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[[♪upbeat music♪] [Commercial Leadership Program (CLP)]]
[[Josh Koontz - GE Water & Process Technologies]]
[[C. Russell] You are listening to Jobs in Pods.]
[Welcome to Jobs in Pods, the only podcast where you can hear real employers]
[talk about their jobs and tell you what it's like to work there.]
[I'm your host, Chris Russell.]
[This jobcast will feature GE's Water & Process Technologies']
[Commercial Leadership Program, CLP.]
[The CLP program is a 24-month program designed to develop commercial talent]
[within the GE Water & Process Technologies business.]
[Qualified candidates can expect a great deal of top management exposure]
[Water CLPs grow technically by participating in a wide variety]
[of hands-on projects in their area.]
[CLPs will work closely with veteran account managers]
[in applying new technologies GE Water has to offer into the local industrial markets.]
[The program includes formal classroom training in GE's state-of-the-art facilities,]
[mentoring from senior leadership, and career planning during two years,]
[leading to a full-fledged commercial role as an account manager.]
[Joining us today to discuss the role is Water & Process CLP program member Josh Koontz.]
[Hello, Josh. Welcome to Jobs in Pods.]
[[Koontz] Hey, Chris. Thank for having me. >>[Russell] Excellent.]
[Why did you choose GE, Josh?]
[[Koontz] I was faced with that decision about a year and a half ago.]
[I had three different job opportunities on the table there, equally the same,]
[and all from admired companies, so I had to kind of do a little soul searching there]
[and came up with three different criteria to base that decision on.]
[Training and development was one, career advancement was two,]
[and then three is I want to work in a positive and engaging work environment.]
[Looking at all the other companies, they were pretty good,]
[but GE's CLP program pretty much exceeded my expectations]
[on all three of those areas.]
[The sole focus of the program is on training and development, so that fit the bill.]
[Career advancement--a company like GE that's just so large and diverse,]
[the opportunities are endless there.]
[And then thirdly, the positive, engaging work environment.]
[Working around these other GE employees,]
[it's great to work around intelligent people.]
[[Russell] Josh, how would you describe a typical day of a CLP?]
[[Koontz] In the Water, it's going to be different every day.]
[I maintain a consistent customer base, pretty much calling the same customers]
[throughout the week, but each day is different.]
[When I'm in those accounts, I really get a chance to pull out that detective cap]
[and put some problem solving skills to work.]
[In a typical day, I'd say you would arrive at the plant, meet with your customer contacts,]
[ensure everything is working and operating how it's designed,]
[maybe run a few analytical tests just to ensure,]
[and the remainder of the day would be spent working with operators]
[and plant engineers to really learn the ins and outs of their systems.]
[Once you have a good stronghold on how the process operates,]
[you can use tools and the resources that GE has laid at your fingertips with this training]
[to design the projects that can save the plant capital through better efficiency,]
[increase product output, or decrease their manpower hours.]
[[Russell] And speaking of that training, how would you describe that stuff?]
[[Koontz] That's all we do in the CLP program is train. [chuckles]]
[We receive training on different mediums.]
[We have a large number of computer-based training]
[that kind of lays the foundation, the baseline, for a lot of the theories]
[and concepts that we see out in the field.]
[After you complete the online training, they send you to some classroom sessions,]
[and there you meet with the GE engineers that design a lot of these projects]
[and that have been out there.]
[Chances are, if it's happened in the field, they've seen it or they know about it.]
[These guys are a wealth of knowledge, and they're the ones teaching you]
[and passing on that knowledge to you.]
[The training doesn't stop there.]
[Each and every day you work with either your technical mentor,]
[your area manager, and they provide their insight and elaborate on site specific projects]
[or issues that you're seeing there]
[as well as your business acumen.]
[We go on new business calls as well as contract negotiations.]
[So pretty much a well-rounded training program.]
[[Russell] Josh, what are the things you like about your job?]
[[Koontz] The biggest thing I enjoy is working autonomously within my area.]
[It's that ability to identify and prioritize projects that best suit the needs of the customer]
[and of GE that hits home for me.]
[and also working with the wide variety of the different customers]
[at different plants and just being exposed to so many different people and their viewpoints.]
[It really helps you to build your professional network]
[and makes you well-rounded, keeps your mind open, ]
[and helps you with your troubleshooting as well.]
[[Russell] Josh, how would you describe the people you work with? What are they like?]
[[Koontz] I would have to say, to sum it up in a few words,]
[creative, hardworking, intelligent, basically the kind of people ]
[that really help make the world go around.]
[[Russell] How do you think the CLP challenges you?]
[[Koontz] It's a constant challenge. I love it.]
[I've got to say one of the biggest challenges is that we have so much to learn.]
[There are so many different avenues to focus on.]
[You could go with your different industries, whether it be power or hydrocarbons,]
[or perhaps you want to focus more on the chemical base or equipment solutions.]
[The opportunities are endless there.]
[Trying to determine exactly what you want, that's a challenge in itself.]
[The CLP program, that program is designed to be challenging.]
[The training received is invaluable because it focuses on just you.]
[You're able to work with your mentor and explore your weaknesses]
[So you work on improving your strengths ]
[while trying to focus in on improving those weak spots.]
[So it's a challenge. Nobody escapes it because it's so personal.]
[[Russell] Right. Josh, as far as career development goes,]
[how do you think the CLP helps in that regard?]
[If you'd like to be top management someday or you want to be in the field]
[solving problems, the options are yours.]
[They give you the avenues to undertake whatever is your fancy there.]
[We have monthly teleconference meetings that are set up with other GE CLPs,]
[not just in the Water but other businesses, so you can get their perspective]
[on the other companies and see what they're all about.]
[Each year we go to the famed Crotonville, New York,]
[which is the training facility up there for all of GE.]
[We meet with the CLPs from across those businesses]
[and also top GE executives speak to us,]
[and it provides us with a well-balanced perspective on big GE.]
[I guess if you're looking for further development as well,]
[the tuition program really can't be beat.]
[So to sum it up, the CLP program is exceptional ]
[for career development and training,]
[whether it be on the job or through a neighboring college.]
[The CLP program has provided me with that avenue.]
[[Russell] All right, Josh. We thank you for your time today.]
[[Koontz] I enjoyed it. >>[Russell] That will do it for this edition of Jobs in Pods.]
[For more information on careers at GE, visit gecareers.com]
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