Vanderbilt engineering students and staff pose after enjoying an extensive tour of the Nashville facility that produces Dell's high-end laptop systems.

When Dell Computer Corporation announced in April 1999 that it intended to expand its North American operations to Middle Tennessee, it was big news. The initiative marked the first domestic move for the company outside of its home state of Texas. Local and state officials heralded their success in luring what is now the nation's top personal computer manufacturer as a critical step in developing a robust high-tech business environment. Anticipating both needs and opportunities, Vanderbilt and Dell quickly began laying the foundation for a strong, mutually beneficial relationship.
       Today, Dell's Middle Tennessee operations build, sell and support high-end notebook and desktop computers. Despite the difficult past months for the PC industry, the company's Nashville area workforce remains well over 3,000 strong. Twenty Vanderbilt students also became Dell employees during the 1999-2000 school year, most assuming engineering or sales roles in Tennessee and Texas.
       As the pioneer of the direct-to-consumer PC business model, Dell prides itself on the speed and efficiency of its operations and on delivering highly personal customer relationships. This critical balance requires Dell to look for a special type of employee, and Vanderbilt engineering graduates fit the bill.
       Emily Thompson, a recent Vanderbilt Owen School grad and Dell's Vanderbilt recruiter, explains, "Some of the key competencies we look for are the ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn on the fly. We also look for strong customer focus. The customer experience is of utmost importance to the company, and it is a key factor from which our metrics are driven."
       This supportive but high-pressure environment seems to suit Dell's recent Vanderbilt hires just fine. Two 2000 mechanical engineering alumni and new Dell employees, Matt McGowan and Phil Seibert, recently squeezed enough time from their schedules to share some of their experiences at Dell. Neither claims to have yet experienced anything that he would call "a typical day."
       Seibert helps to design the mechanical components of Dell's Inspiron notebooks. Frequently, he also gathers factory-floor feedback on how his team can improve its designs.
       Seibert explains, "I'm currently working with some of the best mechanical engineers out there, which can be intimidating, but I'm learning a lot from them. The environment at Dell is one of constant change. This can be very challenging, and even frustrating. But that's offset by the fact that I'll never be bored. I have a good amount of input into what type of projects I'm working on, so I can try to align my work with whatever I happen to be interested in at the time."
       McGowan, who works as a mechanical engineer for Dell desktops, concurs. He loves working for an established industry leader with the energy and dynamics of a young company. He adds, "I like that my job is fast paced and no one is breathing down my neck through every step of a project. If I need help, everyone is willing to give it, but I have to ask. I also like the responsibility of the job. People depend on me to get results, and my work makes an impact on the company."
       McGowan smiles and says that his best experience thus far has been heading a small development project after working at Dell for only five months. "The facts that my manager had faith in my abilities to be the lead engineer and that I was able to get results are very rewarding. It is possible that I will get a patent for my design on the project."
       Both credit Vanderbilt's rigorous technology curriculum offered within a liberal arts setting with providing them a powerful combination of engineering and teamwork skills. They also encourage current Vanderbilt students interested in working at Dell to be as proactive as possible. Seibert took the initiative to contact a Vanderbilt alumna employed by Dell. "So when it came time for the formal interview," he recalls, "things went very smoothly."