Let Me Tell You About My Summer Internship

Name: Sarah Rammelsberg
Major: Agricultural Education; Agricultural Communications Option
Year: Junior
Hometown/State: Hudson, Iowa

Company/Organization: John Deere
Title: Marketing and Sales Intern
Location: Columbus, OH

Describe your internship responsibilities:

My internship project required me to travel to different John Deere dealerships across the east coast of the United States. I visited approximately 50 dealers in a 9-week period. I put 10,000 miles on the company car and was provided a company laptop, car, and credit card. All expenses were paid, including meals, gas, hotels, and any other incidentals.

My main responsibilities included:

What did you enjoy most about this internship?

The thing I enjoyed the most from this internship was the freedom I was given with my project. I worked by myself the entire summer, which included planning, traveling, and an immense amount of responsibility. I feel that I was able to grow my personal and professional skills tremendously from this experience.

How has this experience impacted your future career plans?

As an Agricultural Education major, I have taken a wide variety of classes. With such a broad major, I have not been able to decide what exactly I want to do when I graduate. This summer I was able to get a glimpse into the Marketing and Sales aspect of the agricultural industry. I gained a lot of knowledge about corporate companies and the corresponding work environment associated with them.

What resources did you utilize to obtain this internship?

I learned about this internship when I visited the Deere booth at Ag Career Day in October. I was able to talk to representatives and learn more about the specific opportunities available. At the event they took my resume and offered me an on-campus interview the next day. I was fortunate to be offered a second round on-site interview in Lenexa, KS. The interview process was fairly standard; however, I made sure to review my resume and practice situational questions for their behavioral-based interview style.

What advice would you offer to other students seeking similar internships?

This internship was a great experience as I was able to become a much more organized and responsible person. Working by yourself and traveling all the time can be very challenging. I had to learn how to navigate around cities I have never heard of and how to do everything alone, including going out to eat. When looking at a position such as this one I would encourage you to make sure that this is something you are comfortable with. I was not able to make it home, nor was I able to hang out with friends. However, I was able to see almost the entire east coast of the United States.

Classes I would recommend taking for a sales position would include Accounting 284, Economics 336, and a communication or presentation class such as Ag Eds 311.