The three goals I had set for myself as a CSR intern at ON Semiconductor a few months ago were as follows:
1. Further understand the relationship between the for profit and not-for-profit sector.
2. Strengthen my ability to be a good team player.
3. Provide informative yet concise presentations.
In regards to my first goal, I believe I've learnt a significant amount about the intersectional relationship between businesses and nonprofits both through my internship but also MPA program. Sustainability reporting through the GRI requires me to understand the requirements on the GRI, which was initiated by the nonprofit sector. Furthermore, in developing a corporate giving program and volunteer time off policy, I've also had to learn more about nonprofits. In relation to giving, one area that is important is overhead ratio. Nonprofit organizations strive to lower overhead in order to attract giving from donors. This aspect was especially evident when attempting to devise thresholds for giving from a corporate perspective. With volunteering, I needed to learn more about the different types of opportunities afforded by nonprofits and how well they match with the core values of ON Semiconductor along with their business goals.
In regards to my ability to become a strong team player, I definitely believe I've made progress. Two projects that I worked on, namely EcoVadis and GRI, required a high level of collaboration between various departments and team members. For EcoVadis, I worked with a team of approximately four employees and collaborated with various departments in order to provide the necessary information. The results of the teamwork were evident through our score which improved significantly from the previous year we completed the same assessment. In regards to the GRI, I am still working with various departments and learning how better to improve processes in order to make sustainability reporting an easier endeavor for the company.
Lastly, I believe I have taken a step in the right director to provide informative, yet concise presentations. I've given a series of presentations, often on the same topic. This has allowed me to tweak presentations to ensure that I am improving on the content I provide. Over time, I've also become more comfortable with one-on-one presentations, small group presentations, and conference presentations.
Overall, I have made progress on each of the goals I set during at the start of my internship. In the future, I aim to keep improving in each of three aforementioned goals while also developing new goals that I can work toward.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Thank you
While in my couple of weeks at ON Semiconductor as a CSR intern, I wanted to say the following to my supervisor:
I wanted to thank my supervisor for providing me the invaluable opportunity of interning at ON Semiconductor as a CSR intern since May, 2015. While I had dreamed of landing a CSR role within a company, I never initially thought I had the right type of experience or credentials for the position. Luckily, my supervisor saw something in me when first reviewing my resume and finally speaking with me during the interview.
My supervisor has not only been a manager who I have reported to but also a mentor who I've learnt a great deal from. One thing I am most thankful for is the encouragement and confidence that my supervisor has provided me. Through the opportunities afforded, I've become a much more confident and effective public speaker. Prior to this May, I used to be terrified of speaking to both smaller and larger groups of people, especially if those in the audience were more experienced. My supervisor, however, allowed me to present in front of various other employees within the company including the CEO. Knowing how nervous I was, though, she spent about an hour with me prior to the presentation just so I could rehearse.
Besides building my confidence, my supervisor has also allowed me learn so much about the CSR field. I've been placed on several different projects involving sustainability reporting, volunteer time off, and corporate giving. In regards to corporate giving, rather than just facilitating a program that she designed, I was provided the independence to both create and run the programs myself. This shows the level of trust my supervisor has in me, and I am thankful for that.
Lastly, I am extremely grateful for the full time position I will be starting at ON Semiconductor in January, 2016. I am glad that my supervisor saw the potential in me to grow from an intern to a full time staff. I look forward to continuing to work within a CSR capacity at ON Semiconductor and hope that I can add significant value to the company.
I wanted to thank my supervisor for providing me the invaluable opportunity of interning at ON Semiconductor as a CSR intern since May, 2015. While I had dreamed of landing a CSR role within a company, I never initially thought I had the right type of experience or credentials for the position. Luckily, my supervisor saw something in me when first reviewing my resume and finally speaking with me during the interview.
My supervisor has not only been a manager who I have reported to but also a mentor who I've learnt a great deal from. One thing I am most thankful for is the encouragement and confidence that my supervisor has provided me. Through the opportunities afforded, I've become a much more confident and effective public speaker. Prior to this May, I used to be terrified of speaking to both smaller and larger groups of people, especially if those in the audience were more experienced. My supervisor, however, allowed me to present in front of various other employees within the company including the CEO. Knowing how nervous I was, though, she spent about an hour with me prior to the presentation just so I could rehearse.
Besides building my confidence, my supervisor has also allowed me learn so much about the CSR field. I've been placed on several different projects involving sustainability reporting, volunteer time off, and corporate giving. In regards to corporate giving, rather than just facilitating a program that she designed, I was provided the independence to both create and run the programs myself. This shows the level of trust my supervisor has in me, and I am thankful for that.
Lastly, I am extremely grateful for the full time position I will be starting at ON Semiconductor in January, 2016. I am glad that my supervisor saw the potential in me to grow from an intern to a full time staff. I look forward to continuing to work within a CSR capacity at ON Semiconductor and hope that I can add significant value to the company.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
What I have learnt through the MPA
As my final post, I thought it would be most appropriate to talk about my experience within the MPA program at ASU. A couple of years ago, I knew that I wanted to get a Master's degree but I was unsure of what program to actually pursue. I had worked for the nonprofit sector for a while at that point and realized that my true passion resided within that sector. After some research, I realized that the MPA was the most appropriate program for myself if I wanted to continue working in the nonprofit sector, and ASU had one of the top 20 programs in the nation. I clearly remember that it was one evening in April 2014 that I was accepted into the MPA program at ASU. I could not wait to begin my journey in Phoenix, Arizona.
The MPA program has been invaluable in allowing me to develop both soft-skills and sound knowledge on aspects of the nonprofit sector that I was not exposed to previously. This includes classes on human resource management, organizational behavior, financial management, nonprofit management, and budgeting. I have also developed stronger interpersonal skills, time management, and communication skills through the MPA. In regards to interpersonal skills, this final semester has been especially helpful as I've participated in three group projects requiring coordination and teamwork. Written communication skills on the other hand have been necessary throughout the program as I drafted essays, reports, and memos for various classes. While verbal communication skills were necessary in the MPA, I believe this particular skill was most needed and therefore developed during my internship.
Overall, I believe the MPA has been an excellent experience and has allowed me to be exactly where I wanted. It was half way through the MPA that I realized that I wanted experience within the CSR field. Even though I do not have a background in sustainability which is often key for CSR roles, several of the knowledge I gained from the MPA was useful in securing an internship and eventually full-time employment.
The MPA program has been invaluable in allowing me to develop both soft-skills and sound knowledge on aspects of the nonprofit sector that I was not exposed to previously. This includes classes on human resource management, organizational behavior, financial management, nonprofit management, and budgeting. I have also developed stronger interpersonal skills, time management, and communication skills through the MPA. In regards to interpersonal skills, this final semester has been especially helpful as I've participated in three group projects requiring coordination and teamwork. Written communication skills on the other hand have been necessary throughout the program as I drafted essays, reports, and memos for various classes. While verbal communication skills were necessary in the MPA, I believe this particular skill was most needed and therefore developed during my internship.
Overall, I believe the MPA has been an excellent experience and has allowed me to be exactly where I wanted. It was half way through the MPA that I realized that I wanted experience within the CSR field. Even though I do not have a background in sustainability which is often key for CSR roles, several of the knowledge I gained from the MPA was useful in securing an internship and eventually full-time employment.
The Strengths & Weaknesses of ON Semiconductor
ON Semiconductor has been an incredible company to work at for the last few months and learn about CSR. Perhaps one could argue that a weakness of ON Semiconductor is its lack of a robust CSR program. The company has only published two CSR reports, both of which are very basic in content. Neither of the reports have also been benchmarked according to an external standard. Similarly, ON Semiconductor does not have a corporate giving or volunteer time off program. While each of these factors may be considered weaknesses, they have proven to be very helpful in allowing me to grow.
Since ON Semiconductor does not have a holistic CSR program, I have been responsible in creating much of the program. This includes doing the first GRI report, drafting the next CSR report with added content, launching a corporate giving program in January, and developing a volunteer time off policy. Accordingly, ON Semiconductor has presented me with several opportunities to grow.
A true weakness of ON Semiconductor, from what I have seen in my limited time is perhaps the culture in relation to philanthropy. In the past, ON Semiconductor has not been as active during our annual United Way campaigns. Similarly, programs such as corporate giving and volunteer time off have been resisted as they do not conform with the company's existing culture. I can understand why this is the case: both volunteerism and giving cost a company money. Accordingly, there will always be resistance from individuals who are focused on the financial bottom line. Having said that, however, I do believe things are changing. Hopefully over the years, the culture of the company will transform into one that is actively and willingly engaged within the community as a good corporate citizen.
Since ON Semiconductor does not have a holistic CSR program, I have been responsible in creating much of the program. This includes doing the first GRI report, drafting the next CSR report with added content, launching a corporate giving program in January, and developing a volunteer time off policy. Accordingly, ON Semiconductor has presented me with several opportunities to grow.
A true weakness of ON Semiconductor, from what I have seen in my limited time is perhaps the culture in relation to philanthropy. In the past, ON Semiconductor has not been as active during our annual United Way campaigns. Similarly, programs such as corporate giving and volunteer time off have been resisted as they do not conform with the company's existing culture. I can understand why this is the case: both volunteerism and giving cost a company money. Accordingly, there will always be resistance from individuals who are focused on the financial bottom line. Having said that, however, I do believe things are changing. Hopefully over the years, the culture of the company will transform into one that is actively and willingly engaged within the community as a good corporate citizen.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Mapping my future
For my capstone class this semester, I was required to developed a five to ten year career and learning plan. Since 10 years seemed to far out into the future, I opted to create a five year "map", a portion of which I thought I would share with you:
I've often found it difficult to to clearly determine a roadmap for my professional career. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have diverse experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. However, much of this experience was a result of chance. Since starting my internship at ON Semiconductor, however, I have realized that my interest does in fact lie in for-profit companies and I have been more deliberate in carving out a space for myself within the private sector while addressing public issues.
I would like to continue developing in the area of corporate social responsibility in Phoenix, AZ. Since May 2015, I have learnt a significant amount about sustainability and human rights issues that are most pertinent to the semiconductor or electronics industry. For example, the sustainability reporting I currently engage in is closely related to the EICC.
In the immediate future, I would like to continue working in a full-time capacity at ON Semiconductor. Fortunately, I will be doing so starting January 2016. This way, I will get to continue working on several of the projects I have already started. I think it would have almost felt wrong if I had left the company before I got to see each of the projects to completion! In the next five years, though, I would be open to the idea of other organizations with robust CSR programs. If I want to remain in Phoenix, AZ, I believe Intel will be the ideal workplace as it is one of the largest electronics companies in Phoenix and has a strong and respectable CSR program.
Until then, however, I look forward to my career at ON Semiconductor and hope that I can contribute to my fullest capacity in order to develop a strong corporate social responsibility program that benefits all of our stakeholders including employees, customers, shareholders, and the community generally.
I've often found it difficult to to clearly determine a roadmap for my professional career. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have diverse experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. However, much of this experience was a result of chance. Since starting my internship at ON Semiconductor, however, I have realized that my interest does in fact lie in for-profit companies and I have been more deliberate in carving out a space for myself within the private sector while addressing public issues.
I would like to continue developing in the area of corporate social responsibility in Phoenix, AZ. Since May 2015, I have learnt a significant amount about sustainability and human rights issues that are most pertinent to the semiconductor or electronics industry. For example, the sustainability reporting I currently engage in is closely related to the EICC.
In the immediate future, I would like to continue working in a full-time capacity at ON Semiconductor. Fortunately, I will be doing so starting January 2016. This way, I will get to continue working on several of the projects I have already started. I think it would have almost felt wrong if I had left the company before I got to see each of the projects to completion! In the next five years, though, I would be open to the idea of other organizations with robust CSR programs. If I want to remain in Phoenix, AZ, I believe Intel will be the ideal workplace as it is one of the largest electronics companies in Phoenix and has a strong and respectable CSR program.
Until then, however, I look forward to my career at ON Semiconductor and hope that I can contribute to my fullest capacity in order to develop a strong corporate social responsibility program that benefits all of our stakeholders including employees, customers, shareholders, and the community generally.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Career services
After being an intern at ON Semiconductor for almost 6 months, I was finally offered a full time role within a CSR capacity. Due to my goal of securing employment at ON Semiconductor after graduating this semester, I decided to speak to my supervisor directly on any opportunities within the company about two months ago. I thought it would be best to be upfront and let her know that I was about to start applying for jobs but would really appreciate the opportunity to stay at ON Semiconductor. Accordingly, I decided to avoid any career services until I was sure about my prospect at ON Semiconductor.
As of January 25, 2016 I will be the Corporate Social Responsibility Analyst at ON Semiconductor! My main job responsibilities will remain mostly the same with the addition of internal audits. Due to EICC and customer requirements, ON Semiconductor conducts internal audits at all of our manufacturing sites globally to ensure that we are meeting certain standards. While I have not engaged in audits till date, this is one area that I am looking forward to gaining experience in. Along with conducting audits I will also continue working on projects I have already started: the GRI (with 2015 data), the 2016 CSR report, corporate giving, and volunteer time off.
I can say that it has been an incredible relief to securing a job prior to completing to school. I look forward to enjoying a month off after the semester finishes as I plan on traveling to Australia and India!
As of January 25, 2016 I will be the Corporate Social Responsibility Analyst at ON Semiconductor! My main job responsibilities will remain mostly the same with the addition of internal audits. Due to EICC and customer requirements, ON Semiconductor conducts internal audits at all of our manufacturing sites globally to ensure that we are meeting certain standards. While I have not engaged in audits till date, this is one area that I am looking forward to gaining experience in. Along with conducting audits I will also continue working on projects I have already started: the GRI (with 2015 data), the 2016 CSR report, corporate giving, and volunteer time off.
I can say that it has been an incredible relief to securing a job prior to completing to school. I look forward to enjoying a month off after the semester finishes as I plan on traveling to Australia and India!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Public service
According to economist Milton Friedman, the biggest social responsibility of a corporation is to maximize profit for shareholders. In fact, this was the dominant view among businesses for several decades as they only focused on profit as their bottom line. However, more recently, corporations have started to realize that they do in fact have a role in public service. This role involves social, economic, and environmental issues (in other words, the tipple bottom line).
Environmentally, a business must monitor and eventually reduce the amount of water and electricity consumed. A company must also have an adequate waste management system for both solid and chemical wastes. Such programs have been adopted by ON Semiconductor and are evident in the company's CSR reports.
Along with producing profit, a business must also strive toward social justice in order to secure a healthy and talented workforce. This involves hiring and remunerating individuals according to work-related standards as opposed to gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc. ON Semiconductor is a company that does in fact follow such standards and compensates individuals according to his or her talent.
Socially, ON Semiconductor is working toward establishing more robust philanthropic programs that will allow the company to invest greater time and money within communities. This includes a corporate giving program as well as a volunteer time off policy. The company has also taken a strong stance on conflict minerals, which has posed a significant human rights issue in the DRC and adjacent country. Accordingly, ON Semiconductor strives relentlessly to ensure that there is no trace of conflict minerals throughout the company's supply chain.
Ultimately, while being a corporation, ON Semiconductor is committed to public service by developing sustainable business practices that minimizes businesses's carbon footprint and enhances its social impact within its workforce and community. In that sense, ON Semiconductor is a corporate citizen adhering to several of the tenants followed by public sector organizations that are engaged in public service or urban development.
Environmentally, a business must monitor and eventually reduce the amount of water and electricity consumed. A company must also have an adequate waste management system for both solid and chemical wastes. Such programs have been adopted by ON Semiconductor and are evident in the company's CSR reports.
Along with producing profit, a business must also strive toward social justice in order to secure a healthy and talented workforce. This involves hiring and remunerating individuals according to work-related standards as opposed to gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc. ON Semiconductor is a company that does in fact follow such standards and compensates individuals according to his or her talent.
Socially, ON Semiconductor is working toward establishing more robust philanthropic programs that will allow the company to invest greater time and money within communities. This includes a corporate giving program as well as a volunteer time off policy. The company has also taken a strong stance on conflict minerals, which has posed a significant human rights issue in the DRC and adjacent country. Accordingly, ON Semiconductor strives relentlessly to ensure that there is no trace of conflict minerals throughout the company's supply chain.
Ultimately, while being a corporation, ON Semiconductor is committed to public service by developing sustainable business practices that minimizes businesses's carbon footprint and enhances its social impact within its workforce and community. In that sense, ON Semiconductor is a corporate citizen adhering to several of the tenants followed by public sector organizations that are engaged in public service or urban development.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)