Inside a Professional Sales Internship at GreatAmerica

We recently asked previous professional sales interns what was most important to them about an internship. Some of their responses included :

• We want to do meaningful work and make a difference.
• We want to experience what sales is really like and learn whether this is a career path I want to pursue.
• We want to actually see the people we work with.
• We want to be involved in the company culture beyond the day-to-day.
• We want to know if there is an opportunity to become a fulltime employee when I graduate.

Are these same thoughts important to you? Let’s dive deeper into each and see if a professional sales internship at GreatAmerica might be a great fit for you.

Do Meaningful Work and Make a Difference

Stereotypical internships where you run errands or shuffle paperwork don't exist here. Our professional sales interns begin by onboarding side-by-side with our fulltime employees. At the same time, you complete our START sales orientation program that all new sales professionals complete. Three weeks into your internship you begin a two-week rotation into each of our three leasing business units, learning about the markets they serve. As the summer progresses you complete a group capstone project. In 2026, our interns completed a Salesforce competitive intelligence project that helps position our sales professionals for more robust AI sales connectivity. The summer concludes with a report-out to senior leaders and the sales organization about your 11-week experience. 

My internship was a great way to transition from college to the professional world. I gained interview experience, developed my professionalism, learned how to interact with coworkers and mastered technical skills. I had the opportunity to meet a variety of people in different units of the company and I appreciate the supportive environment.

- Kenadee D., 2022 intern

Gain Real Sales Experience

Every professional sales intern is guided by the Director of Sales Enablement, a Vice President of Sales, and multiple sales mentors. You’ll meet often with your team and see GreatAmerica’s consultative sales process at work. You can expect to observe sales calls, practice your own calling skills, and make live calls on your own as the summer progresses (interns often tell us that this is both the hardest and most rewarding experience of the summer). You’ll sit in on customer sales and service meetings, seeing how GreatAmerica fulfills its mission of “helping our customers achieve greater success.” You’ll attend the same business unit meetings that our sales professionals attend, the same prospecting “blitz” days, and read the same emails they receive from the sales organization leadership. By the end of the internship, your new knowledge and skills will inform you about whether a consultative career in sales would be a rewarding path.

I went into the internship now knowing if a career in sales would be right for me. Sales has a certain reputation that we all understand. It was so encouraging to see the GreatAmerica sales process and the way they keep customers front and center – it is just the opposite of the stereotype. I came away with a changed understanding about how sales can be and wanting to begin a sales career with GreatAmerica.

- Sam F., 2024 intern

Face-to-Face Interaction

GreatAmerica’s corporate headquarters are in downtown Cedar Rapids, where about 600 of our teammates are located. Sales interns sit alongside sales and sales support professionals, in low-wall cubes that encourage interaction. Although many of our sales professionals spend time out of the office, there will rarely be a day that interns are left alone for long. Sales interns are required to work in Cedar Rapids and be in the office Monday through Friday, typically from 8 am to 5 pm.

GreatAmerica provided me with one of the best learning experiences I could get outside of the classroom. My mentors and leaders gave me work that was valuable and important to the organization. I feel as though the experience that I got at GreatAmerica is going to be what prepares me most as I graduate and enter the early stages of my career.

- Mallory E., 2025 intern

Outside the Day-to-Day

Recent sales interns have volunteered alongside their fulltime teammates to build houses with Habitat for Humanity, pack diapers for distribution to area families in need, and participate in the Corridor Corporate Games. In addition, Cedar Rapids is Iowa’s second largest metro area, and GreatAmericans enjoy after-hour activities. Our headquarters are within walking distance of some of the best restaurants and watering holes in the area. The Minnesota Twins Class A affiliate plays home games five minutes away, and the new Pickle Palace (pickleball and duckpin bowling) is just down the street.

My internship helped confirm that I want to pursue a career in sales after graduation. At the beginning of the summer, I knew I was interested in sales, but I wasn’t completely sure what direction I wanted to take. Getting actual B2B sales experience and learning from people who have built successful careers made me realize how much I enjoy the relationship-building and competitive side of sales. I’m leaving the internship much more confident professionally and much more prepared to start my career after college.

- Alyssa M., 2026 intern

Fulltime Opportunities

GreatAmerica only offers internships in career paths where we consistently have fulltime openings. This is not a guarantee that we will have a sales position available for all our successful sales interns. However, we are consistently seeking talented college graduates that are eager to begin their sales career in a nurturing, successful environment. Since 2022, we have extended employment opportunities to about half of our sales interns. 

Mitch Leahy was a 2007 intern and is now Vice President & General Manager of the Office Equipment Group, GreatAmerica’s largest business unit. Mitch’s advice to future interns is simple:

Have a desire to learn and be naturally curious. Be proactive in reaching out and willing to ask questions, just go ahead and ask. There’s plenty of people here who are willing to help you learn and grow.

Is a sales internship at GreatAmerica right for you? 

Make a difference, gain real experience, work face-to-face with your teammates, enjoy new relationships, and walk a path toward potential future employment. If you’re looking for these qualities in an internship, visit our careers page and browse our open opportunities.