Eight interns and a truck – Part 6

Written by Cheyenne Yost

Abby King – Marketing

Meet Abby, she’s a marketing intern and my partner in crime here in the marketing department at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc. We have teamed up on various projects and tasks throughout the summer. Though it’s only her first internship, Abby has gained an immeasurable amount of knowledge and experience in the corporate world. After meeting on our first day back in May, we became fast friends and I couldn’t have asked for a better coworker and newfound pal. Here’s what she had to say about her summer interning at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®/INTERNATIONAL, Inc.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?

Abby: I was born in Rockford, MI but lived most of my life in Okemos, MI. After I graduated from Okemos High School, I went off to college at Central Michigan University and I’m excited to start my senior year at CMU this upcoming fall. When I graduate in May I will finish with a degree in Advertising and MDPT (Media Design, Production & Technology).

Q: What made you apply at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®?

Abby: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has always been a familiar company to me. CFO Jeff Wesley has been like my second dad since I became friends with his daughter in first grade, and I also went to school with CEO Brig Sorber’s son, Brycen. When I started to mature and actually understand the history and concept behind TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, I realized how amazing it would be to work for such a highly respected company.

Q: What are your usual day-to-day tasks here at the office?

Abby: The awesome thing about being in the marketing department is there is no such thing as “usual day-to-day tasks”. One day I could be designing an ad for a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise, while the next day I could be walking around as our mascot Truckie at a local event, having kids bombard me. One of the biggest projects I have worked on this summer is updating the marketing grass roots manual for franchises to utilize. Not only have I helped update the content of the manual, but I have been given the opportunity to integrate my own designs with the original designs of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. I will be the first to admit that I do not have the patience or attention span to sit behind a desk and work on the same task all day, every day. That’s why marketing and I are a perfect match, the variety of tasks keeps me engaged and entertained.

Q: Do you have past internship experience or is this your first one?

Abby: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is my first and most likely last internship experience. I think it is safe to say that an internship at any other company would not compare to my experience here.

Q: What is your favorite TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Core Value and why?

Abby: I would have to say my favorite Core Value is THE GRANDMA RULE®. There is always a mutual understanding of the rule when I tell people it means “to treat everyone the way you would want your grandma to be treated.” I love how the concept of the THE GRANDMA RULE® is so simple, yet the message behind it is so meaningful.

Q: What are your interests or hobbies?

Abby: I enjoy being active and I’ve played/attempted just about every sport in high school. I spent the majority of my life playing basketball and soccer, temporarily “enjoyed” running track and cross country, and then resorted to less physical sports like lacrosse and golf. I do not take part in any sports or club teams at CMU. However, walking from class to class and studying 24/7 is about all the physical/mental activity my body can take.

Q: Who has been the best mentor or teacher for you?

Abby: Though both of my parents have equally been mentors for me, my dad has been more of my teacher when it comes to my degree and future career. Being the general manager at WILX 10, my dad knows the ins and outs of advertising and marketing. He motivates me to strive for my future goals and constantly gives me advice, even when I do not necessarily want or ask for it. Aside from my family, I consider Jeff Wesley to be one of my best educators. Ever since childhood, Jeff has been much more than a basketball coach, parent, and family friend; he has been one of my biggest fans and supporters through all of my good and bad times. Jeff Wesley is the perfect representation of the type of person who works for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, which is just another reason why I am so grateful for my internship at this company.

Q: Has the internship taught you anything about your field of study?

Abby: I can honestly say that I have learned more about marketing/advertising from this internship than I have from all of my college courses combined (sorry mom and dad). The amount of information this internship has helped me truly retain, is unreal. Being in an actual work environment with real world situations has taught me communication and coping skills that no professor would ever be able to teach me.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

Abby: My plans after graduation include getting a job and moving to a city. I would be lying if I said I had any other plans.

Q: Name one goal you hope to accomplish while working here and what you hope to take away from this internship experience.

I hope to leave this internship with a stronger work ethic and a greater ability to adapt to my surroundings. I have a new perspective into the marketing world that I could not have gotten in a classroom.

If you are interested in working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® visit our careers website.

Eight interns and a truck

Written by Cheyenne Yost

I’m Cheyenne, a grilled cheese enthusiast and one of the marketing interns here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® / INTERNATIONAL, Inc. I will be a senior at Michigan State University this fall. I’m a communication major specializing in public relations… go green! I’ll be blogging about my adventures here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® this summer.

My story is a little different from the other interns in how I landed my internship this summer. My journey with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® began at the Las Vegas airport back in March. After making it through security, I sat down with my breakfast burrito waiting for my flight back to Michigan, and sitting across from me was a guy wearing a green, Michigan State Spartan shirt. So, being the Spartan I am, I said “go green!” He replied, “go white!” We started chatting, and after introducing ourselves and learning his name was Chris, and his coworker, Dawn, I learned they were in Vegas for the annual TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® conference. We began chatting for a while and I asked about summer internships. Dawn gave me her card and the rest is history!

My work days are always different. I work on various projects each week, mostly consisting of writing and social media tasks. I also go to meetings and webinars whenever possible to learn more about the brand, and what other roles people have in the building. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® includes interns in meetings and events, which I think is really cool and a great learning experience.

I have only been at the office for a few weeks now, but I’ve learned so much. The most valuable thing I’ve learned at this point is that communication is crucial. Communication connects everything and everyone together and without it, work would not run nearly as smooth!

Prior to joining TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, I didn’t realize how big the company actually was and how awesome of an opportunity I have working here. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® gives back so much to the community and truly cares about its customers. It’s no wonder the company is worldwide!

So far, the best teachers and mentors have been Lindsay (media relations coordinator) and Dawn (communications and external affairs manager). Lindsay is who I report to and she knows so much about public relations and other cause marketing efforts TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® promotes throughout the year. I really enjoy learning from Dawn, too. Specifically on crisis communication situations that arise. There are many aspects that go into handling a crisis situation and it is so interesting to see how the process works. I know I’ll learn even more as the summer continues.

PS: I am also blogging about my fellow interns so stay tuned!

Until next time,

Cheyenne

If you are interested in working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® visit our careers website.

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.

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.