Hard Work Pays Off

As a soon-to-be graduate of Grand Valley State University, I know firsthand how hard it is to find a job. You put in countless hours of critiquing your resume, writing and rewriting cover letters, seeking out professional recommendations, scheduling interviews, following up and sending thank you notes. All of the work does not guarantee that you will get an offer. Looking for a job is essentially working part-time for no pay, it is very stressful and you have to be self-motivated to move forward. Speaking from experience, when you stay the path, your hard work will pay off even when the odds are against you.

How I learned about TransCorr National Logistics:

I am a member of the American Marketing Association at Grand Valley. The Vice President of the AMA put me in contact with Rebecca Gill, of Web Savvy Marketing who works directly with TNL. I connected with Rebecca on LinkedIn and she informed me that TNL was in need of a Social Media Intern. Rebecca told me to forward her my resume, but before I sent it I researched TNL. I started at their main website, looking to see their accessibility and aesthetics. I then focused on their social media engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and LinkedIn pages. I figured if I was offered a job I would have sole control over their presence on these sites. I read articles about the company, read their company blog, and found any information I could about the company on the internet. Next, I developed my cover letter and targeted it towards the company and the qualifications of the position for which I was applying. After four or five drafts, I sent my finalized cover letter and my resume to Rebecca who forwarded it on to Kate Gardner.

The Waiting Game:

A week or so later, I received an email for a request for an interview at TNL. Kate and I set up a day and a time and my nerves set it in. I had a few days to prepare for the interview so once again, I researched. This time not only did I research the company, I also researched the employees, more specifically management and Kate. I took notes, wrote down statistics, developed questions, and brainstormed ideas for conversation. Even though I would forget the majority of what I researched, I hoped to walk into the interview somewhat prepared.

The Interview:

The day had come. I was ready for this. I was determined to land this job. I couldn’t sleep the night before, just like a kid on Christmas Eve, but I was rested. I got ready in my interview attire and set off on my way. I arrived fifteen minutes early and sat in the conference room waiting. As I waited, I got nervous and I tried memorizing all the information I learned about the company. I told myself, “They are a third-party logistics company, they specialize in five things.” I even made an acronym for the five things the specialized in- FLIRT. F: Flatbed, L: LTL (Less than Truckload), I: Intermodal, R: Reefer, and T: Truckload. I even went as far as to write down questions for them in my pad folio. I was prepared and the interview was about to be underway. After an hour of discussing anything from my life passions to reducing carbon emissions, the interview was done. I left feeling great. Now all I had to do was wait again.

The Offer:

I received an email from Kate offering me the position as their Social Media Intern and I gladly accepted. I accepted because during the interview I learned about all the good work that TNL does that you can’t read about on the internet. I learned that not only are they making strides to become a greener company, they give back often and are active in their community. These were key factors in my decision. It didn’t hurt that the company had an on-site gym with a personal trainer, as well as entertaining company outings. Most importantly however, I took the job because of the experiences, the knowledge, and the networking that I would obtain from this internship.

Here and Now:

Fast forward about three months to present day. I work at one of the fastest growing transportation logistic companies and have great co-workers. I learn more and more each day about the company and how my efforts can make TNL more successful. I expected I would be in working on their Social Media and marketing strategies, but I have many under the surface responsibilities as well. My daily tasks include monitoring and improving existing social media accounts by customizing, adding new content, and focusing on engagement. With the engagement, I focus on researching and analyzing the tracking information. I also focus on search engine optimization, driving traffic to our sites and brand recognition. I enjoy coming to work and pushing myself to do the best work I can.  I will be the first to tell you- I made the right decision to work here.

Always Hiring

TNL never passes up good talent and we are always hiring. We believe that a TransCorr National Logistics employee should offer outstanding communication skills, exceptional organizational skills, excellent problem solving skills, computer and internet knowledge, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. If you are willing to work hard and learn TNL’s proven system, there are no limits to what the future holds for you on our team.