The current batch of U-Haul International interns showcased what they’ve learned working for the Company at the annual intern presentations on Aug. 16 at the corporate towers in Phoenix. These capable students contribute to virtually every U-Haul department, from Software Development to Accounting & Finance.
The PowerPoint presentations offered insight on the daily responsibilities and specific tasks of U-Haul interns. Managers, supervisors and Team Members watched and asked questions.
Corporate recruiter and internship coordinator Joel Walton stated, “I constantly hear interns saying they’ve learned things they never knew existed from college. We regularly have interns who will refer classmates for opportunities because of this fact.”
Why Have Interns?
Some U-Haul managers seek interns when there is a new initiative or project that requires more manpower than their team has time to complete in a normal work cycle.
“One intern mentioned the thing he was tasked to do was previously done by Team Members, who in the past had the task added to their normal workload,” Walton said. “The intern was able to pull details and trends that may have been overlooked if not reviewed with singular focus.”
Patrick Traynor assists with the Software Development department and worked on quality assurance automation testing for Android and iOS. He shared what he contributed to his team.
“(I’m) freeing more time for the quality assurance team to break the app and find those hard-to-reproduce bugs automation cannot find,” Traynor explained.
Interns provide a fresh perspective to the departments they are assisting, ultimately leading to innovative ideas.
For the past year, Nikki Monty has been a digital marketing intern. She is currently a senior attending Arizona State University double-majoring in Marketing and Global Logistics Management. “It has been great getting to learn what all goes into the website,” she noted. “And what a company this size does to promote itself while helping our customers have the best experience possible.”
Wisdom for Future Interns
Asked about those who may follow in her path, Monty stated, “I would tell a future intern to take every opportunity that they can and to speak up about ideas that they have.”
Traynor also shared some words of advice to upcoming U-Haul interns. “Gain all the knowledge and skills you can, even if it has nothing to do with your position,” he said.
The presentations illustrated the valuable knowledge the group has gained at U-Haul, which will also help in their future endeavors. And some of those careers may very well be right here.
Finally, the nine presenters worked with an assortment of departments but have one thing in common. They came to U-Haul eager to help and want to better themselves as future professionals during their time here.
Find available U-Haul internships on our job opportunities page!
