The upside to college internships

Written by Brooke Weatherford

Internships are a valuable opportunity for young adults and college students desiring to enter the workforce to gain real-world experience performing job duties in their related field of study.  Today, having a college education is becoming more and more common, and internships are beginning to step into the role as the experiences which can set a potential job prospect apart from the rest. This year was the first time TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc.  offered this opportunity to seven students, and I was lucky enough to be one of them.

Enter Brooke Weatherford.  I am the marketing and sales intern here at the corporate office. Six other interns and I started our assignments May 20 at the conclusion of spring semester at Michigan State University. My assignment ends in late August, right before I head back to campus for the fall semester.

I am originally from East Lansing, Michigan, and am a junior marketing major in the Eli Broad College of Business. This is my first internship, and I’m happy for the opportunity to get involved with such a great company.  In my free time I enjoy painting, volleyball, seeing live music, and spending time with my friends and family. I applied for the internship with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® when my mom heard about it through a mutual connection, and she mentioned it to me. She instantly had my attention  when she told me it was paid, and the company was international and growing rapidly. I was sold on the idea after checking out TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s social media sites and seeing all the amazing things they were doing  both in marketing and in the community.

My day-to-day tasks at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® are always changing. Two days out of the week I work at the corporate-owned Lansing franchise with the marketing director, Sherry Campbell.  She keeps me busy writing blog posts, updating the local webpage, creating coupons, assisting with grass roots marketing efforts, and a host of other marketing tasks. The other two days of the week, I work at Home Office where one day I assist with corporate marketing (such as drafting this blog!), and the other day I assist the sales team.  The sheer versatility of tasks I handle has provided me with valuable hands-on practice in many different areas of marketing, and I am very thankful for that.

My best and most helpful teacher has been Sherry Campbell, marketing director at the Lansing franchise.  She is always getting me excited about my work and is very patient and helpful, answering any and all questions I have. She also goes out of her way to invite me along to meetings and networking events she attends. I will be able to apply what she and the other members of the marketing and sales teams have taught me in my classes, and when speaking of my past experience and business knowledge to future job interviewers.

One thing I have learned about my field of study which surprised me is the level of importance communication and teamwork marketing a business takes.  At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® I see firsthand the constant communication which occurs between team members and with outside sources.  As an international company, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has a few key qualities which make me believe it to be a special place to work and learn. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is a family-owned business and prides itself in family values such as caring for people, inclusion, giving back to the community, and (my personal favorite) “The Grandma Rule®”, which is to treat everyone as if they were your grandma. These core values, along with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s relaxed friendly atmosphere, set it apart from other large franchise businesses. I really like that, even as an intern.

Over the next few blog posts, I will virtually introduce you to the six other interns from each department, giving you a feel for what it is like to participate in a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. internship. I will also explain the value an internship program provides to college students and the companies for whom they work and give you an idea of what might be in store for you, should you apply for a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. internship next year.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.