Internship Spotlight – Craig Doughty, Uline

Craig Doughty is a Management Information Systems major set to graduate in May 2020.  This summer he interned for Uline as an Account Manager in Phoenix, Arizona. 

How did you get this internship?

I actually got the internship applying for a bunch of different jobs on a random website my Father sent me. I had no idea what Uline was and I applied. 45 minutes later I got a call from them. They set up an interview and a face to face interview and they liked me so much that they offered me the internship. I was blown away about the type of experience they offered me.

What was a typical day like?

I started the day off in the office on Monday doing inside sales. This was setting 20 Appointments for the following week. I would have a zip code to call from and I would make about 80 dials a day to set up meetings with clients. Tuesday through Friday I would be out in the field in my zip code attending those meetings. I would do 5 planned meetings, 4 unplanned drops and one cold call. With these meetings, I would display Uline’s price points, Quote on items to be competitive with local businesses, and introduce some new items they could potentially buy from us. I visited about 300 business from Honeywell to local mom and pop stores.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My Favorite part was visiting the clients. I loved meeting with different people to explain how I could be of service to them. Some of them were the nicest people who loved Uline and I got to know most of their business operations by doing WH tours. This made me learn a lot about supply Chain Management. This did not feel like a sales job but a consultant job where I helped businesses save money by switching to Uline.

If you worked on a big project, please describe it below:

I did a big powerpoint presentation in front of the staff. This is where my public speaking skills with what I learned in BCOM was put on display. In this Presenation, I highlighted some of the great aspects of Uline, my summer experience with the company, what I struggled with, and what can be improved to help the experience. My boss loved the Presentation and was impressed with my work ethic.

What did you find most challenging about your internship?

Finding Cold Calls was the hardest part of the internship experience. Seeing where I can find businesses in the area that haven’t bought from us really to some time to get used too.

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar internship?

Apply for every job that might or might not interest you. I found a diamond in the rough applying for Uline and had no idea what they did. This internship provided me the experience of a life in sales that is worth its weight in gold.

How did Eller prepare you for your internship?

Eller prepared me with its public speaking. I had no trouble at all speaking with clients. This was because Eller prepared me how to talk to businesses through its BCOM presentations. I can’t thank Eller enough for providing me the hard work ethic and communication skills that helped me with my internship

Did your internship employer provide housing or transportation assistance?

Transportation – My employer provided transportation or financially supplemented my transportation during the internship

Anything else you would like to share about your internship experience?

If you want a great sales job or consultant job please feel free to reach out to me through email or say hi to me at Eller.