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!

Love the company you work for!

Of the four seasons, spring just happens to be my favorite. I love the coolness in the air, the flowers blooming, and all of the newest additions at the local zoo’s (baby gorillas, anyone?)  Since spring puts me in such a great mood, I decided to focus on how much I LOVE my job! We recently returned from our National Leadership Conference that was held in Washington D.C. This is a great opportunity for our company to remind everyone how much passion and excitement you can have while at work.

 

Loyalty- Does your company offer your loyalty? Do you feel that you are secure in your position and have a future with them? Also in return, are you loyal back? Think to yourself, do I share my story with strangers? Am I proud of where I work?

 

Open- There should always be open lines of communication in the work place. Hopefully there is a co-worker, manager, or leader that you can communicate with.

 

Values- Every company has values and a vision. Are the company ethics and vision the same as yours? As an employee, you should share the same values and truly believe in the company.

 

Engaged- Are you engaged in your job?  Are you excited to go in to work every day? Hopefully you work for a company that is engaging and challenges you on a daily basis.

 

These are just a few things that I was reminded of this past week! So try and remind yourself, does your job make you feel happy and in love?

Share what you love with erica.siri@mattressfirm.com