Through my internship at the new Sherwin-Williams retail store in

Camas, WA, I was able to complete my project while helping the

store progress. Whether it was with counting inventory,

contributing to sales on the floor and over the phone, identifying 

present and potential customers, or delivering excellent 

customer service, I was able to contribute and see the direct

connection that it had on the business.

 

Having recently worked at a different Sherwin-Williams store,

I was able to bring my prior knowledge with me into this

program. This allowed me to “hit the ground running”,

immediately helping customers and identifying my strengths and

weaknesses. For example, the ‘Product Knowledge Exercise’ 

was a good test for me to see which products I was familiar with

and which products I still needed to become accustomed to.

 

The internship program itself provided me with an extremely comprehensive learning experience of the many facets of wholesale branch operations. I gained practical business-to-business and retail experience from working in the store assisting painters, contractors, and do-it-yourself customers. Throughout my time with the Sherwin-Williams company, I have learned that the biggest skill any employee needs to possess is problem solving. To maximize these problem-solving abilities, the internship program trained me in the fields of sales, customer relations, marketing/merchandising, product knowledge, inventory management, financial reports, accounts receivable, and operations management.

 

In addition to multiple exercises that focused on these skills, the internship program presented a unique project. As Sherwin-Williams has recently introduced an e-commerce website and app (mySW), all interns were challenged to promote the new tool and observe best practices. The database gives contractors/painters easier access to features that will advance their business. To understand more about what the mySW database provides, please refer to the ‘Projects' tab.

 

Throughout the internship program, the various exercises focused on improving our problem-solving skills within’ the company allowed us to further promote and observe the mySW e-commerce tool. Exercises such as ‘Sales Representative Ride-A-Longs’ and ‘Sales Report Reviews’ allowed me to significantly progress with my project and further promote different features included on mySW. To see all significant exercises that helped me with regards to my project, please refer to the ‘Reflection’ tab.

 

Overall, the exercises led to a successful final presentation in front of District Management. To view the material that was presented, please refer to the ‘Projects’ tab. I thoroughly enjoyed this internship and appreciated the opportunities that were presented to me throughout. Additionally, interns who successfully complete the program and want to partake in the Management Training Program will have an advantage over other applicants. Reflecting on my recent employment with Sherwin-Williams and the completion of the internship program, I can confidently say that I am interested in taking part in the Management Training Program.