Why I Chose to Stand In What I Stand For
“Stand In What You Stand For” is the saying that grew ISlide, primarily a custom slide company, to where it is today. For a company based out of Boston, MA, ISlide faced the challenge of a very saturated footwear industry. The main way they were able to differentiate themselves was the customization aspect of their slide sandals. That is why this saying is the sole belief of the company. ISlide gives people the opportunity to customize their slides so that they can wear what they love. This allows people’s personalities to shine through in another unique way.
My first exposure to ISlide was in my freshman year FME course. ISlide was one of the cases that we read about before we began running our own business ventures for the semester. When I saw that ISlide was hiring for the summer, I knew I had to apply because I believed in the product and their vision for the future. Knowing that ISlide was heavily involved in sports made me even more interested in working for the company because I am also a huge fan of sports and being active. I knew ISlide was still a small company that had a lot of potential in the future with tons of licenses to look forward to. My thought process was that if I was able to work for ISlide, I would not only be able to do my assigned projects, but I would also be able to learn all about the business and how it’s run, given how small the company is.
My role this summer has a huge impact on the company. This differentiated this company from most of the other ones I applied to. Rather than doing the same job every day, I come into the office each day to a new task, problem, and project. No days are the same. Rather than being just another small piece to a big machine, I have the opportunity to give my own input, make recommendations, and learn new skills from other employees. With a small company, I am also able to get to know almost all of the 30 employees on a more personal level. All of the employees are willing to help the interns when needed and even help us with things that are not associated with our assignned roles.
The office feels more like a community than a workplace. The best part about ISlide is that the dress code is our very own custom slides that they had us create before the first day of work. As I have worked here for many weeks now, I would say that I have no regrets working for ISlide. I can confidently say that I have fun working here. In addition, I am able to learn things about operations, marketing, and other aspects of the business that I wouldn’t be able to see or learn from other companies.
For my first internship, I wanted to work at a place where I could learn and grow as a future business professional and as a person. I wanted to work at a place where our voices can be heard and our work is impactful. That’s why I chose ISlide. That’s why I chose to Stand In What I Stand For.