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Alumni Career Feature – George Colletti

We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.

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George Colletti

• B.S., Automotive Technology Management, 1997
• Toyota Motor Sales, USA
• GeorgeColletti@Toyota.com
• Employer's Web site

How did you choose your present career?

After graduating from high school, I decided not to enter college immediately. I worked in the automotive field and did miscellaneous jobs for about two years. After working in a factory, I realized that there were more options than staying in a dead end job. I took it upon myself to begin looking into colleges that offered automotive careers. There were some schools in the York area where I lived but I went to several open house activities, including Penn Colleges. I realized Penn College was by far the best school to attend. When I came to Penn College, I already knew that I wanted an automotive career. I went to school originally to become an automotive technician and I left with a bachelor’s degree in automotive service management.

What advice do you have to offer to a student who is struggling with identification of a major/career field in college?

Just go out and do what you like to do. Spend time visiting the industry and people in the career field, which you are interested in working. Nothing is better than an internship, paid, or unpaid. It is very important that you are doing what you like because you will be working for a long time. Your life will be miserable if you don’t like what you are doing every day.

How did the Career Counseling Services and/or Career/Placement Services help you

These services helped me immensely. I spent countless hours searching through the Career Center for help with everything from my resume to gaining tips on how to interview. I learned a lot from the staff and they answered my questions about the “real” world. Using these services helped me and my resume to stand out above the crowd.

How were you hired at your present position?

Through Toyota’s college recruitment program and their link with Penn College. A human resources representative from Toyota came on campus and interviewed people who were interested in working for Toyota. I was first hired as a management trainee, then moved to the field. The average time from beginning as a management trainee to actually working in the field is as little as three months or as long as two years. I have been a District Service Manager for two years.

What positions did you hold before this one?

During college, I worked various jobs in the automotive field as well as being a Penn College Ambassador.

What would you tell a Penn College graduating student about your career field?

This is a very challenging and competitive field. It is unique because everyday offers something different.

What was the most significant thing you learned on the job during your first year? How to adjust to corporate lifestyle and how to manage time and expenses. What was most difficult about your transition to the world of work?

Learning politics in the office – who to impress, who to work for, how to make your boss look good, etc. I also had to learn to deal with people’s personal opinions and personalities.

What was the greatest strength of your W.A.C.C. education? (What did you learn that helped you a great deal in your career?)

My internship. I was with Fairfield Toyota in Williamsport. I was able to put to work, in the real world, what I learned in school. Also, my relationship with my peers and the faculty at school were very helpful.

Being a Penn College Ambassador allowed me to polish my social skills. I had to learn to speak to sometimes up to 100 people at a time, lead tours, and tell others about Penn College. In high school, I never thought I’d ever do something like that, but it was one of the best things that happened to me.

What should students in your field do to prepare themselves for their career?

In my field, you need to be business savvy. Take all the business courses you can and take them seriously. This would include everything from accounting and marketing to business management. The technical information is only a small, but important, part of the job. Do as many internships as possible in the specific field you desire.

What were the benefits of your internship experience?

My internship was the best learning experience I had in college. My sponsors showed me many perspectives about my career, both the good and the bad, with real examples every day. The most important fact is I could never have gained this experience in the classroom. During my internship, I talked with the District Service Manager responsible for Fairfield Toyota. He actually convinced me to go an extra two years to get my bachelor’s degree.

What do you find the most enjoyable about your career field and your present position?

The freedom and the benefits. I have the freedom to set my own schedule. The personal benefits range from being a manager to security with the company as well as monetary benefits. I have two cars to drive, a 401K plan, medical coverage, and many other great benefits.

How do you see your field changing in the next 3 to 5 years? Will this change require you to obtain additional training?

Automotive management will not change much. It is fairly stable. I am constantly learning new things about the industry and my job. I also receive regular weekly training, as my company requires it.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in three years?

I will most likely be in management, but within a different section of the company.

If you could redo your college experience, how would you prepare differently to enter the workplace?

I would have done another internship, studied more, crammed less, and took more business management courses. I had an unbelievable experience at college. It was the best time of my life.

From your perspective, what are three to five needed skills that your employer was seeking in a new employee?

• People skills
• self-motivation
• work-related skills
• organizational skills.

Have you received any special recognition or awards through your employment or professional organizations to which you belong?

Toyota has many incentives and bonuses including cash and trips. These trips, cash, etc., are given in recognition of outstanding performances in the field as well as teamwork in and around the office. In fact, I just returned from a vacation in Cancun, which was won through the Toyota incentive program.