Happy Holidays from the MFRM Talent Acquisition Team

Rounding Your Wheel

A wise man once told me that round wheels roll easier.  Not really a shocking piece of advice at first glance, but in reality, some of the best I’ve gotten.  You see, we all have our “wheel house” – those things that we are really good at.  The better you are at a variety of things, the more indispensable you become to employers.

 

If you’re currently employed, you can look at your wheel as different aspects of your business. The more you know the more valuable you are because when you know something about everything, you’re able to wear several different hats. 

 

A wonderful example of this is one of our Vice Presidents.  He started with Mattress Firm as a delivery driver many years ago.  As soon as he started, he began rounding his wheel by learning as much as he could about the beds he was delivering and providing the best customer service possible.  This led him into the sales division of our company.  He continued rounding his wheel by learning as much as he could about management – reading books by experts and talking to his own managers.  Eventually that led him to become a Regional Manager in charge of over 100 stores, but his wheel wasn’t complete yet!  This gentleman continued to learn as much as he could about every aspect of our business, from online sales to back office administration.  Even though he didn’t have any specific experience in Human Resources, when the company was in need of a dynamic individual to lead such an important department, it was clear that with such a round wheel, he would be able to roll right in!

You can work on rounding your wheel even if you’re not currently doing a job that’s going to be your career.  You can round your wheel with personal characteristics too!  For instance, here is my wheel based on the Forbes list of leadership attributes:

       

In order to make myself as marketable as possible, I need to work on being more creative, and more confident in my abilities.  By drawing out your own wheel, you become more aware of the areas you excel in and the areas in which you could continue to develop.

The exciting thing about rounding your wheel is that the process is never finished!  There is always more to learn, and as we focus on one area, another area might lose some traction.  It is a continuous process that can make us all more effective in the work place.  

For more information on becoming a round wheel with Mattress Firm, contact me at lara.ashley@mattressfirm.com

You’ve Got a Friend Indeed

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We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.” Well this is a true statement.

Employers love hiring referrals; as they:

1)      Are typically a better quality.

2)      Are a faster time to fill: Employee's hired through employee referral are hired 55% faster than those who came through a career site. *

3)      Stay longer: not only does it take a shorter length of time to hire a qualified candidate via employee referral, those hired stay longer. 46% of employee referrals stay for three years or more while only 14% of those hired from job boards stayed. *

If the above statements are true, referrals sound like the better investment to an employer, right? A referral has a better understanding of the company and the responsibilities of the position. And if the referral is coming from a solid employee, employers will trust that birds of a feather flock together.

So how can you become this referral? You probably already are. I’m sure you have a friend indeed.

1)      Social networking- LinkedIn is a great way to link back up with a lost friend, old work acquaintance or college buddy. Find out if they work for a company that you are interested in, or find if their company is hiring.

2)      Networking- Go to networking events. They may have access to job opportunities. Who knows, you may meet a new friend.

3)      Join a Professional Organization- May professional organizations have exclusive job opportunities or they may know someone to put you in contact with. You can even join online network organizations on LinkedIn.

So, get out a pen and pad and start brainstorming ways to network and reach out to friends. Let the job search begin!  

For more help with becoming a referral, contact daja.pope@mattressfirm.com.  

 http://recruiting.jobvite.com/resources/recruiting-data-employment-statistics-by-jobvite-index/#sthash.b0l8EmUe.dpuf

Comparison is good, right?

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Starting my career in sales I have always been used to comparing my sales numbers to others and using that friendly competition to hit my goals and make myself better. But is there ever a point where comparing yourself to others becomes detrimental to your success?

After recently becoming a mom to my now 10 month old, Ripley who is smart, handsome, funny, charismatic, strong and the best baby boy of all time (can you tell I am a proud mom?) I realized that sometimes comparing yourself (or in this case my son) to others is not always a good thing and can actually do more harm than good.

So I know what you’re thinking… why is being a new mom relevant to the topic of comparing yourself to others in a work environment? Well, I will tell you that becoming a new mom has taught me a lot. One of the biggest lessons I have learned pretty quickly is that I cannot compare my son to other babies that are around his age. I heard this advice time and time again from my pediatrician and in every mommy blog out there…but this is something I am very much guilty of. “Why isn’t Ripley rolling over yet?” “Why isn’t Ripley crawling yet?”  “Why isn’t Ripley getting any teeth yet?” and the list of “why’s” could continue on and on.  I understand the importance of hitting milestones and the importance of watching for developmental delays, but this is different from comparing to what others are doing and at what pace. Everyone has told me that kids develop at their one pace and unless your Dr. says to worry, don’t.  What I learned is that this stress and worry about what other babies were doing or not doing in comparison to my own son could go on forever and ever if I continue with this comparison game. And I don’t want to be “that mom” who is always trying to push my child to be better than “Johnny, or Betty or Paul.” I just want him to be the best that he can be! I found that this comparison game was taking away from the developments  that he was achieving and the excitement that I should be feeling when he started to crawl or roll over or got a tooth… it was more of a “finally he is hitting this milestone”, versus this is an exciting moment!” Luckily I realized this now and not when he was 30… (Why isn’t he married yet?)

So as I think about my own professional career and development I realize that there are performance standards and “milestones” that I need to personally hit in order to maintain my job and be successful, but comparing my own performance to that of others can at times cause unnecessary stress and anxiety and take away from those accomplishments I have made. As long as I know I am meeting or hitting my own personal goals and I know that I am doing my best every day, that should be the satisfaction I  need.  After all, everyone is different and everyone does develop at different rates. I have also learned this through managing my team. I have to be careful about comparing my team members to one another, because after all, everyone is different and develops at their own pace.

Now I am not telling you to throw out that friendly competition or to be oblivious to what are the set expectations, this is just a reminder to do your personal best each and every day and don’t get caught up in the “my baby is better than your baby” game.  It is a slippery slope that can lead to un-needed pressure and stress which can alienate you from others and derail your accomplishments. So celebrate your personal victories no matter how small they might be!

amanda.robbins@mattressfirm.com

There are few things sweeter than a three day weekend...

Do you Know Your Strengths?

Have you ever given your personal strengths much thought? I know I hadn’t until I was asked to read Now Discover Your Strengths and present on my findings. As I read along I found that I was an empathizer, restorative, intellectual, adaptable, and I like to look back (context.) Here is what my strengths mean:

 

Empathy-I can sense the emotions of those around you. I can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are my own.

Restorative-I love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, I can be energized by it. 

Intellection-I like to think and like mental activity.

Context-I look back. I look back because that is where the answers lie and to understand the present. 

Adaptability-I live in the moment. I don’t see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, I see it as a place that I create out of the choices that I make right now.

This was interesting because it reaffirmed things about myself that I already knew, as well as learned things that I had never thought about. You may be wondering why you need to know your own strengths or better yet, why you need to know the strengths of those around you? In simplest terms, it’s to better yourself both at work and in everyday life. You have the opportunity to know what you are good at and how to maximize these. If you are on the management side of things, wouldn’t it be great to know how to better relate to your employees or see how you can connect two team members together? If you would like to discover your own strengths, please visit http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx.  

 

 

Please feel free to share your findings with me! erica.siri@mattressfirm.com

Don’t forget to get “wowed!”



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It’s easy to get caught up trying to “wow” a future employer that sometimes we can forget that choosing a position and a company really is a mutual selection process.  Future employees have to want the job and the company just as much as the company has to want him or her to join their team.   Details during the selection process can speak volumes about the organization and how you may fit their culture and how they may offer what you’re really looking for.

 

Think about these details the next time you’re searching for a new professional opportunity…

How does the environment feel?  From the first phone call to the first person to welcome you to the interview, these details are telling of the company culture and environment.  Were the phone calls warm and inviting? If onsite, do the current employees seem to enjoy themselves and their teammates? Is this the type of environment and team I see myself enjoying?
 

Communication is key.  Was communication as timely and detailed as projected? Was the information consistent across all parties that you communicated with? Do you feel like you have a real understanding of the position and the company?
 

Are your professional goals attainable? Does this company have a developmental plan to lead you to the role you ultimately want?  Will you be satisfied with your progress in three years or five years? 

Remember, you’re not the only one making a first impression!  Make sure you want the job as much (maybe more!) than you want the company to want you. 

Considering Mattress Firm career opportunities?  Contact mackenzie.wilkins@mattressfirm.com and prepare to be “wowed.”

 

Does Inc. allow ink?

Last spring, I participated in a college to career conference that provided college students the chance to ask a panel of employers questions about the job world and any advice we wanted to give them regarding the job search as a whole. One of the most frequently asked questions was around the topic of tattoos in the workplace. Are they acceptable? Can they be visible? What’s considered too big?

The reason I believe this question has become a hot topic, is due to the overlap of parents/teachers and millennials coming from two completely different social views on tattoos. In today’s workplace, many contemporary companies are stressing commitments to diversity and inclusion, so tattoos are becoming increasingly unproblematic across the board.  Lax tattoo policies for blue-collar and art-related jobs aren’t shocking, but the increasingly tolerant outlook of frontrunners in corporate, educational and medical industries are more surprising.

For instance, according to Bank of America Spokeswoman Ferris Morrison, Bank of America has no written rules or restrictions when it comes to inked corporate employees.  “We have no formal policy about tattoos because we value our differences and recognize that diversity and inclusion are good for our business and make our company stronger,” she said.

Yet, that is not true for every company.  Tattoo policies vary from one office to another, the contra argument being that tattoos – like unconventional hairdos or bold garments – can distract coworkers and clients.  “Depending on if they are visible or offensive in nature, tattoos can have an impact on professionalism,” said Mark Brenner, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Apollo Group.

The employer panel came to the conclusion that if the tattoo can be covered during business hours, it is typically not a problem. On the other hand, we did suggest to the students that it is best to make sure and ask about it during the interview process or read the employer handbook that should state dress code or tattoo polices. This is important to understand before you “ink a deal” with a company.

For questions about ink, contact ashley.gonzales@mattressfirm.com

* http://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelhennessey/2013/02/27/having-a-tattoo-and-a-job/

Intern Spotlight-Nicholas J.

This summer has been absolutely amazing and I have learned so much.  I have never had any formal sales training, so to have the opportunity to get that training from an industry leader has been a true blessing.  I have gone from not knowing what to say to guests in the beginning to feeling confident that I can sell beds.  I feel like I know what it takes to be a manager, and how to always have your store looking right.  I have learned that the little details that people tend to overlook are important.  I have also learned that selling is not necessarily product knowledge, but being able to build a relationship.  It is important to learn the guest and in the end make sure that their needs are your priority and completely met.  I have learned the importance of knowing your competition and also how you never know what they are going to say about you. 

Choosing an internship or a job is a big decision, so I have a few pieces of advice to those looking in sales.  First, I would advise them to choose a company who will provide you with the tools necessary to succeed.  Some companies will just throw you in with the sharks, while others will give you world-class training.  This is definitely important when choosing a company.  Another piece of advice I would give is to always look for the growth potential within a company.  I think Mattress Firm truly has unlimited growth potential and that is an important characteristic in my opinion. 

My internship has been a major learning experience and I am very excited to be able to apply my knowledge!

Avoiding Different


I’ve never been more proud! My son, Jonah, just graduated from Kindergarten. Give me “My Kid is a Kindergarten Graduate” bumper sticker and I’ll slap it to the back of my SUV!



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Alright, I may be exaggerating a bit as it relates to the “never been more proud” statement. While it’s a pretty exciting accomplishment as it relates to the life of a kindergartner, what I’ll be more proud is if we can get Jonah through all the camps we have him registered for this summer. My goodness!

For those of you who have kids and have experienced the journey through summer camps, you’ll probably understand me when I tell you the choices are overwhelming. (For those of you who haven’t hit this phase in life… just wait).  There are so many choices! Zoo camp, basketball camp, fencing camp (yes, for 6 year olds!), Spanish camp, chemistry camp… you name it, there’s a camp for it. And while I was overwhelmed as I read the options out loud and secretly hoped he would want to do Zoo camp every week to make my life easier, Jonah grew more and more excited about the prospect of doing something different every week of the summer.

As I reluctantly registered him for a new camp each week, I couldn’t help but reflect on how incredible a child’s curiosity and thirst for learning is. He was seeking out the opportunity to try something different, meet new people and learn new things every single week this summer.

It makes me wonder… 

At what point in our lives do we start taking the same route to work day after day? At what point in our lives do we settle into our job and do the same thing day after day? At what point do we find comfort in avoiding different?

When this happens, we have (likely unintentionally) closed ourselves off to learning and growing. We hamper our curiosity. We enter into a life of boredom, monotony and mundaneness…

Alright, I might be getting a bit dark.

The good news is it’s quite easy to change! While there are likely over a million Internet search results on how to change or how to be more curious, I found this list on the Live Bold and Bloom site to be quite entertaining and thought they had some really great suggestions.

http://liveboldandbloom.com/10/lifestyle/26-simple-ways-to-make-your-life-more-exciting

So whether it’s driving a new route home tonight, reading an article about something you didn’t know or taking up a new hobby, I hope this sparked some small reminder to dig deep inside yourself to find an ounce of that curiosity that you had when you were a child.

I know for me, I’m going to do my best to be more like Jonah and find excitement in what each new week brings. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get online and search for a fencing course.

Looking for a new route to work? Reach out to abby.ludens@mattressfirm.com
#MFRMlife

 

Intern Spotlight - Siham H.

“I never thought I would end up selling mattresses”, is what you would hear from just about every employee at Mattress Firm. Why stay? How come out of all the different companies to choose from, you chose Mattress Firm? “Because of the culture, it just feels like a family.” At first, I did not quite understand what the fuss was about when it came to ‘company culture’… until I started my internship, that is. 

I am Siham and I began this summer as an intern at Mattress Firm knowing as much about mattresses as almost every other guest – nothing. After a vigorous two-day pre-Memorial Day training, I felt like a mattress expert! However, when I showed up to work Memorial Day weekend, I quickly realized there was much more for me to learn about sales and the mattress industry. The best part is, no matter what level of training I have or who I am working with that day, I know for a fact that I would be treated not like the “new intern” but like every other employee. I am even given the chance to attend district and vendor meetings and am included in the community service Mattress Firm is a part of to raise money for pancreatic cancer through the Mattress Firm Foundation. Each individual I have had the pleasure to work with in my district has taught me something new and because of that I am able to not only grow and learn but also meet new people that have become great friends!

Mattress Firm is a company that knows how to work together as a synergistic team. This is something I was able to experience in just the three weeks I have been with the company so far. Everyone keeps in contact with each other during the day to make sure things are going smoothly and to ask for help with certain criteria they may not know about. There is always someone who will know more than you – here at Mattress Firm that someone is your friend who will guide you, train you, and most of all support and encourage you even if you mess up. One of Mattress Firm's core values is trust and without it the company would not be able to be as strong and as caring for each other and their guests. Mattress Firm employees know how to work hard and have fun doing it! There is always something new happening such as a competition to see who can sell the most mattress protectors or pillows that day to win Astros tickets. They also have regular conference calls where the managers encourage the employees to speak their minds for the good of the team. They even have a district-wide email thread where everyone can post and cheer on the sells for the day.

At this point I understand the company culture. Mattress Firm employees have so much passion for what they do, that they could not bear to think about spending their days somewhere else.  These characteristic are things I will be sure to look for in potential future employers. Mattress Firm is truly a family and I am pleased to be a part of it!

Intern Spotlight - Shensen G.

My name is Shensen, and I attend Kennesaw State University as a business management major. My internship here at Mattress Firm has marked one of the defining moments in my life. As I stepped into the corporate world, I became more mature as a person and learned to create strong bond with the guests and colleagues, in order to make myself a helpful salesperson to the guests and an asset to our company.
 
We have some of the best salespeople on the planet here at Mattress Firm. We can effectively guide our guests all the way through the process! As a result, every salesperson in our company touches on the key points while maintaining his or her selling style.

Also, through my experience in competitive shopping and S.W.O.T. analysis on Mattress Firm and our competitors, I learned of each company's strengths and weaknesses. It is crucial for us to adopt their strong points to reinforce our existing strengths, meanwhile taking advantage of their weaknesses to utilize them as an opportunity for us to grow as a company. Just like ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu said: "Knowing thyself and thy enemy, one need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

Furthermore, I'm impressed by our vendors’ presentations and have concentrated on learning the specs about each our products. On the top of that, I've witnessed our salespeople effectively selling these products and improving our guests' sleep experience. From Protect-A-Bed to Tempur-Pedic, I continue to familiarize myself with our products!

For students and job seekers looking into the sales, retail or bedding industry, let me tell you this: selling is one of the most valuable skills you can carry on throughout your life time. Mattress Firm teaches you how to build deep, emotional connections with your guests and overcome possible objections. On the top of that, selling is not just about how much money you can make, but will benefit you in every other aspect of life, such as reading, fitness and self-development. For example, there is a 10-page essay that you have no interested in starting, as it is our human tendency to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to begin. With a selling mindset, however, it will force you to do the right thing at the right time, simply because your indecision, hesitation, or slow reaction will cause you to “lose a sale”. As a result, it pushes you to persist to the finish line instead of succumbing to the easy way out, and ultimately you start to develop that mental muscle and become a “closer” for life. Once again, if you are interested in retail or the bedding industry, and would like to uncover more about advanced selling techniques and rapport building with your guests, Mattress Firm is the place to start (email intern@mattressfirm.com today!).

Overall, I have deep faith in the Mattress Firm company to continue being the national buying power and offering best-in-class service in the industry; meanwhile, I will give the best of my ability to excel at this internship, and help this great organization in acquiring and maintaining guests for a lifetime!

School's out for Summer

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I remember my college roommate and I running around our apartment screaming this song at the top of our lungs just minutes after we completed our last final exam of our college career!! We were very excited to be done with school but then we stopped and looked at each other and thought “What’s next?” This can be an exciting but also a very eye opening experience for some of us when we think about that next step in life and have that fear of the unknown! A common worry when beginning the next phase in your life can be “What if I interview for this position and I don’t get it because I don’t have all the experience that my competition does?” This is definitely an understandable worry. However, if you come into an interview prepared to speak to all of your experiences from college and are able to relate them to the job you are seeking, this will demonstrate a higher level of thinking and will show that you did a lot more in college than just study and party!

Here are a few tips to help you build that collegiate resume:

1)      Get involved on campus - Join a club, student government, or even joining a Greek Chapter to show that you are willing to go above and beyond. Doing this shows you are able to work in a team environment and balance school and extracurriculars. Make sure to speak to the roles you held to show your future employer that you can lead a team or a sell an idea, thought or theme!

2)      Seek a summer internship – a lot of companies offer internship positions to rising juniors and seniors. This can provide you two summers to have the opportunity to get a glimpse of a real life career. Take advantage of it and get out to those career fairs at an early phase in your college career to see what employers are out there and what they have to offer.

3)      Involved on a sports team? – speak to your experiences from being on a college sports team. On a sports team you act as a unit and go through wins and losses, just as you would in the real world. You also learn a lot about your team members, so make sure to speak to what you learned from these experiences. Being a member of a sports team demonstrates you are likely to accept coaching or even be able to coach yourself to get better in your career.

4)      Head up a community service project/fundraiser – Getting involved in community service is something a lot of employers and even students are doing these days. To make yourself stand out, find out if this is something an employer values. If so, make sure you are able to speak to how you’ve been involved in an organization that you are passionate about!

Once you have done one or all of these things jot down some notes to relate it to the real world! If it is on your resume and you don’t speak to it then it will not help you. Use your experiences to your advantage by taking credit for what you did and showing what you learned from each experience.  Enjoy your summer and start building that resume as soon as you get back in the fall!

For help in seeking a summer internship email angela.hubbard@mattressfirm.com

Don’t Let Summer Slow You Down!

                                                        

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For college students that have spent the past nine months cramming for tests, attending classes and maintaining an active social calendar, the summer may seem the perfect time to take a break from it all. However, the summer is actually the perfect time to contribute to your post-graduation plans in a variety of different ways, including the ideas below.

 

Get a summer job!

Obtaining a summer job is an excellent way to put some extra cash in your pocket, while adding credentials to your resume. To give you a place to start, Forbes.com lists the top five summer jobs for college students:

·         Freelance writer
·         Server
·         Internship*
·         Nanny
·         Entrepreneur*

While the ideas listed above are great places to start, I have asterisked two items in particular – Internship and Entrepreneur, as these are my favorites.

Obtaining an internship provides tremendous benefit to a college student:

·         Provides a temporary view into a certain industry, position and/or employer

·         Creates many avenues for networking

·         Allows for the opportunity to gain real-world work experience

·         Helps to solidify decisions regarding possible future careers, and

·         Opens the door to possible post-graduation employment opportunities.

 

In addition, putting your creative hat on and utilizing your entrepreneurial skills during the summer is also another extraordinary way to gain real-world experience. When pursuing an entrepreneurial venture, you’ll be integrated into most basic areas of business:

·         Marketing and sales

·         Financial management

·         Product/Service development

·         Customer service

·         Much, much more!

 

TIP: When I see on a resume that a student has pursued an entrepreneurial project, my interest level is greatly raised!

Shadow a professional!

If the time commitment that comes along with an internship doesn’t work with your summer schedule, take a day or two to shadow professionals in industries or professions that you are interested in. Shadowing allows you to see the responsibilities and duties of certain positions, and provides you an opportunity to make a more well-informed career decision in your future. How can you secure a shadowing opportunity? Talk with your professors, Career Services, family members and friends to let them know that you are interested in shadowing someone within a specific industry or position. Also, LinkedIn is a fantastic avenue to search for and network with specific individuals.

Visit Career Services!

The fall and spring semesters are typically considered the “busy season” to college students, as well as college employees. The summer is the perfect time to make a few appointments with a Career Services representative to spruce up your resume and work on those interviewing skills. Oftentimes, these representatives will be able to spend more time with you, or see you more often because of the decrease in student usage during these few months.

While you may be taking a break from your studies this summer, don’t lose steam on your career journey!

Need more ideas on how to utilize your summer to the fullest? Email me at haley.hoskins@mattressfirm.com!

 

Forbes.com article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2012/06/09/5-best-summer-jobs-for-college-students-deconstructed/

Intern Spotlight - Kathryn B.

I feel like I have hit the jackpot this summer by choosing to spend it with Mattress Firm. Although most people do not grow up dreaming of selling mattresses I have quickly learned that it can be a great career and that most importantly, the company helping you to do so is phenomenal.

 

A month ago I knew next to nothing about mattresses and although I am certainly not an expert yet, I have definitely expanded my knowledge since starting my internship at Mattress Firm. Who knew that a Protect a Bed was necessary to save your mattress from sweat and dust mites or that adjustable bases exist somewhere other than at the hospital? Not me. However, in my opinion it is not the specs about mattresses that is the most valuable thing I have learned from Mattress Firm, the internship is about much more than that. I have never worked with a group of people who are so passionate about what they do and about their community. I did not know that a workplace like this actually existed.

 

I was nervous to start this internship because it meant new people and a new city. However, I took a leap of faith and decided to move to Atlanta from North Carolina for the summer despite the fact that I knew no one here. Although it was tough at first, my coworkers quickly took me under their wing and were eager to show me around the city and make sure I was happy to be here and was enjoying my job. I could not have been placed in a better district. My District Manager, Intern Coordinator, and all of the other Area Managers, Store Managers, Assistant Managers, and Managers on Duty could not be better. They are all willing to help us learn and grow, both as Mattress Firm employees and as people and professionals in general. From the moment I walked in to the first day of training, I have felt welcome and a part of the Mattress Firm Family.

 

Mattress Firm is such a unique company who makes every effort to ensure that its guests and employees are as happy as possible. This internship could not be better so far and it inspires me to see how hard those around me are working and makes me strive to be better and eager to learn more every day. I could not be happier with my decision to intern with Mattress Firm in Atlanta this summer and I cannot wait to take my knowledge and personal growth back with me to Chapel Hill in the fall!

 

My advice to anyone seeking a job, part- or full-time, or an internship would be to not get consumed by titles and the company name or industry but to look for a company that is going to look out for you and has a culture that appeals to you. No matter how much you are getting paid, the job will be meaningless if you aren’t happy and aren’t growing as a person. It is important to find a company that wants to help you grow and wants to see you succeed. I have certainly found that and more with Mattress Firm this summer!

 

Intern Spotlight - Rebecca L.

The Mattress Firm Intern Experience

My name is Rebecca L. and I've been sleeping happy this summer because I've landed the opportunity of a lifetime as a sales intern at the nation's largest mattress retailer--Mattress Firm! Throughout these past three weeks, I have learned more things than I ever thought possible—about the mattress industry, about myself, and about this incredible company.

Before my internship at Mattress Firm, I knew little about the mattress world. Now, I can effectively hold a conversation about coils, about the phase changing material in Tempur-Pedic beds, about the benefits of getting a great night’s sleep and even about the importance of bed protectors to keep those nasty dust mites and bed bugs from eating away at those skin cells!

I have been constantly encouraged by every manager, area manager, district manager, intern coordinator and trainer that I come into contact with. I have never, in my entire life, felt so warmed and welcomed by such a talented group of individuals who are more than eager to help shape you into the talented young salesperson you're meant to be! My confidence level has risen to great heights these past three weeks as I have asked countless questions, and failed, more than once, thus teaching me many lessons about the importance of getting no’s!

As a college student that is searching for a future career, I am pleased to say that Mattress Firm is one of those golden eggs in the Easter egg basket—a company that is truly unique in their service to guests, and unique in their impeccable treatment of employees. I, without a doubt, have found an incredible organization that not only values their guests, but values the well-being of their employees. Energetic, encouraging and full of character are words to help describe the Houston Northwest district team I have worked with. I am thankful to have met each and every one of these talented individuals.

I have made an excellent decision in choosing to join the Summer 2014 Mattress Firm Intern team, and I recommend to any college student that is looking to grow both professionally and personally to take the chance and intern at this company. You will, without a doubt, learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible.

Intern Spotlight - Kyandrea J.

Best Place to Intern: Mattress Firm

Thoughts as an intern:

When looking for the place to work regardless of full-time, part-time, or intern position most people overlook the bigger picture: finding a company that feels like a family. If you are looking for a new job make sure you understand and agree with the companies values and culture.

 

Mattress Firm gives back and is big on community involvement. Contributing over 800 hours to the community. Mattress Firm is big on growth we are trying to be a coast-to-coast retailer and with that there are many opportunities for the internal guest (the employees) to grow; we are almost coast-to-coast! Mattress Firm is all about hiring passionate individuals, in part because of the need for great culture and brand that Mattress Firm, as well as, looking to fill those new positions with knowledgeable and enthusiastic people. Mattress Firm is not only a brand/company but it is a big family.

 

I can truly say here at Mattress Firm, that I have gained not only new friends, but a family within the almost 3 weeks I have been here. Through the relationships with the interns I came in with or the full-time staff I have built relationships that are sure to last the test of time.

 

I have learned that Mattress Firm believes in their people and does everything to put them in the best position as internal guests. Throughout the Manager Interview process I have found many managers love the ability to be able to help others ,as well as, having the ability to act on their own; being leaders not order takers.

 

Anyone with a great attitude, sales aptitude, or even the ability to learn should come and learn more about what it means to be with a great family!