News & Events Archive

College Works offers students summer jobs in Shelby Township

By AMANDA LEE
For Journal Register Newspapers

The job crunch is affecting everyone — including college students. Chelsey Esser, a junior at Michigan State University from Shelby Township, has found a unique way to find employment in a slow economy.

College Works Painting employs interns from all across the nation. They are drawn from all majors through an interview process designed to test a candidate’s maturity, resolve and ambition.

For her part, Esser says she found out about the program while in a psychology class at Michigan State University.

“I was sitting in class one day and someone came in and they just started talking about this internship and I was sitting there thinking that I could do it,” she said. “It sounded like a great opportunity to get out and talk to people.”

Esser goes door-to-door to find individuals who need painting work done on their home.

“I printed my own fliers and then I go to different communities,” Esser said. “I pretty much go everywhere. I’ve been to Canton and Huntington Woods and talk to people.”

After she gets an interested client, Esser sits down with the clients for about 30 minutes to discuss the homeowner’s needs regarding the project.

“I get all their specifics down and then walk around the home with the owners and point out the places they need done,” Esser said. “Then I pace everything off and we go back and I give them an estimate and we go from there.”

Esser doesn’t do the painting herself. College Works Painting employs professional painters who go out and do the manual labor portion of the project.

While Esser says she will periodically stop by to make sure the project is going as planned, once the professional painter is on the premises she goes out again to find more clients.

“From where I’m coming from, this is a very social job,” she said.

Esser is one of 100 interns selected from 7,000 applicants nationwide by College Works Painting — which boasts a 97 percent approval rating.

“They train us to go out and talk to people and then we have meetings throughout the summer,” Esser said. “We have support from a district manager who helps along and tells us what we should be doing.

“This whole thing has been pretty exciting,” she said.

FYI

College Works Painting, Shelby Township. Call 586-719-6478 or visit http://www.collegeworks.com.

Byron teen starts internship with painting organization

EAST LANSING —

Nathan Ambrose, 19, of Byron has begun an internship at College Works Painting, a national organization that performs indoor and outdoor painting services. Ambrose, a Byron High School graduate, will manage the operation while taking 14 credits as a freshman at Michigan State University, where he is studying human biology.

Ambrose said he lines up paint jobs, and then calls in experienced painters to do the work. He said the rates are reasonable, and the company partners with Sherwin Williams paint store. “We have a 97 percent customer satisfaction rate,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose said the job will teach him sales and marketing skills, and improve his social skills and confidence.

He may be reached at (810) 625-4218.

West graduate joins College Works Paintng

Jillian Draheim, a 2010 International Academy West graduate from Commerce Township, is looking at a career in the business world, so she decided to start getting experience now.

She recently was accepted as an intern for College Works Painting, a home painting company that works with college students, so they can learn more about the business world while painting homes.

“This is an amazing opportunity because of everything it offers,” Draheim said.

Draheim said she has not declared a major yet, but she's working to become active in the school's business fraternity, Phi Chi Theta, which she said she plans to one day help lead while in school.

Draheim said she looks forward to handling all the marketing and sales aspects of the job. She said she's learned how to work with clients to figure out exactly what they want, as well as working on creating estimates for the job. Draheim is also responsible for finding experienced painters to handle the actual work.

“With such responsibility, I hope to gain the confidence and relationship skills I will need to succeed in the business world,” she said. “I also hope to gain the experience of running my own business and managing every aspect of it.”

College Works Painting was founded in 1993. Last year, the company operated in 23 states painting more than 10,000 homes. Fully licensed and insured, the company offers two- and five-year warranties. Draheim said the company maintains a 97 percent customer approval rating, because the students selected for the internship have “incredible ambition and takes pride in the homes they paint.”

Draheim said she's enjoyed her time at Michigan State so far. In high school, she played soccer, volleyball and golf. She's continued with soccer with intramural leagues, and she said she hopes to do the same with volleyball.

Draheim said anyone interested in painting their home this summer should contact her for a free estimate — both interior and exterior — and she will arrange a time to meet. Those who schedule a house painting on the day of the estimate will receive 10 percent off the project.

“The weather this year did a lot of wear and tear and we will happily restore your beautiful homes,” Draheim said.

Reach Draheim at (248) 860-4334 or contact the office at (888) 450-9675 and mention Jillian Draheim's name. Learn more at www.collegeworks.com.