George Fox University | Offices and Services | Career Services | Michael Kellar's Story

As an International Business major Michael Kellar knew he wanted to pursue some sort of career with a company or organization that did business oversees. A guest speaker from the Department of Commerce presented in one of his business classes and talked about internship opportunities with their organization. Kellar followed up with the presenter after class by giving him a self-produced business card and marketing himself through their conversation. Kellar started his internship within the District Export Council of the Department of Commerce his Junior year. Had the organization had a job opening, they would have hired him upon his graduation.

Even though employment did not directly stem from the internship, Kellar emphasized the importance of taking something away from every work opportunity. "It was exciting to experience the international world and interact with foreign diplomats and even White House staffers but the best part of my internship was the exposure to office culture and the business organization practices," says Kellar. His responsibilities as an intern and summer work as a Support Specialist with a leasing company prepared him for his subsequent work positions.

After taking a couple weeks off after graduation Kellar was ready to start his job search. His approach was to make contacts with people from the Department of Commerce and connect with his network of friends. He also decided to visit a temporary agency to sign-up for work while he was job hunting. One of his first assignments was a three-month assignment within the Retail Division at Columbia Sportswear at a satellite corporate office in Portland. Kellar fell in love with the company and the company with Kellar. Columbia was able to create a coordinator position for him due to Kellar's stellar work performance and business growth in his department. He has strategically and intentionally been moving up in the corporate structure ever since. Kellar currently works as a Retail Merchandise Manager at Columbia Sportswear in the Portland corporate offices and is responsible for the purchase and liquidation of approximately $8 million of outlet inventory.

Kellar advises students to do your research, find a company you like and then start in an internship. "Once you are in you can work your way up through networking and enhancing your skill set through reading and extra work. Always have an updated resume and try to pursue a job that matches your passions," he says.