College Works Painting

Branch Manager

February - August 2022 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

I loved the hands on aspect that College Works provided. I was running my own business as a student in college and that was an amazing experience. I learned more from this internship than the classes I was taking in college. I made great money, developed strong professional skills, and took away a very impressive resume. The ability to network with other alumni after the internship was also so incredible, having done the internship it gave me access to so many cool people in very important roles that did this internship too.

What I wish was different

Nothing, great experience all around, I recommend it to anyone that can handle working hard.

Advice

Go get after it, College Works will put you into the real world and you learn very quickly that nothing is given in this world, everything is earned.

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District Sales Manager

March - May 2023 • Buffalo Grove, IL

What I liked

Learning how to manage tasks through out my day

What I wish was different

A base salary of at least something, because we still advertised for the company, but the only way to make money was to actually sell

Advice

Don't go into it if you're not trying to learn something new, and expect to be challenged.

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CWP

February - April 2020 • Midland, MI

What I liked

I did not like it. I ended up not finishing it because they were telling us to go door to door during the stay at home orders of the pandemic.

What I wish was different

I wish I had known it is not a great company, and that I did a bunch of work up front and only got paid for a bonus, never for the rest of my work because of how the pay was structured.

Advice

I would be very careful when working with college work painting. Make sure you know what you are getting into, and also know that they will say the bad reviews are from people who do not work hard, as they told me, but I strongly disagree.

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Branch Manager

January - September 2020 • Eau Claire, WI

What I liked

First hand experience of running my own business.

What I wish was different

I wish Covid hadn't hit right when we were starting.

Advice

Use multiple marketing techniques to reach your goal.

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Crew Chief

June - August 2020 • Colby, KS

What I liked

I enjoyed the physical activity that it required. More importantly though, the discipline it taught me led me to become a leader for my crew partner.

What I wish was different

Personally, I wish I could have spoken up to my boss when the chemistry between one of my partners and I wasn’t well and I had considered quitting because of the stress. Fortunately I didn’t have to say anything and my boss recognized my strain and placed me with another partner who suited me far better.

Advice

I would say that it is vitally important to remember to ask yourself one question. Will the chemistry between my co-workers and myself be positive? Because if it isn’t then production will stall, and stress will build. It is important to be able to work with people you may not always agree with. But it is also important to have the right atmosphere with your work partner because with the right balance amazing things can be achieved on the worksite.

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Branch Manager

March - August 2019 • Phoenix, AZ

What I liked

Working this job pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and basically run a small branch of a company. It also taught me various skills such as communication, leadership, and marketing skills.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have started earlier so I could have been more successful.

Advice

This is a very demanding and time intensive internship and a lot of people quit so if you aren’t willing to put the time towards it then I suggest to find something. Though if you do put in the time and effort it can be very rewarding.

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House Painter

June - October 2019 • Fort Collins, CO

What I liked

You got to work outside all day get a nice tan and I was working with and for some of my best friends.

What I wish was different

Should of worn more sun screen

Advice

The harder you work, the faster you get the job done, the more money you make

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House Painter

May - September 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI

What I liked

People I worked for, consistent hours, respect from employers and the ability to keep myself accountable.

What I wish was different

Paid more, more help with the jobs

Advice

Even though its just a summer painting job I learned a lot about working hard and customer service, It is essential to do these things to be successful at this job.

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House Painter

May - September 2019 • Valparaiso, IN

What I liked

Relaxed work environment Consistent hours Independence

What I wish was different

Higher pay

Advice

Make sure you like your co-workers

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House Painter

May - August 2019 • Petoskey, MI

What I liked

Working with friends and people my age. I also liked that my job was outdoors.

What I wish was different

I wish my boss did a better job scheduling houses especially interior jobs when it rained.

Advice

Painting is hard work. If you don't think you have the work ethic to paint a minimum of 10 hours a day 5 days a week, then this job isn't for you.

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Bank Branch Manager

February - August 2019 • Rockford, MI

What I liked

I learned so much about how to run a business, manage people, communicate well, and be confident.

What I wish was different

I wish I got paid more.

Advice

This internship can change your mindset and habits if you put in the work. Give 100% effort and it'll change your life.

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House Painter

July - August 2019 • Santa Barbara, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

The pay was not worth the work and time I spent on each house. I was hard work that was not worth the tiny pay you receive.

Advice

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Branch manager

February - August 2019 • Pittsburg, KS

What I liked

The career development aspect of the company. CWP taught me and allowed me to be able to do things most professions don’t do until years into their career.

What I wish was different

I wish Some of their Guidance and training procedures were conducted different. Make sure everyone has a great understanding and isn’t lost.

Advice

Be committed. Be organized. This opportunity is not for the faint of heart, but pays many dividends in the end.

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Painter

June - August 2019 • Plymouth, MN

What I liked

Experience in skills that will be applicable in the future

What I wish was different

I wish we were able to get more hours.

Advice

If you're looking for a full time job make sure it's fairly certain that you will get that.

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Branch Manager

February - August 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI

What I liked

It truly taught you how be confident in the business world. It taught you how to talk to clients, manage workers, and taught you how to create an overall business network.

What I wish was different

Management was a little poor. Many managers and interns were fired during the internship (even though my manager was great). I definitely had the largest work load I’ve ever had in my life but it was very rewarding in a couple ways.

Advice

You truly have to be extremely motivated and have a desire to do something very big in the world. You must be a strong minded individual to complete the internship. And just try to work smarter, not harder.

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Branch Manager

February - September 2019 • Cincinnati, OH

What I liked

The experiences I gained, the people I met, the money.

What I wish was different

The training had been better or more intense.

Advice

I would recommend more people to do this internship because it teaches you to be responsible and run your own business.

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Branch Manger

March 2019 • Madison, WI

What I liked

Real world, practical experience, really tough

What I wish was different

Scheduling through summer and fall

Advice

It's real tough but that's why it was so rewarding

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Local Branch Manager

March - August 2019 • Stevens Point, WI

What I liked

I liked creating my own schedule and was able to build my own business.

What I wish was different

If I were to change something about this internship, I would change the meetings to be closer to where I live instead of 2 hours away everytime.

Advice

Apply yourself and you can make a lot of money and memories.

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Branch Manager

February - September 2018 • Madison, WI

What I liked

I enjoyed all of the relationships I developed through the process, the skills I was able to learn, and the management experience of running my own business. I met most of my best friends doing this and enjoyed the Payroll Friday events and Cancun trips. Most of the relationships should last a long time. I also enjoyed learning the skills it takes to be successful. I was able to step out of my comfort zone with confidence, leadership, communication, and management skills. I also took great pride in having my own business. These were my employees, my clients, and my profits that I got to take care of.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have gotten more opportunities to network earlier on. I met a lot of awesome people but it wasn't until July or August that I was truly great friends with them. I wish I would have had more times during the spring to network.

Advice

It is truly an amazing experience if you make the most of it. Do not have regrets and do not waste the opportunity. While my friends will be sleeping in and playing video games every weekend, I was able to go out there and run a real life business. Get out of your comfort zone, trust your mentors, and make the most of this challenging, yet incredibly rewarding experience.

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Branch Manager

January - August 2019 • Chico, CA

What I liked

College Works Painting is a program designed for college students who enjoy challenging themselves and learning how to be successful in a professional setting. This internship helped me define my career goals, manage stress, and learn to operate my own small business.

What I wish was different

I wish the production portion of our program had more time, meaning I wish I had more time to learn how to properly execute what we were planning to do for our customers. Also, I wish I had understood the time requirements for myself as an internship. The program is what you make it, if you focus 110% on it, then you will be consumed with it of course. The experience depends on your willingness to go all in and really push yourself out of a comfort zone.