The companies I have researched for this project include INTRUST Financial Corporation, Entercom Communications, Koch Industries, and Spirit AeroSystems. These companies all offer a variety of opportunities making them an attractive option for flexible job seekers.
INTRUST Bank Quick Insights
Name: INTRUST Financial Corp.
Address: 105 North Main Street Wichita, Kansas. 67212
Link to Homepage: https://www.intrustbank.com/
Phone: 1-316-383-1234
Contact Person: Jeff Morris- Chief Human Resource Officer
Insight
INTRUST financial corporation is a bank that offers personal and business financial solutions throughout the Midwest. The company is located within Wichita, Kansas. Services common to banking institutions are available such as wealth management, business loans, and credit lines. (Company Profile INTRUST Financial Corporation, 2020). INTRUST is composed of 48 establishments. The bank emphasizes their values-based approach to the communities they serve. This is reflected in their dedication to the United Way and the Kansas Society for Children with Challenges. As of July 2020, INTRUST Financial Corp. employed 847 people.
Opinion & Interest
The bank would be a convenient employment option for me because of its geographic location. Being in Wichita, Kansas, the headquarters of the bank would allow me to stay where I am after college. This company places its values at the forefront of its marketing. While this does not necessarily mean much when simply stated on a website or sales slogan, there is merit in the establishment of company values. The bank is also documented as the first bank to offer online banking in Kansas (Hart, 1997) which displays an innovative work-ethic. This is something I would enjoy being a part of. Taking some time to learn about the values and history of the organization you are applying for is invaluable. This can help you better understand the company culture. Having the ability to reference recent developments within the company during an interview may impress a potential employer. Additionally, this allows you to formulate appropriate questions for the interview.
Interview Questions
In this case, if the opportunity presented itself, I may say something akin to “I have read recently about how innovative the company is as far as technological integration within the workplace. What technologies do you recommend a new employee become familiar with throughout the first months on the job?” This gives me an opportunity to discuss what I have learned about the history of the company while showing my dedication to consistent learning. I would also take this opportunity to show how my values align with the companies founding principles. I might state that “I have been impressed by the company’s commitment to the principles that have fostered its growth for years. How can a new employee exemplify these values daily?” This will once again show that I have an interest in the company beyond just wanting a job. Further discussion about the values listed may also occur which will give me an opportunity to show I have researched the company and truly want the position.
Entercom Quick Insights
Name: Entercom Communications Corp.
Address: 2400 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Link to Homepage: https://entercom.com/
Phone: 1-610-6605-610
Contact Person: Martin Coyle – Senior Vice President- Human Resources
Insight
Entercom Communications is a radio broadcasting company that offers national and local broadcast throughout the nation. Broadcast types include various musical genres, news, talk, sports, and advertising. The company’s portfolio includes 235 stations. Its primary source of revenue is generated by selling advertising time to other business entities. Although the business operates as a single business segment, the stations themselves are subdivided into classifications such as sports, news, music, etc. (Company Profile Entercom Communications Corporation, 2020). The company also serves as a host for live events for concerts where it incorporates is digital and audio platforms to offer a fully integrated marketing solution. As an add-on to their services, the company also offers branded content marketing for creators looking to advertise on podcast and other digital platforms. In the last decade, Entercom has acquired many other stations and media outlets.
Opinion & Interest
This employer has several job openings that correlate with my telecommunications degree. On top of this, they build relationships with local businesses to curate a plan for advertisement and growth. This is the type of position that would interest me greatly due to my fascination with small businesses. The company’s wide range of platform niches and ability to change with the times have led it to become one of the premier radio networks in the nation despite a gradual decline in traditional broadcasting. Positions I would be interested in within this company include Account Executive positions and Digital Analytics jobs. Both positions would center around helping small businesses thrive and require excellent communications skills. With the knowledge I now possess about their marketing options, I would be able to educate myself on the tools required to succeed at the job. I would also be able to communicate an awareness of the company’s operations before I interviewed. Some basic knowledge of the local radio stations and their programming would also benefit me in a potential interview.
Interview Questions
There are an endless number of good questions to ask during an interview. However, ones specific to this company may be directed to how much these roles seem to change day to day. In the job descriptions, many responsibilities are listed. For this reason, I might ask “What a typical day looks like?’ This will show I am setting myself up for success by asking what I need to be prepared for. In pursuit of a position with this company, I might also take the opportunity to reiterate my qualifications and confirm with the potential employer why I am a good fit. To do this, I might say “I have really enjoyed similar positions in which I fostered interpersonal relationships for mutual benefit in the past. Based on my work-history and qualifications, are there any missing components I have in my resume that generate doubts about me being able to do this job?” This type of question gives you a final opportunity to discuss both your past work history and enthusiasm for the job.
Koch Quick Insights
Name: Koch Industries, Inc.
Address: 4111 East 37th Street N. Wichita, KS 67220
Link to Homepage: https://www.kochind.com/
Phone: 1-316-828-5500
Contact Person: Carrie Swartz- Talent Solutions Manager
Insight
Koch industries is the largest private company in the United States. The company is a multi-branched business entity with subsidiaries in a plethora of industries including manufacturing, conductors, energy, agriculture, software design and consumer products. Because of the sheer size of the company, it can be difficult to classify. This leads to plenty of opportunities for job seekers. Koch began as an oil refinement company (Leonard, 2014) but quickly absorbed companies dealing in chemical refining and pipeline construction. Koch now has holding in nearly every industry throughout the world.
Opinion & Interest
Koch has something for anyone with a marketable skill, but I would likely go into their software development or marketing departments if I were to apply. What would attract me the most to this company would be the number of opportunities they offer. Growth and career advancement would be present throughout the company. When researching this company, I found some evidence of things that would dissuade me from applying. These include an environmental violation in which one of their subsidiaries was found guilty of stealing oil from a native American reservation (Leonard et al., 2019). While the company inevitably does lots of good, my findings would dissuade me from applying.
Interview Questions
An interview with Koch industries could be done in many ways so becoming knowledgeable in exactly what your role will be within the company would be the key to success. With so many industries working together, the interviewee may benefit from clarifying what their responsibilities would be to ensure they are applying for a position they want and are qualified for. Something along the lines of “What are the most important skills or characteristics needed to succeed in this occupation?” might lead to some enlightening feedback. Huge companies such as these also often have unseen benefits that a new employee should be aware of. To educate oneself about these possible programs an interviewee might ask “Are there any opportunities for training or certification programs offered through the company?’ This type of question might reveal a college pay back program or course that could become a huge factor towards accepting a job from Koch or another company when the offers start coming in.
Spirit AeroSystems Quick Insights
Name: Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.
Address: 3801 South Oliver Street
Link to Homepage: https://www.spiritaero.com/
Phone: 1-316-526-9000
Contact Person: Lindsay Brokschmidt- Talent Acquisition Lead.
Insight
Spirit AeroSystems was founded in 2005 after a merger of Boeing plants and BAE systems. This strategy of acquisition and expansion has been key to Spirit’s growth and business strategy. spirit runs its operations out of its headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Spirit also operates manufacturing plants throughout the U.S, Malaysia, and in European nations. As of late 2020, Spirit employed around 18,200 people (Company Profile Spirit AeroSystems Inc. 2020). Business operations for this company are split into three segments including Fuselage Systems, Propulsion Systems and Wing Systems.
Opinion & Interest
As the city’s largest employer (Clark, 2015), Spirit is a foundational piece of my hometown in Wichita. Although they specialize in all parts pertaining to airplane manufacturing, they also partake in chemical processing. Spirit also employs both aerospace and software engineers. With such many opportunities available and growth on the horizon, Spirit is a great choice for post-graduates looking for employment to send an application. I personally do not see myself as a good fit for most of the positions they offer but with the number of jobs available throughout the company I find myself checking in often to see if any new opening may be more in line with my skillset.
Interview Questions
Appropriate questions for an interviewer would largely depend on the role you are applying for in this company. When looking to get your foot in the door, you may be applying for a position you eventually want to ‘grow out’ of as your qualifications and education advance. It would behoove an interviewee to ask a question along the lines of “Is there room for growth in this position and what can an employee do to obtain more qualifications that merit advancement?” This type of question will give you a good idea on how essential the position is and how to make yourself an asset to the company. To confirm this type of inquiry you may ask your interviewer “what new position or role did the worker who held this position before me advance to?” This could be very beneficial if you get some information about the person who formally held your role. The individual may be able to give you advice on success.
References
Clark, I. (2015, October 26). Who are Wichita’s Largest Employers? 360Wichita.com. https://www.360wichita.com/blog/Local/largest-employers.html.
Hart, T. (1997). Intrust to debut advanced on-line product. Wichita Business Journal, 12(45).
LEONARD, C. (2014). The New Koch. Fortune, 169(1), 60.
Leonard, C., White, J. B., Sitrin, S. S. and C., & Gerstein, B. M. and J. (2019, July 22). How an Oil Theft Investigation Laid the Groundwork for the Koch Playbook. POLITICO Magazine. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/07/22/kochland-excerpt-senate-investigation-oil-theft-native-american-tribes-227412.
MarketLine. (2020, April 15). Entercom Communications Corp. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
database
MarketLine. (2020, July 14). INTRUST Financial Corp. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
MarketLine. (2020, January 09). Koch Industries Inc. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
MarketLine. (2020, December 18). Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
Hi Benjamin,
I think you did a great job with the organization of this post. Everything was clearly laid out and you made it easy to find the sections I was looking for. It’s very cool that INTRUST was the first bank in Kansas to offer online banking. I would be interested to know about other innovations that have been implemented since then. I agree with what you wrote in the Entercom section about how it’s hard to know what your role would be day-to-day if a bunch of responsibilities are listed for the position. I like that you’d ask about a typical day because that can help you prepare for the job. Looking through their website, what interested me the most about Entercom is the benefits they provide for their employees. They offer pet insurance, paid time off to volunteer, and help paying off college loans. I love when companies offer little perks like that. It helps set themselves apart from the rest.
Good day Benjamin. I thought you put a great deal of time and effort in your presentation of potential employees. It definitely shows in the type of interviewing questions you choose to ask. I also work in the IT field and would like to prewarn you that many employers will tell you whatever you want to hear to fill open positions and this should be expected when applying for entry level positions. I’ve been told this many times in interviews that there is potential growth but it all depends on the section of IT in which you plan to pursue. A prime example of this is in IT Networking. Advancement is somewhat difficult at small companies simply because people don’t trend to leave these types positions. Great post.
Daryl,
Thank you for the enlightening outlook! I suppose that might emphasize the importance of trying to get a second opinion from somebody who works within the company at a similar level to one you are being interviewed for. The size of the company is also something relevant to consider.
Good job putting a lot of research into the companies that you chose to include in your list. It looks like you are casting a wide net in your job search that is good and should get you something that you will be happy with. I can say from experience that getting your first job in tech is the hardest and after that it gets much easier. One avenue that most people don’t consider is schools. Colleges and primary schools have networks that need to be maintained and databases that have to be administered. There is some room for programming within these jobs from script writing and implementation of automated processes.
Spirit is a interesting one. I actually had Textron on mine, but got to thinking how much they lay off. Would that be concern to you?
The aircraft industry is profitable but can certainly be heartless. When I was a teenager my father lost his job at spirit after they closed their plant in Salina. I also have a brother in law that recently lost his job after last years layoffs. Truth be told, my future plans are more entrepreneurial in nature but I still look for positions that may give me relevant experience.