on you.”
#5: Stay Adaptable to Welcome New Career Opportunities
All three hiring managers agreed that students need to stay adaptable and open to new career opportunities.
“Set goals and work towards those goals while still being adaptable,” Alexander said. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable, because we always have the best laid plans, but things always change, so you need to be able to adapt.”
Suh’s career story models the importance of adaptability and illustrates how career pathways are not always linear. During the recession of the early 2000s, Suh was forced to go into a different field of work he never anticipated.
“I had gone to law school, got my PhD, and thought I was going to do research,” he explained. “Instead, I found myself doing technical sales and customer service, but the net effect was being in front of a lot of people, talking to them, understanding what their needs were, and really understanding the sales process better. In hindsight, it was a fantastic learning experience overall. Being able to navigate ambiguity is really important. So, don't be afraid of the ‘squiggly line’ effect that might happen in your career.”
About the Publisher: Launched in 2014, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance is a nonpartisan nonprofit association of more than 200 high tech and manufacturing companies and affiliates creating high-paying jobs in Montana. For more information, visit MTHighTech.org or subscribe to our biweekly newsletter.
About the Author: Melissa Paulsen is the Communications Coordinator for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2022 with a BFA in creative writing and a minor in history.
