Mary Wallander | Marketing Intern
9 people, 5 schools, 4 departments.
I didn’t know what to anticipate on my first day at Spot, as most interns probably feel. I expected the 16 weeks to be filled with projects and networking, as well as finding my place at the bottom of the totem pole, being an intern. I could not have been more wrong. Throughout week one, we were trained by one of the presidents of the company, as he gave each of us unique nicknames and saw incredible potential in all of us. Seeing the president of the company take his time to train the interns showed the transparency of Spot immediately: everyone matters.
Each employee has a vital role to play in the daily life of what makes up Spot. Over 10% of the staff is made up of us interns, which is both intimidating and impressive. “Every day I came into Spot with a positive mindset because I knew I truly was valued,” said Brad Schickel (aka Big B), Sales Intern. We quickly found our place and my preconceived notions of the internship faded away. I didn’t realize my days would start and end with laughter, as I gained irreplaceable friendships as well as invaluable experience. “There is no way to express the feeling of impactful purpose that I have had while going through each work day with Spot,” said Kevin Rhinesmith (aka Rhino), Sales Intern.
The saying that “your vibe attracts your tribe” is so relevant here at Spot. The employees bring their own personality and knowledge to the company, while fully representing the company’s 8 core values and mission statement. The dedicated staff and hard-working management team are the reason that Spot is the 5th fastest growing company in Indianapolis.
“One of the greatest advantages of working for such a growing company is that you are doing the actual work of a full-time employee. The ability to see your work directly impact the business is not only extremely rewarding, but essential to the health and growth of Spot,” said Accounting Intern (aka Cat Scratch), Matt Kasper.
The Spot Intern Class of 2016 came from Butler, Marian, IUPUI, Indiana University and UIndy, and was divided among marketing, sales, accounting, and operations. However, the allegiances to our schools and majors faded day 1 as we joined Spot. We now answer to our Spot nicknames before our real names, can book freight in our sleep, and have a whole new appreciation for the world of logistics. Road freight directly creates over 9 million jobs in the United States, and I know the 2016 summer interns will forever be grateful for just 9 of those 9 million, as Spot will forever be part of us.