From automotive school to trailblazer: How a last-minute interview sparked Dave W.'s remarkable journey at Cummins

When Cummins Inc. talent scouts attend college job fairs, they usually visit the engineering schools. Luckily for Dave W., when Cummins visited Southern Illinois University in 2010, they also decided to interview students from the automotive school.  

“I got a call from my college advisor about 20 hours before Cummins showed up,” Dave says. “He knew I’d been interviewing with Honda, Ford and Toyota. But he also knew Cummins needed wrench-turners like me who knew how engines worked.”  

After the interview, Cummins sent Dave to Columbus, Indiana, for more onsite interviews, and within 24 hours he had a job offer, all of which he calls “a beautiful accident.”

Today, Dave works in Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) service support, though in his last 13 years with the company he has worked in several departments to diversify his knowledge. 

“What I like most about my current role,” Dave says, “is that it’s customer-facing. When a customer walks in, I'm the face of anything service- or parts-related. I help with any troubleshooting, diagnostics, parts ordering, aftermarket support, or even first fit if they want to buy a brand new engine from one of our plants in North America.” Then he proudly says, “People say Sales sells the first engine, but the Service Team sells the rest of them.”

During his tenure at Cummins, Dave developed hard engineering skills like 3D modeling system utilization, design review and proactive mitigation. But his biggest lessons have come from what they don't teach in school — soft skills like self-awareness.

“One thing I like [at Cummins] is that we use Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) tools. He has also utilized 16Personalities and Clifton StrengthsFinder. It’s important to understand yourself, to know how people see or perceive you and your communication style,” Dave says. “You have to understand that none of this work can be done by yourself. It’s important to see how networking with people inside and outside your group can come in handy years later.”

Dave uses one of his distributor connections outside the office to impress students at his local elementary school on Career Day. He transported a school bus to the campus and opens the hood to show students an engine he helped produce.

“Being part of that engine development is my biggest accomplishment,” he says. “It saved Cummins several million dollars, plus, it’s pretty cool to see a product I’ve helped release into the market running in school buses and transit buses back in my hometown,” Dave says. 

Dave also finds joy in opportunities to give back to his community, something his grandmother instilled in him. “She said, ‘Dave, when you make it, you’ll probably lose your way a little bit. Go ahead and buy the stuff you never could afford before, but don't forget to reach back and help somebody else.’”

Dave has had to endure some difficult moments; because of that, money was his biggest motivator when he was young. Today, however, he thinks about his career in terms of the impact he can make. 

“I’ve worked through that trauma, and I make sure it doesn't hold me down,” he says. “Now I lift while I climb—it's what my grandmother taught me.”

Dave’s motto—the quote on his phone—is:  Build a longer table, not a taller fence (original author is unknown). He navigates his workday with this in mind, building community with his team by organizing gatherings like Taco Tuesday and tapping on co-workers’ shoulders when he needs assistance. 

What’s next for Dave? “I want to go where there is no path and leave a trail,” he says. “I want to let my niece, two nephews, brothers and sisters know that it's okay to go where there is no path and create your own. I hope they will say, ‘Hey, Dave did it. It must be possible.’”