Johnson & Johnson Dream Job Awaits

Before classes even began at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in fall 2018, senior Julian Colicchio could breathe easy, knowing he already has a job lined up when he graduates. Colicchio, a double major in finance and operations management business analytics, received an offer from Johnson & Johnson after a summer internship with the medical device, pharmaceutical and consumer products company.  

Colicchio never expected to end up at Johnson & Johnson. He entered Maryland Smith planning to pursue a career in sports. But a study abroad experience in South Africa and a conversation with Victor Mullins, associate dean for undergraduate studies, changed his direction.  

“We studied social entrepreneurship and innovation, so really learning about how you can grow a business to help solve social and political issues,” says Colicchio. “That kind of enlightened me. All of the sudden I wanted to work in a company that makes me feel like I’m fulfilling a greater purpose.”

As a freshman, Colicchio joined the Business Academy, a Smith School professional organization for students of color. “I’m half Cuban, which is how I heard about it,” he says. In the first year, the organization helped him develop his personal brand, hone his networking skills and meet employers.

It’s also where Colicchio met Mullins. He participated the South Africa study trip in January 2017 with Mullins. It was there, in a casual conversation at a restaurant, that Mullins suggested Colicchio get involved with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a New York-based nonprofit that offers educational and career support to underserved communities.

First Colicchio participated in SEO’s Edge program that focuses on professional development. Then he was accepted into the organization’s Career program, which focuses on helping participants land internships. That’s how he secured the summer position with Johnson & Johnson.

Before embarking on the internship, Colicchio attended an eight-day SEO training in New York, where he gained soft skills like how to thrive in an office setting and technical skills like Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel training. He learned about unconscious biases in the workplace and how to prevent them. He also learned about the SEO’s work with underserved communities and helping more students get to college. 

“They emphasized the fact that in our internships, it’s not about us as much as it’s about the people that came before us and will come after us to make sure others can have these opportunities. That provided me with more motivation during my internship.”

A New Jersey native, Colicchio was able to live at home while commuting to Johnson & Johnson’s Bridgewater, N.J. office. He spent the summer working on implementing a new software program to manage tasks and budgets in the medical devices division. The 10-week internship program culminated with a two-day capstone experience that included a case study, a presentation, networking and interviews. Colicchio received his job offer shortly after.

Colicchio says Johnson & Johnson’s mission and corporate culture align with his career goals. He points to the company’s credo, which runs through everything they do and outlines their values and responsibility first to patients, doctors and people buying their products, next to employees, then the community, and then stockholders. 

“I love the culture there. It’s not cutthroat. It’s flexible. Everyone is really friendly and they want to see you grow and succeed. They have a big emphasis on their employees as an asset to the company.”

With the job-hunt pressure off, Colicchio plans to get more involved in mentoring new students in the Business Academy program. He’s working with the organization to set up a SEO recruiting event to get more Smith students involved in the program to hopefully find the same success he has.

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