Build something meaningful with the knowledge you’ve worked hard to acquire. Upon completing one of PCA’s thoughtfully developed programs, you’ll be prepared to launch your career at one of our 120+ facilities.
Students & Recent Grads
Recruitment Fraud Alert:
Notice to candidates: Be aware of scams involving phony job postings.
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Notice to candidates: Be aware of scams involving phony job postings.
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DID YOU KNOW
Corrugated paper is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging available.
our programs
Gain valuable hands-on experiences within our high-energy, collaborative culture.
for recent graduates
Congratulations on earning your degree. Now let’s take it to the next level.
Click on the + sign to learn more about each program.
Build valuable experience on-site at one of our corrugated manufacturing plants. Through hands-on training rotations in design, customer service, production, and sales, you will learn PCA’s business and gain well-rounded knowledge of the corrugated manufacturing process.
- Use your degree in sales, marketing, business, or packaging to progress into a career path of sales or operations by the end of the year.
- Foster relationships with fellow GIFT associates by participating in two weeklong conferences, where you’ll hone leadership skills, visit other corrugated manufacturing plants, and tour a PCA paper mill.
- Join the network of young professionals in the corrugated industry. We provide relocation assistance!
“Because packaging science covers material sciences,
manufacturing, testing, and structural and graphic design, I was unsure what
would be the best fit for me. The corrugated industry is stable, simple in
comparison to other materials, and—most important—sustainable. The GIFT
Program offered something I could not find in many other companies: the
freedom to learn and explore the business. I spent time in multiple roles,
breaking down silos that other beginning positions would have started me in.
It was obvious to me that PCA puts their recruiting and succession planning
high on the priority list.”
Sean O’Neill | GIFT 6 Class—Idaho
Over the course of this developmental program, recent engineering and engineering technology graduates gain in-depth knowledge about our industry and progress into PCA leadership career paths.
- Engineering or Engineering Technology BS in chemical, mechanical, electrical, industrial, manufacturing, or paper engineering.
- Hone expertise in the corrugated box manufacturing industry, process optimization of converting machinery, capital project management, and more.
- Upon completing the program, participants typically move into production management, eventually becoming leaders of our plants as supervisors, superintendents, production managers, and general managers.
- Other potential career path opportunities include corporate engineering, maintenance, quality, sales, and other areas across the company.
- Once you locate to a plant that has an opening for a POE (we provide relocation assistance), you'll engage in up to 50% travel in your assigned region.
“As a plant optimization engineer at PCA, I worked on and led multiple capital and optimization projects, which significantly enhanced my technical expertise in the corrugated industry. In addition, the valuable mentorship I received further refined my problem-solving skills, greatly contributing to my professional growth and development. I am profoundly thankful for the opportunities PCA has provided and continues to offer.”
Summer Libecap | POE—Newark, OH
Pack up and bring your engineering or engineering technology degree to one of our paper mill locations in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington, or Wisconsin.
- Participants serve as process engineers, project engineers, reliability engineers, and more.
- Gain valuable experience and training on the various processes and equipment within your location.
- Engage in hands-on projects that prepare you for careers in leadership or maintenance areas across the mill.
"Working in a PCA mill provides exciting challenges and opportunities which often look different daily! As an engineer with PCA, you will be allowed to explore the papermaking process from start to finish and find your niche. There are endless opportunities to progress in your career, especially if you’re open to checking out new locations."
Elaina Stefanick, Mill Process Engineer
for college students
Internships are a great way to supercharge your degree.
Click on the + sign to learn more about each program.
Gain valuable knowledge, develop your skills, and have fun at our suburban Chicago campus. Each year, multiple PCA departments offer hands-on experiences in the various fields supporting our business.
- Bring your curiosity and goals to the business discipline related to your degree pursuit: information technology, human resources, marketing, internal audit, tax, and more.
- In addition to department-specific training, participate in weekly intern events that teach you about PCA’s business, train you in leadership development, and allow you to network with other young professionals.
- Visit one of PCA’s corrugated manufacturing plants and our research innovation center. There is so much to do and explore!
"My internship at PCA gave me the opportunity to build AI-driven solutions from scratch and work closely with leadership across IT, Marketing, and more. The IT team, and my managers and leadership, were incredibly supportive. They valued my ideas and gave me the flexibility to lead initiatives, which made the experience especially meaningful and fulfilling. It gave me hands-on experience not just in applying emerging technologies like large language models and generative AI, but also in collaborating across business units to support innovation and strategic decision-making."
Suchir Naik, IT Intern, Summer 2024
Join IT and engineering students of all kinds at one of our mills—in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin—to gain real-world experience in our industry.
- Internships and co-ops are offered throughout the year, with multiple rotations available depending on the location.
- Put to practical use the knowledge you are building and grow your career in engineering, engineering technology, or information technology.
- We welcome students enrolled in four-year bachelor’s with a GPA of at least 3.0.
“My time as a process engineering co-op has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my professional development. Over two four-month terms, I was immersed in high-impact, hands-on learning as part of a team committed to operational excellence and continuous improvement. I gained real-world exposure to a wide range of mill operations—spanning the paper machine, pulping, recycling, stock prep, and powerhouse departments. Through these cross-functional experiences, I deepened my technical knowledge while honing my troubleshooting, communication, and project management skills. In addition, I supported multiple paper machine shutdowns, participated in felt and fabric changes, verified equipment readiness with pre-startup checklists, and shadowed shift supervisors to deepen my understanding of maintenance coordination and lockout/tagout procedures.”
Jacob Levesque, Process Engineering Co-op—Filer City, MI