How attaining three CargoWise certifications kickstarted this intern’s career

With a deep family history in logistics, it would seem only natural that recent University of Texas graduate, Matthew Onorato, might follow that path. And earning three CargoWise certifications while interning at North American freight forwarder, Janel Group, just might have him following his family’s successful footsteps into a career in logistics sooner than he thought.  

We spoke with Matthew to learn about his CargoWise certification journey, including his plans to put his new knowledge into practice and become an even more valuable resource for his team. 

Can you tell us a little about your background and the role of logistics? 

I have been around logistics most of my life, with my dad and some of my uncles having worked in the industry for the last 20 or so years. 

After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in chemistry and a minor in business, I wasn’t one hundred percent certain what I wanted to do next, but logistics seemed like a good place to start. 

My internship at Janel, working with my dad, presented a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in this field and spend several months learning a lot of new and different things.  

Part of that learning has been undertaking various CargoWise certifications. What led you to that during an internship? 

CargoWise is the main software that we use at Janel Group. So, if I want to learn how logistics operations are coordinated here, I need to know how to use the day-to-day software.  

Unlike other people in the team, I’m not dealing with clients every day. Which means there is a lot of times where I will get stuff done, and I have some free time. So I figured, why not try to learn as much as I can?  

Getting CargoWise certified is helping me work faster and smarter, allowing me to problem solve and come up with new ways of looking at things.  

Which certifications have you completed so far? 

I’ve actually completed all three certification levels during my internship: Operator, Specialist, and Professional.

That’s an impressive amount of information to complete successfully. How did you prepare to take them in such a brief time? 

There are excellent eLearning materials and videos on WiseTech Academy, which come with the certification courses. I am a quick learner and found I could watch them on 2x or 3x speed to process the information faster.  

I also played around on our CargoWise test site and used those concepts to see how they operate in the ‘almost’ real world.  

I work with a talented group of people here at Janel. So, I could pick everybody’s brain and ask each person questions, because they each have their own experiences, industry knowledge, and a great willingness to share.  

When taking the certification exams, I used all that practical information and advice, along with key test-taking skills that were still fresh in my mind from university.  

What tips would you give someone considering or taking one, two, or all three CargoWise certifications? 

If you are looking to complete a CargoWise certification, I would suggest you don’t overthink it – just get stuck in, because at the end of the day, the more you know, the more valuable you will be.  

To be successful in passing the exams, three things that worked for me included to:

1. Use the in-depth learning materials CargoWise provides via WiseTech Academy and set yourself daily or weekly milestones that you can work towards. 

2. Lean on your own and others’ experiences and be sure to put your knowledge to the test in the actual platform itself.  

3. Not panic. Use test-taking techniques and know that you can always retake what you need.  

Whether starting your career, trying to be more efficient in your current role or looking to take the next step, there’s a CargoWise certification that’s right for you. Learn more. 

Are you looking to upskill in 2022? With programs designed and delivered by industry experts, WiseTech Academy is the one-stop-shop for all your logistics learning needs. Browse our extensive course catalogue and start learning today.