Eric Ableitner hasn’t graduated yet, but he already has several job offers to choose from. “Right now I’m going back to several companies, to see more about what they offer,” explained Eric, who is majoring in international business. One of the jobs he’s considering would involve traveling abroad to improve the international development of a company, working in distribution, repair, transportation, and replenishment.
Overseas travel is not new to Eric, who has studied abroad in Germany and Brazil. On his first trip, he worked in a German day spa and learned the language. Eric returned to Germany a year later to work in the transportation logistics department of Norgren, a pneumatics company. Because his family is originally from Germany, Eric took advantage of this opportunity to learn more about his culture and heritage.
The following summer, Eric spend several weeks in Brazil, touring companies and learning about how Brazilian businesses are affected by the economics and infrastructure of the country.
Eric also got valuable work experience through an internship at Walmart. As a Walmart intern, Eric completed a project that established the most efficient and effective ways to distribute different products through Walmart facilities. He also worked as a replenishment manager, making sure that Walmart stores kept enough stock on the shelves to meet customer demand.
On campus, Eric is active in many extracurricular activities, including Leadership Walton, the German academic honor society, and the University of Arkansas Career Center’s Professional Development Institute. In 2009, he won the University of Arkansas’ Logistics Mock Case Competition, and went on to compete in an actual case competition at the University of North Florida. In addition to his classes and extracurricular activities, Eric also finds time for community service, volunteering for food drives and helping to organize a golf tournament to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.
One of the things Eric appreciates most about his experience at the Walton College is the opportunity to learn from professors and classmates. “Every class I took was phenomenal,” he said. “The U of A has helped me increase my capacity to think.”
