From Stockroom to Sales

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NEW YORK - On the production floor, Mackenzie Ferris helped prepare garments for customers. On service routes, she assisted the teams delivering them. And alongside sales representatives in New York City, she gained experience supporting conversations with prospective clients.

Together, those assignments gave the Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg business administration major more than a look at different jobs. Her summer internship with Cintas helped her understand how departments depend on one another and how her own communication, adaptability, and problem-solving skills could contribute in a professional setting.

"Seeing how each department collaborated to achieve shared organizational goals while managing its own responsibilities was especially valuable," Ferris said. "I was exposed to different leadership styles and management responsibilities."

Ferris gained that perspective by rotating through production, service and sales at the business-services company, whose offerings include uniforms, facility services, safety equipment and fire protection.

Her stockroom and production rotation introduced her to inventory management, order fulfillment and the company's SAP system. She also worked directly with garments, helping with tasks that showed her the detailed preparation behind each order.

"During this time, I got to explore the plant and provided a helping hand with folding garments, heat sealing emblems, garment quality grading, and 'cherry picking' specific apparel," Ferris said. "I never could've imagined all the intricate work that goes into every step of the process."

Moving into the service rotation allowed her to follow that work beyond the production floor. She supported a service manager who oversaw teams of service sales representatives responsible for delivering and collecting garments along assigned routes.

Ferris joined representatives in their trucks and accompanied a key account manager, gaining experience with the customer-facing side of the business. Those interactions gave her opportunities to move from handling products to participating in professional conversations about the company's rental services.

Her time with the New York sales team built on that experience. Watching representatives speak with prospective customers showed her how they approached conversations and communicated their belief in the services they offered. She also took on responsibilities of her own.

"I was entrusted with follow-ups, responding to questions, providing samples, as well as providing my personal opinion," said Ferris, adding that working in New York City added another new dimension to the internship. "It's not every day I get to take the NY Waterway ferry and walk around Wall Street and much of Lower Manhattan."

Ferris credits Bloomsburg's business program with helping her feel ready to participate rather than simply observe. Interactive classes, discussions with peers, faculty members' professional insights and opportunities through the Zeigler Institute for Professional Development Business Conference and program had encouraged her to engage with others and contribute her ideas.

That preparation supported her transition from classroom learning to workplace responsibilities. As she moved among departments, she practiced adjusting to different tasks, teams and expectations while developing a broader understanding of how a business operates.

The internship also helped Ferris recognize what she values in a workplace. Although the assignments varied, the relationships she built remained central to her experience.

"I genuinely enjoyed my time at Cintas, but it was the relationships I built that made me excited to come back every day," Ferris said. "A positive work environment is about more than just the work itself. It is also about the people who make you feel welcomed, supported, and excited to be there."

As she prepares to enter the workforce, Ferris brings both a clearer understanding of business operations and greater confidence in her ability to learn and contribute.

"My communication, adaptability, and problem-solving skills have all grown through this experience," Ferris said. "Most importantly, it gave me greater confidence in my abilities and reinforced the value of being willing to learn, ask questions, and step outside my comfort zone."

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• Internship
• Professional U
• Students
• Zeigler College of Business

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• Business Administration
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• Internships & Externships