Posted 5:31 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012
A corporate event Oct. 1, organized with La Crosse’s Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C., was the first time the Alumni Association helped organize an event to bring together UW-L students and alums working for a local corporation.
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A corporate event Oct. 1, organized with La Crosse’s Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C., was the first time the Alumni Association helped organize an event to bring together UW-L students and alums working for a local corporation.[/caption]
Companies look for qualified applicants. Students seek careers. And the UW-L Alumni Association is helping the two connect.
A corporate event Oct. 1, organized with La Crosse’s Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C., was the first time the Alumni Association helped organize an event to bring together UW-L students and alums working for a local corporation. The session at Reinhart also included UW-L faculty and Reinhart executives. It paved the way for future career opportunities for students and networking.
Reinhart hoped to make connections with students to potentially fill future needs — particularly in fields seeing the most demand: business, accounting and information technology. Students were able to hear firsthand what work in their field would be like. At the event, UW-L alums and Reinhart employees shared their career experience at Reinhart. They discussed career opportunities at the La Crosse location, company philosophies and potential for advancement.
Keli Highland, assistant director of the UW-L Alumni Association, says the alumni real-world career perspective is invaluable to students.
“Alums are often looking for a way to give back and this is a great way for them to offer experience and guidance to students,” says Highland.
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Autumn Kletzien-Zietlow, corporate finance shared services manager for Reinhart, talks to a UW-L student Brett Davisduring the Reinhart event.[/caption]
The connection comes at an opportune time for Reinhart, which is growing. The family-owned business has expanded to cover 39 states and employ 4,500 people nationwide, says Janelle Pogodzinski, human resources manager for Reinhart Foodservice. Much of the corporation’s growth is happening in downtown La Crosse. A corporate office at 300 Harborview Plaza provides business, accounting, and information technology services to 28 Reinhart locations across the country.
Inside, office spaces are quickly filling to meet demand.
“We recruit from a variety of schools. Students out of UW-L are so strong,” says Pogodzinski. “Their resumes are polished. They are prepared for interviews. They present themselves well and take it seriously.”
The company is also familiar with quality programs. Autumn Kletzien-Zietlow, corporate finance shared services manager for Reinhart, says she is personally familiar with the caliber of UW-L classes after graduating from the College of Business Administration in 2004. She also knows about UW-L’s high Certified Public Accountant exam pass rates and the overall preparation of students.
At least 20 of the La Crosse location’s 180 employees are UW-L alums.
“The students who are coming out of UW-L are very well prepared,” notes Kletzien-Zietlow.
Reinhart also sees the Alumni Association partnership as a way to help recruit alums in mid-level management positions who are no longer in the area, but may be interested in returning. The La Crosse campus location is looking for professionals with corporate experience to apply for career opportunities.
Are you an alum interested in mid-level management opportunities?
Alums interested in Reinhart career opportunities can contact Janelle Pogodzinski, human resources manager: hrcorp@rfsdelivers.com.
Does your company want to partner with the Alumni Association?
The alumni association will continue to look for opportunities to hold corporate events. Companies interested in organizing a gathering with alums and students can contact Keli Highland, assistant director of the UW-L Alumni Association, at 608.785.8494.
A corporate event Oct. 1, organized with La Crosse’s Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C., was the first time the Alumni Association helped organize an event to bring together UW-L students and alums working for a local corporation.[/caption]
Companies look for qualified applicants. Students seek careers. And the UW-L Alumni Association is helping the two connect.
A corporate event Oct. 1, organized with La Crosse’s Reinhart Foodservice L.L.C., was the first time the Alumni Association helped organize an event to bring together UW-L students and alums working for a local corporation. The session at Reinhart also included UW-L faculty and Reinhart executives. It paved the way for future career opportunities for students and networking.
Reinhart hoped to make connections with students to potentially fill future needs — particularly in fields seeing the most demand: business, accounting and information technology. Students were able to hear firsthand what work in their field would be like. At the event, UW-L alums and Reinhart employees shared their career experience at Reinhart. They discussed career opportunities at the La Crosse location, company philosophies and potential for advancement.
Keli Highland, assistant director of the UW-L Alumni Association, says the alumni real-world career perspective is invaluable to students.
“Alums are often looking for a way to give back and this is a great way for them to offer experience and guidance to students,” says Highland.
[caption id="attachment_2590" align="alignleft" width="360"] Autumn Kletzien-Zietlow, corporate finance shared services manager for Reinhart, talks to a UW-L student Brett Davisduring the Reinhart event.[/caption]
The connection comes at an opportune time for Reinhart, which is growing. The family-owned business has expanded to cover 39 states and employ 4,500 people nationwide, says Janelle Pogodzinski, human resources manager for Reinhart Foodservice. Much of the corporation’s growth is happening in downtown La Crosse. A corporate office at 300 Harborview Plaza provides business, accounting, and information technology services to 28 Reinhart locations across the country.
Inside, office spaces are quickly filling to meet demand.
“We recruit from a variety of schools. Students out of UW-L are so strong,” says Pogodzinski. “Their resumes are polished. They are prepared for interviews. They present themselves well and take it seriously.”
The company is also familiar with quality programs. Autumn Kletzien-Zietlow, corporate finance shared services manager for Reinhart, says she is personally familiar with the caliber of UW-L classes after graduating from the College of Business Administration in 2004. She also knows about UW-L’s high Certified Public Accountant exam pass rates and the overall preparation of students.
At least 20 of the La Crosse location’s 180 employees are UW-L alums.
“The students who are coming out of UW-L are very well prepared,” notes Kletzien-Zietlow.
Reinhart also sees the Alumni Association partnership as a way to help recruit alums in mid-level management positions who are no longer in the area, but may be interested in returning. The La Crosse campus location is looking for professionals with corporate experience to apply for career opportunities.
Are you an alum interested in mid-level management opportunities?
Alums interested in Reinhart career opportunities can contact Janelle Pogodzinski, human resources manager: hrcorp@rfsdelivers.com.
Does your company want to partner with the Alumni Association?
The alumni association will continue to look for opportunities to hold corporate events. Companies interested in organizing a gathering with alums and students can contact Keli Highland, assistant director of the UW-L Alumni Association, at 608.785.8494.