The following guest post was written by Ryan, about his internship experience with us this summer.
During my time as a Finance and Business Intelligence Intern at Yellowstone Landscape, I have gained an abundance of knowledge unparalleled by any other 13-week period in my life. Working under the mentorship of Nicole DiRienzo, Rich Weber, and Gabriel Perez has broadened my understanding of finance in the real world as I work towards my MBA in Finance at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
There are two main things I would like to discuss in this blog: the impact my “Mentors” have had on me and the importance of standardization in the world of finance. I have learned that working around people who inspire you every day, makes you want to improve. Every time I have an interaction with one of my mentors, I am humbled knowing there is still so much to learn. Most importantly, I am not intimidated! Having mentors who take time to explain everything helps you build a strong foundation of understanding which allows you to improve during the internship. Highly competent individuals also instill a confidence in you to complete the tasks you have been assigned, on time and to a high standard.
During my internship at Yellowstone Landscape, those individuals have surrounded me the entire time. This has resulted in an awareness of the challenges while being confident I can find innovative solutions and contribute to the team and company overall.
Efficiency achieved through standardization is key for any company and Yellowstone has made incredible strides forward. I became aware of the importance of standardization from one of the many lessons Nicole taught me. An efficient workplace must have standards through the entire company. Standardization does not just mean the way in which information is submitted, it also includes the way in which the information is collected and assigned. Aspire, an industry specific software program is an example of how Yellowstone Landscape, through standardization, provided a system to encompass the varying systems that the branches use. Aspire has ensured that all branches enter revenues and direct costs in the same way, which makes the entire reporting of company results more accurate and efficient.
Yellowstone Landscape has many competent and talented individuals who move in the same direction using new software and hardware to ensure positive growth. They are an enviable powerhouse in the commercial landscape industry who I would love to work for upon my graduation!