“Have it your way.”
We are all familiar with the popular Burger King slogan. Now graduates participating in Burger King Corporation’s new BK Management Trainee Program might want to adapt this slogan to something like: “Experience coming your way.”
Recently selected to participate in the new, yearlong management training program, Kelly Rock Gomes (MBA ’11, BBA ’09) sees this as an opportunity to join a top organization at a pivotal point in its history: it was recently purchased by 3G Capital Management from Brazil.
According to Gomes, the BK program includes three assignment rotations that give him the experience needed to begin his career with Burger King Corporation. He is one of 50 management trainees going through the program this year, 11 of whom are from FIU.
“I’m starting with a restaurant rotation for four months,” he said. “After that, I will return to headquarters to work within two functional areas, including marketing. Upon completion of the program, I will be assigned to a permanent position within one of the two functional areas I participated in.”
Gomes is most excited about his rotation in the marketing department.
“I’m eager to learn the ropes and be involved in the different stages of product development,” he said. “I grew up going to Burger King on Sundays with my family. Now I have a chance to contribute to what the brand means to so many people around the world.”
College of Business Administration well represented in the program.
Gomes says that he was selected from more than 750 applicants from 10 nationally recognized programs from other schools such as Duke, New York University, the University of Chicago and the University of Florida.
John Nykolaiszyn, associate director, Career Management Services, notes that of the nearly 100 Florida International University (FIU) students Burger King contacted about the new leadership program, an impressive 80% were business majors.
“We have done a lot of work to build our partnership with Burger King and it is paying off in opportunities for our graduates,” he said.
Gomes credits his experiences at the college for preparing him for this opportunity.
“The lessons learned at FIU are what I will use each day at Burger King Corporation,” he said.
