National Intern Day is a chance to spotlight business leaders of the future and what they contribute to companies like Tyson Foods every year. This summer, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming 215 interns at our locations across the United States. 

Completing an internship allows college and post-grad students to gain hands-on experience in their field of interest, build professional connections, and test various career paths. Michael Tullis, an IT business analyst intern from the University of Arkansas says he’s always been curious about one particular career path. 

“My intern mentor knows I have an interest in robotics,” Tullis said. “He helped set up a meeting for me with the automation team, where I heard about Tyson’s investments in engineering and the IT space. I learned about how much they are devoting to that area and the robotics field.”  

Tullis said making a connection with the robotics team was one way his mentor has gone above and beyond to maximize his experience. 

“That’s not something he had to do or something a lot of people in other companies would do,” he adds.  

IT is not the only area that harnesses student potential at Tyson Foods. Interns sit within various areas of the enterprise, including finance, legal, operations, research and development, and more. This year’s Summer Intern Series has included networking and educational events for students, both in-person and virtually, and connected Tyson interns from various locations. 

“The Summer Intern Series is beneficial because they get visibility to the leadership at Tyson Foods as well as developmental sessions to aid them in building their career,” said Alexandria Ham, one of Tyson’s associate recruiters focused solely on college relations. 

A highlight of the Series was the Kick-Off Orientation – held and hosted by Tyson Foods President & CEO Donnie King. King spoke about his career trajectory within Tyson, vision for the company, and gave advice on how to navigate today’s career landscape. Interns also participated in Business Resource Group presentations, a Leadership Q&A, Resume Building Group Breakouts and connected with a LinkedIn representative about best practices on the platform.  

Brooke Bradford, a foodservice intern who attends the University of Arkansas, says the benefits of a Tyson internship go well beyond departmental tasks and resume-building experiences.  

“Networking is the biggest perk of working at Tyson,” Bradford said. “Getting introductions to people, even at the highest level, has come easily. People want you to succeed, and they want you to leave here with a positive experience. It’s easy to meet good people and understand what a future job may look like.” 

It’s given interns a taste of company culture and what Tyson truly values. 

“Even as an intern, I see the benefits of how Tyson takes care of its people,” she says. “They’re really invested in keeping people at the company and helping them grow in their career.”  

To find out more about internship opportunities available at Tyson Foods, please visit here.