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After connecting with Fifth Wheel Freight through Pi Sigma Epsilon, Tyler Harvill gained hands-on sales experience and helped shape a new campus recruiting opportunity.
When Tyler Harvill learned that Fifth Wheel Freight was looking for students interested in recruiting, he saw an opportunity to continue working with the company where he'd spent his summer internship. There was just one problem: The position was designed to be in person, and Harvill would be returning to Central Michigan University for his senior year.
Rather than dismissing the opportunity, Harvill reached out to express his interest and ask whether he could work remotely from Mount Pleasant. The initial answer was no, but about 30 minutes later, the company's recruiter contacted him again. Fifth Wheel Freight was willing to explore a different arrangement.
That conversation helped shape a new campus recruiting position, allowing Harvill, a senior studying marketing and sales from Clawson, Michigan, to continue gaining professional experience while helping other students explore internship opportunities.
Harvill's relationship with Fifth Wheel Freight began through Pi Sigma Epsilon, CMU's professional sales and marketing organization. As the organization's vice president of events, Harvill had opportunities to connect with employers through chapter activities, including an exclusive corporate partner event where he met representatives from the Grand Rapids-based freight company.
The smaller setting gave Harvill an opportunity to speak directly with company representatives and learn about their internship program. When his roommate secured a position with Fifth Wheel Freight, Harvill decided to apply as well.
He spent the summer in Grand Rapids, gaining firsthand experience in the company's sales operations. His responsibilities included identifying prospective customers, managing leads through customer relationship management software and developing relationships that could lead to long-term business opportunities.
"I really enjoyed building relationships with people, especially trying to cultivate it over a phone call, a cold call, actually," Harvill said.
Unlike an internship focused primarily on observing professionals at work, Harvill's position gave him the opportunity to perform many of the same responsibilities as full-time employees.
“It's the experience I gained being in a professional setting because you get to do the job, and it's really hands-on,” Harvill said. “I got a lot of experience, and I really loved that. It gave me a lot more confidence going forward in my career.”
Although Harvill felt prepared for the responsibilities of the position, he was surprised by how much he enjoyed the company's culture.
"Obviously, they tell you about the culture, but you don't know it until you feel it," he said. "I got to do a lot of hands-on work because the internship is just like the job. So that's what I really liked about it."
Toward the end of his internship, Harvill learned that Fifth Wheel Freight was exploring opportunities to hire students interested in marketing and recruiting. He'd already gained experience recruiting new members for PSE and thought the position could be a natural extension of his interests.
He contacted Landri Berman, the head of talent operations with the company, to ask whether he could take on the role while attending CMU. Although the position was initially intended to be in person, the company reconsidered after hearing from Harvill.
The result was a new campus-based recruiting opportunity, allowing Harvill to continue working with Fifth Wheel Freight during the academic year. The company also established a similar position at Western Michigan University as part of its exploration of a new approach to student recruitment.
Today, Harvill connects with students at CMU and other Michigan colleges, including Michigan State University, Ferris State University and Alma College. He shares his internship experience and helps interested students determine whether the opportunity aligns with their career goals.
"It's been a really great experience because it's like sales and that's where I want to go right now," Harvill said. “It's the consultative part of getting to talk to someone and getting to know them. I'm not trying to sell them the opportunity. It's more about asking, ‘Is this the right fit for you?’”
For Harvill, the role isn't simply about encouraging students to apply. Having completed the internship himself, he can offer a firsthand perspective on the responsibilities, workplace environment and skills students can expect to develop.
“If you're having a normal, friendly conversation, like, ‘How was your internship? What did you do this summer?’ those are the conversations I'm trying to have with students,” he said. “I'm not trying to get them to apply. It's just, here's my experience. If it sounds cool to you, then let's apply.”
Harvill credits CMU faculty members with helping him develop the skills he brought to his internship. In particular, he pointed to a sales course taught by Concha Allen that emphasized understanding customer needs, listening carefully and building meaningful relationships.
“That's why I really love the sales program,” Harvill said. “The whole focus is on building relationships. I'd rather do that than just make a sale because I'm more focused on people than numbers.”
He also highlighted courses taught by Jeff Hoyle, which introduced students to sales professionals and CMU alumni who shared their career experiences. Hearing directly from people working in the industry helped Harvill better understand the possibilities available to him.
His involvement in PSE provided another opportunity to practice those skills. Harvill joined the organization during the spring of his sophomore year and eventually pursued a leadership position after fellow members encouraged him to become more involved.
“I joined as a regular member and went to some events and chapter meetings. That's when people in the organization encouraged me to pursue a leadership role,” Harvill said. “I'd never really thought about it because I'd just joined, and I wasn't sure if it was for me. But I did it anyway because I knew I could do it.”
Through chapter activities, corporate partnerships and leadership responsibilities, he gained experience in networking, communication and recruiting. Those experiences helped prepare him for his internship and contributed to his interest in the campus recruiting role.
Harvill's summer also introduced him to professional connections beyond his immediate workplace. A networking event brought together interns from across West Michigan, while a company golf outing gave him an opportunity to interact with fellow interns and full-time employees in a more informal setting.
“All the interns and full-time employees were invited to the golf outing, so everyone got to mingle and have a good time,” Harvill said. “I got to speak more personally with my peers than I would have just being in the office.”
Those experiences helped Harvill build confidence in professional settings and develop relationships that could continue well beyond his internship.
As Harvill approaches graduation, he continues to explore his interests in sales and recruiting. Although he hasn't settled on a specific next step, his experiences have given him a clearer understanding of the kind of work he enjoys and the professional relationships he hopes to build.
For now, he's focused on helping other students discover opportunities that might be a good fit for them. Having experienced firsthand how a conversation at a student organization event led to an internship and eventually a new professional role, he understands the value of making connections.
“I hope anyone on CMU's campus would feel comfortable reaching out to me and saying, ‘Hey, I'm looking for an internship. I heard you were at Fifth Wheel Freight. Could you tell me a little about it?’” Harvill said. “Let's make a connection. If it's the right fit for you, I'd love to help you out.”
For Harvill, the value of his internship extends beyond the experience he gained during the summer. The relationships he developed, the confidence he built and his willingness to pursue an unexpected opportunity have helped him continue learning and growing professionally while completing his degree.
