While Microsoft and Apple may be the first two companies that come to mind when thinking of personal computers, few tech companies have had as much impact on the industry as Hewlett-Packard. The tech giant, which has gone through substantial changes in leadership, structure and vision in recent years, is also a top option for MBAs looking to break into the tech sector.
Hewlett-Packard
Like many other tech companies, HP is headquartered in Silicon Valley—Palo Alto, California, to be specific. The company, which Wired Magazine touts as the originator of the personal computer, the HP 9100A developed in 1968, is also recognized as the founder of Silicon Valley.
Founded by Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett, that duo worked out of Packard’s garage with an initial capital investment of $538 back in 1939. The company’s name, Hewlett-Packard, was decided by a coin flip—Hewlett-Packard beat out Packard-Hewlett in the end.
According to The Balance, from 1940 through 1990 the company’s primary focus was on electronic products prior to moving to the semiconductor business later on. But the new millennium ushered in a new era of acquisitions for HP. In 2001 H-P acquired Compaq Computers and on May 13, 2008, HP signed an agreement to purchase EDS and then in 2009 they acquired 3Com for $2.7 billion and then Palm, Inc. for $1.2 billion in cash.
In 2015, HP split into two new companies—HP Inc. and HP Enterprise. According to Statista, in 2016, after the formation of the new HP Inc, there were approximately 49,000 employees at the company. Meanwhile, according to Forbes, HP Enterprise employed 240,000 individuals. HP was recognized as one of the World’s Most Attractive Employers by Universum Global in 2016.
HP Enterprise (HPE) is the entity most focused on providing IT solutions to other businesses. According to the company, HPE helps make “IT environments more efficient, productive and secure, enabling fast, flexible responses to a rapidly changing competitive landscape. We enable organizations to act quickly on ideas by delivering infrastructure that can be easily composed and recomposed to meet shifting demands, so they can lead in today’s marketplace of disruptive innovation.”
There are several kinds of jobs available for business students at HPE under the Operations, PR, Marketing & Sales and HR & Development areas.
- Operations: Help us solve some of the world’s biggest challenges by planning, sourcing and delivering our products and services.
- Sales Operations: Support our sales professionals through the design, implementation and operational execution of processes and tools.
- Supply Chain & Operations: Plan, source and deliver products and services for our partners and customers around the world.
- Marketing: Help build the future by assessing customer needs and gathering insights for product development.
- Public Affairs & Communications: Communicate our values, policies and strategies to enhance our image and help us meet our strategic business objectives.
- Sales: Listen to what our customers want around the globe and then create unique experiences that delight them.
- Human Resources: Keep us on track with talent and learning, employee engagement, benefits, workforce investment and talent acquisition.
Talent, Learning & Organization Development: Design and deliver development programs to shape and advance the skills of our teams.
How can you become the next employee at HP? You could start by looking into the company’s internship program. According to The Balance, Summer Internship assignments at Hewlett-Packard last between 10-12 weeks. Applicants must have a focus one of the following technical or business majors:
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Science Computer Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Information Technology
- Finance
- Business Administration
According to HP, business internships can provide business school students with either sales, marketing, supply chain and HR opportunities. Interns at HP are challenged and are presented with a variety of work projects, often in a team environment, along with the coaching and support from mentors and HP professionals.
According to Glassdoor, HP interns are paid $24,000 receive Holiday Pay, Health and Welfare Coverage, Paid Relocation (if greater than 50 miles) and Service Credit. HP was named as one of the Top 25 best companies for internships by Glassdoor in 2015, with 99 percent of interns rating their experience positively.
If you’re looking for a top HR Leadership Program, HP’s HR Management Associate Program (MAP) is also an option. The twenty-six-month rotational program is designed for high-potential professionals who want launch an HR management career.
Those in MAP go through three eight month rotations in different HR specialties and a two-month business rotation, aligned to specific development interests. One of those HR rotations could also be an eight-month international assignment. In addition to three HR rotations, MAPs also spend two months working inside of a business unit.
For more on how to Apply for an HP Internship, click here. You can read more about HP’s MAP here.