At the beginning of May, Jarrett Logistics Systems (JLS) welcomed 17 interns into the company representing 8 colleges from around the area; The University of Akron, Kent State University, Bowling Green State University, The University of Mount Union, Ashland University, Malone University, Walsh University, and The University of Cincinnati. The company’s interns were placed in four departments at JLS; operations, sales and marketing, analysis, and Jarrett Transportation Services (JTS). Here is an inside look at their summer internship experience at JLS.
What were your initial impressions of the internship and how was your experience different from what you expected?
When thinking about an internship, the initial thought goes to what is portrayed on TV and in movies; fetching coffee for superiors, making copies, and filing papers. Performing tasks such as these came to mind for some of the interns before they started their internship at JLS. Most of them had no idea what to expect as it was their first internship. During the first couple days of training, the interns were overwhelmed with an abundance of new terms and information they had not known before. They quickly realized that they would not be doing tedious tasks, but be immersed into a real work experience that would be impactful to Jarrett Logistics Systems. JTS intern and Junior at Ashland University, Dan Morell, stated, “I knew what Supply Chain was, but I hadn’t had real world experience with it yet. I have learned a lot more here this summer than in 2 years of sitting in college classes.” JLS does an excellent job training interns by getting their feet wet in the beginning, giving them hands-on responsibilities and impactful roles within the company.
How did the company culture Affect your day to day work experience?
Jarrett Companies has been awarded The Plain Dealer Top Workplaces Award for the second consecutive year. President, Mike Jarrett, establishes a positive culture by hiring great people. “Everyone around me is fun to be around, I can have conversations with them, and they try to get to know you,” said Operations Intern and Senior at Ashland University, Kali Deem. Building positive relationships is an integral part in the JLS work place, but it doesn’t stop there. The relationships here aren’t just made within each individual team, but with the company as a whole. “The interaction between co-workers is natural, and the respect from those co-workers make you feel like you’re a part of something,” said Sales and Marketing Intern and Senior at The University of Mount Union, Marissa Harbath. Working with people who respect you and are willing to go the extra mile helps you make a huge difference in a company. Sales and Marketing Intern and Junior at The University of Akron, Emily Hartzler says it best, “They care about our future and want to help us succeed.” JLS employees want you to thrive, which makes them eager to support each intern in gaining the knowledge and expertise to succeed. Operations Intern and Graduate from Walsh University, Allie Benter mentioned, “One of our core values is excellence. The employees of the company display this value by being intentional and striving to find ways to get better, together.” The key word in Allie’s statement is “together”. Not only do Jarrett employees strive to make the company better, but they do so as a team.
What was your favorite part of the internship?
The great company culture and relationships built between co-workers created lasting memories. Most interns enjoy the activities organized by the company, such as our summer food truck, the Akron Rubber Ducks game, and the Jarrett Companies Picnic. Others delight in getting to work with people who are like-minded and share the same values as themselves. Joe Carle, an Analyst intern and Senior at The University of Mount Union, stated that his favorite part was the bond he made with his team. “This bond makes the day-to-day operations fun, knowledgeable, and most importantly efficient.” The Sales and Marketing Interns enjoy their team building activities which include, Taco Tuesday’s, participating in CrossFit classes at CrossFit Orrville, and the field trips they have taken to build their knowledge of the Industry and company as a whole. A lot of fun memories were made this summer within this intern group and they are excited to take this experience with them and apply it to their schooling and future careers.
As the summer comes to an end and the interns make their way back to school, the JLS team thanks them for the all their hard work and the impact they have made on the company. If you’re searching for a proactive and positive internship experience like they had, head to our website; http://www.jarrettlogistics.com/careers to apply for future internship possibilities.
