February 19, 2021
In turn with Kobe Wheeler
In turn is a series that highlights the student interns and internship opportunities found within the College of Business (COB). For more information, contact Melissa Parks at parksr19@ecu.edu.
Durham, North Carolina-native Kobe Wheeler is not playing around when it comes to making the most out of his College of Business experience. Set to graduate in May 2021, the marketing major already has three internships on his resume and a full-time job lined up at Lowe’s Companies. All of this, and he also works to help pay for school while taking online classes.
Wheeler said his relationship with Lowe’s began at ECU’s Career Fair.
“Once I talked to them, I immediately knew that I wanted to apply,” said Wheeler. “After my first interview, I was encouraged to apply for their field merchandising internship, and the rest is history!”
What were your responsibilities?
Once my internship began, I was tasked with enhancing the company’s cross-merchandising program by increasing attachment sales. For example, I was responsible for making sure customers bought a paintbrush to go with the can of paint. First, I had to analyze various sales data and place products in locations I thought would help drive sales. At the end of my internship, I presented my recommendations based on the data I utilized and my experience working in the store.
Before my internship began, I utilized the month before my internship to work in an actual store to help gain knowledge for my internship. By doing so, I was able to create recommendations for my internship tasks and store productivity as well.
I found the RISE29 internship via Handshake. I searched for internship opportunities and saw that it was an ECU-led program, and I wanted to apply.
Once I was hired, my teammates and I were tasked with helping the Eastern North Carolina Food Commercialization Center create a marketing plan. We had to start from scratch, which made this internship so valuable as a marketing student. We began the development of their website, designed potential logos, and created social media accounts. At the end of the fall 2019 semester, our team presented our progress to the rest of the RISE29 class.
My Aramark internship opportunity came from LinkedIn. I applied in the summer of 2019 and was called in to interview shortly after. Once I started, we were tasked with helping at New Student Orientation. We answered any questions parents or students had about meal plans and encouraged incoming students to follow ECU Dining on social media. When the semester began, we then started selling meal plans to students who may not have purchased one before the school year. Once the deadline passed for meal plans to be changed/added, we shifted our focus to updating signage across campus and promoting various ECU Dining events.
Why the internships?
I chose these internships to gain real-world experiences and make connections that I can carry with me after college. I wanted to challenge my skills and utilize these experiences as learning tools to help me throughout my career. For me, experience is one of the best learning tools.
How did the COB prepare you to be the chosen candidate?
The COB constantly challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and collaborate with other students. It molded me into a young professional who can adapt to situations and, more importantly, be willing to learn from my mistakes. Thanks to so many professors, I utilized criteria from classes and used them in my internship experiences. There have been numerous times I included lessons from the COB in my internship presentations.
Wheeler speaks about why he chose to work at Lowe’s before interning with Lowes.
What did the internships mean to you?
Everything! Gaining these internship experiences built my confidence in ways I could not imagine. I have seen firsthand what it takes to keep a business running and even start a business.
Pushing your boundaries is the best way to grow, and these internships helped me get out of my comfort zone and make the best of the opportunities given to me.
How are you better prepared for your career with these internships under your belt?
These experiences helped me grow as a person. They taught me the importance of being confident in my choices and not being afraid to step out of my comfort zone.
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is being able to learn from your failures. There were times that I came up short or did not meet expectations, but because of those mistakes, I was able to learn from them, and I am a better student and young professional because of it.
Why would you recommend a business student take advantage of an internship opportunity?
Gaining internship experience is one of the best choices a student can make.
It is a great resume builder and allows you to make connections and gain important knowledge you might not learn from a textbook. An experience like an internship gives you an advantage when applying for potential job opportunities as well. You can use these experiences as a tool to demonstrate your professional capabilities, which are vital in a career. Not only can internships help you grow, but if you perform to the best of your ability, you may have the opportunity to work at the same company post-graduation.
Photo taken preCOVID