From Intern to Full-Time Employee
Alisha Ford's Story of Opportunity
How many of us knew what we wanted to do for a career at 18? Many of us were ambitious but needed help figuring out how to translate our natural abilities and interests into a career.
Alisha Ford started her career at Wartburg College as an undecided major. She knew she had a passion for helping people, so she spent her early college years exploring multiple majors. That journey led her to pursue a business major with a leadership minor.
After that important decision, she searched for a summer internship that would help her investigate potential careers that could apply what she was learning in the classroom and what she was good at. She came across a customer service internship at Clickstop, and after reading about the company’s mission and core values her interest was piqued.
Applying to Clickstop
Opportunity for those who seek it.
Clickstop’s mission is to create a business that is sustainable, enjoyable, and provides opportunity for those who seek it. We talk constantly (and we mean CONSTANTLY) about opportunity at Clickstop. Seeking and acting on opportunity allows us to transform people’s lives so they can transform our business. But what does that look like in real life? Keep reading about Alisha to find out.
Alisha spent the summer of 2021 on Clickstop’s Service team troubleshooting customer questions and issues for one of Clickstop’s brands, US Cargo Control. It combined her love of helping others with what she was learning in her classes. It also brought a team and community feel that were missing after her classes were all moved online during the pandemic. At Clickstop, she found multiple opportunities to connect with team members across the organization, even as a remote employee.
Finding a sense of community at Clickstop
Student, Athlete, and Clickstopper
As her internship wrapped up and she prepared to head back to Wartburg for her senior year, Alisha and her manager, Tammy Karr, did what Clickstoppers do. They seek and act on opportunity.
“My manager did a really great job of walking me through how I could build my schedule around my classes, so I was able to manage it,” says Alisha. “Once I was working part-time, she was super flexible when I needed to take time off to prepare for tests or other obligations I had. The transition from being an intern to an employee went seamlessly.”
Moving from an intern to a Clickstop employee isn’t a given. “When I’m interviewing candidates,” says Tammy, “I ask myself, ‘will this person make me, the team, the company, and themselves better by being a part of Clickstop?’ Alisha has by far exceeded my expectations and it has been a nice win for her and Clickstop that she could work with us after her internship ended.”
Alisha also used the opportunity to work part-time at Clickstop to her advantage in the classroom. She used her experiences at work to inform her studies and vice versa.
In early 2022, opportunity came knocking again.
“In her short time with us as an intern and part-time employee, Alisha was curious and creative in her approach to solving customer concerns,” says Tammy. “She understood that she owns and drives her future. Having an ownership mindset, being highly engaged, and making things happen, made it natural to meet Alisha’s hunger for opportunity.”
While many seek opportunity, it’s critical that our behaviors and performance prove we’re ready for those moments. Alisha was producing results, seeking growth, and challenging the status quo so she and her manager began discussing her moving from part-time to full-time after graduation. “We started discussing well before I graduated about what that transition could look like,” says Alisha. “I went through some more training to help orient me to how full-time work would be, and it helped me be even more confident in my role.”
Fast forward to today and Alisha is thriving as a full-time member of our Service team. In just a year and a half, she has gone from a college intern who was looking for an outlet for her passion to a full-time employee who has challenged us and inspired others to also seek opportunity!
Growing at Clickstop
“Alisha sees the bigger picture,” says Tammy, “She challenges us to think differently about ways to sustainably improve the customer experience. I cannot wait to see what the future at Clickstop holds for Alisha!”
Are you looking for a new opportunity?
Join Clickstop’s team of opportunity seekers.