The following guest post was written by Jade, about her internship experience with us this summer.
Many times, when driving down the freeway or through a neighborhood, you’ll see workers in bright yellow vests cutting, edging, and blowing. Before my internship with Yellowstone Landscape I never appreciated the job, or really service, these men and women provide. From an outside perspective, it seems like such an easy task, riding around on a mower or pruning back trees. This is not the case.
During my internship, I’ve worked right alongside crews like these. The most memorable crew I worked with was led by David. As a Crew Leader he made sure that if I wanted to learn how to use any of the machinery, he would teach me. Combining his patience with my diligence, I was riding my first mower on the third day of working with him. I felt such a sense of accomplishment being able to perform on my own and help the team. With each day I improved my landscaping skills, learning best practices when spreading mulch, how to spray weeds with the proper amount of herbicide, and even the best way to install plants. I was able to experience what the crews go through daily and how difficult the job really is!
I am frequently asked the question, “Why do you always wear long sleeve shirts and scarves covering your face? Wouldn’t it be cooler to wear shorts and t-shirts?” I have even asked that question, but I soon realized in the heat of the Texas summer it’s imperative to protect yourself from the sun and keep moisture trapped close to your body. So, when the breeze rolls by it's like heaven sending some of nature’s air conditioning!
While all these tasks may not seem thrilling to most, and to be completely honest, didn’t seem interesting to me either, eventually, I started to really love what I was doing and enjoy the finished product. Freshly mowed and edged grass, the smell of mulch, and of course one cannot forget the beautiful flowers adding splashes of color. During my internship, I realized how much hard work goes into every installation and every maintenance visit.
Overall, I’ve learned so much during my internship that I would never learn while in school. I’ve genuinely enjoyed gaining knowledge about how the company operates in the big picture as well as the day-to-day operations. I could write multiple blog posts on many topics about my experiences working with Account Managers and clients. However, my experience with the crews felt the most important to share because they are the heart of our business and the most important part of our operation! So the next time you’re driving down the freeway and you’re coming up on someone mowing try to give them space, or if you’re walking your dog remember to pick up after them because when a crew member runs over what’s been left behind it definitely won’t smell like roses!