Erik Kalnes

Major: Financial Counseling and Planning
Company/Organization: Microplastics, Inc.
Company/Organization website: http://www.microplasticsinc.com/
Destination: Saint Charles, IL
Timeframe: Spring
Advisor/Coordinator Email: steckelb@iastate.edu

Responsibilities

This position is responsible for assisting in coordinating financial cost and inventory analysis functions necessary to support, control and report on the Company’s operational performance. Establish variance analysis reporting by department and product category so that the Management Team is kept informed of pertinent financial information regarding actual cost variances to standard. Other key responsibilities include coordinating of the Pay for Performance Program, inventory analysis, physical inventory accuracy and turns, special projects as identified by the CFO and Controller, and the establishment of corporate standards, policies and procedures.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during my internship was developing our new pay for performance program, implementing it, and training management and the supervisors how to use it. I, with assistance from upper level management, created the performance review criteria, and set up the reviews in our human capital management software called paylocity. I then gave multiple PP presentations on how to give reviews as well as to emphasis the importance of them.

What advice would you give?

My advice would be to be willing to get out of your comfort zone. It can be justifiably nerve racking going to work for a company, but being willing to learn and try new things will be a great benefit to your success.

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