UWG business students receive Walmart internships

Members from the University of West Georgia’s (UWG) Entrepreneurial Action in Us (Enactus) attend fall conferences to receive assistance for sustainability projects and land internship and job offerings from Wal-Mart.

Introduced to UWG in 2006 by Dr. John Anderson, Enactus is an international community service organization that consists of business background. Its focus is to bring a positive impact to the community as well as putting together an entrepreneurial project that will bring long term benefits to the community. Enactus has done work in Carrollton, Newnan and Douglasville.

“It’s all about our students going in the community not just to serve but to serve with a real impact we can measure,” said Professor Monica Smith, business lecturer and Enactus advisor. “For instance, if we go to a soup kitchen, we will go to serve but also empower someone who needs the services of a soup kitchen to go off and do something on their own like creating something or doing something.”

Enactus is sponsored by major corporations such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, who in return hosts two yearly regional career fairs that allows students to receive training on skills to having a great career and productive organization. They also receive potential internship and job offerings. Enactus participated in the Wal-Mart Fall Regional Fair, which allowed students to compete with other universities and network with potential employers.

“The whole point of them going is to get training to help them create a project for the school year and while they are there, participate in the career fair,” said Smith. “This year Wal-Mart was the sponsor, and several of our students went and most of them came back with job opportunities from there. Most of the internships received were from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club while others received Management trainee positions they can start working once they graduate.”

Five Enactus members were offered internships or job opportunities from Wal-Mart- based companies: Debbie Pierre, Sam’s Club management internship, Audrey Smith, Sam’s Club Manager Trainee, Terana Crawford, Field Project Supervisor, Cierra Simmons, Sam’s Club logistic internship and Philip Hall, Wal-Mart Manager Trainee.

“We’ve had really good success with placing students with Wal-Mart,” she said. “Again it’s one of the biggest companies in the world and they’re a huge sponsor of Enactus and we have a great relationship with them.”

Phillip Hall, who already had a Human Resource internship with Southwire, received not only an internship from Walmart but a job offering as well.

“They offered me an internship initially, and they saw my resume and discovered that I already had an internship with Southwire and that I really did not want to leave,” said Hall, Enactus member. “From that they interviewed me, and we talked and they offered me a full time position after I graduate. You go to college with a goal to have a job lined up but to actually have that feeling it’s just really relieving and exciting at the same time.”

Like Hall and the other four members, 75 to 80 percent of Enactus members receive similar opportunities after attending competitions or career fairs. Hall told current and future members of Enactus that in order to achieve the same or even greater success he has had, it is important to network and surround themselves with likeminded people. Hall said that it is also good to listen to those who are professionals or have walked the same path because you never know what the person has to offer.

“One thing we kind of think is that if someone can’t offer you anything then it’s no point of me talking to them,” he said. “But in business you never know what someone can offer you. People may have that gift that if you talk to them long enough that gift can rub off on you.”

Erin

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