Ag-Pro Companies

Carson Ostrum, Agricultural Operations Management Student

What was involved/what was your role during your internship?

During my internship, I spent two weeks learning/shadowing the sales team where I went on sales calls and learned the ins/outs of selling heavy machinery from a handful of salesmen. I spent two weeks within the service and parts department, learning how to handle service orders and provide great customer service to in-store customers. The final two weeks of my internship were spent working on/off with the General Manager of the store where we would do anything from determining market share, reviewing expense reports, or just have discussions regarding ways to improve business.

What was the best/your favorite part about completing this internship?

The best part of this internship was definitely the management training aspect of it. This was closer to the corporate side of the business that I am interested in pursuing as a career. My favorite part was getting to test out and drive various commercial tractors and lawnmowers. While we were only moving them so that the grass could be cut, I had a great time driving them around and learning how they operated.

What are the benefits of an internship?

Internships provide real-world experience that is nearly impossible to get in a classroom. They help you determine what you like, and in a lot of cases what you do not like, in a professional career setting. Most internships allow you to work in a variety of jobs (wear a lot of hats) where you get to learn a little bit of everything, which I have been told by industry professionals is so important to do your job well.

Why would you recommend internships to other students?

Students should do internships so that they can have some idea of what they want to do coming out of college. Additionally, actual experience in the workplace is so vital to getting a useful education. While college is needed to get the desirable jobs, it only gives students the base/fundamental knowledge. Internships allow students to get a taste of the real industry and gain hands-on experience.

My internship experience was not as structured as others maybe because this was the first internship that the Gainesville store, or maybe even Ag-Pro in general, had ever done. Overall, it was a great experience and I got to learn about an industry that I had never given much thought to before. I have attached a picture of myself out in front of the Gainesville location and please feel free to share this information.