Sunbelt Rentals

Stretching from coast to coast, Sunbelt Rentals has over 200 locations. Building on its solid foundation in the Southeast, the company has established itself nationwide as the fourth-largest rental company in the United States, with sister companies operating worldwide.

Sunbelt serves every niche of the construction and industrial marketplace – from commercial, residential, municipal, and service industries to specialized market sectors such as telecommunications, special events, and emergency preparedness, as well as weekend do-it-yourselfers. Sunbelt offers a wide variety of specialized equipment in the industry. Its staff of highly-trained professionals in the construction, industrial, maintenance, and homeowner markets can assess the needs and support its customers through the most detailed projects.

Sunbelt aims to be the best with the most diversified product range and a highly-trained and motivated work force. They strive to set the standard in the rental industry by delivering a level of customer service that exceeds customers’ expectations. Sunbelt has openings for talented military veterans as mechanics (at all levels), drivers, inside and outside sales, shop foreman or service managers, and more.

GIJ: What do prior military hires bring to your company that you like?

SR: Ex-military personnel bring a high sense of self-discipline, responsibility, an eagerness to “be the best” — a strong work-ethic and training that is easily translated to our industry.

GIJ: What issues/surprises do you find that military transitioners / veterans need to be aware of when entering the civilian workforce?

SR: Transitioning into most organizations is difficult. There might be times that military transitioners / veterans expect to fall right out of the military into “management” positions. In some cases this works, but for the most part employers are looking for candidates who are willing to jump into a company with both feet and prove themselves. Unfortunately most civilian employers have difficulty relating military experience with their “real life” positions. This can be a disadvantage for ex-military personnel. I recommend that they find a company that has opportunity for growth, get in at whatever level they can afford, and then show them what you are made of!

GIJ: What advantages do military personnel have over their peers of the same age and education level?

SR: It all boils down to discipline, responsibility, self-worth and experience.

GIJ: What disadvantages do you find?

SR: In general, the biggest disadvantage is sometimes being too regimented.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes you see on military/veteran résumés?

SR: One, too much military jargon that the average employer cannot relate to. Two, listing too much technical information about training and experience. It often deters the employer from following up because they cannot see how all that could relate to their companies. The best thing to do is take their military training and experience and display it on the résumé in everyday – terms that can be related to the specific position or company to which you are applying.

GIJ: What are the most common mistakes military/veterans make in interviews?

SR: Recently I have seen a great number of candidates that have not thought enough about the kind of industry and profession in which they want to be employed. They have no clear idea of the direction they want their civilian career to go. Also, we have seen military/veterans that are so strict in what they are looking for that they are closed-minded to other opportunities.

GIJ: Is relocating essential to be promoted within Sunbelt Rentals?

SR: Not always, but if one wants to move up the career ladder quickly into positions of greater responsibility like management positions, it is essential that they are flexible. Relocating doesn’t necessarily mean out of state. We have 201 locations in 27 different states. The opportunities are available to those who see the big picture.

GIJ: What types of positions does your company recruit military for?

SR: We are looking for mechanics (at all levels), drivers, inside and outside sales, shop foreman or service managers and others.

GIJ: Describe one of these positions (responsibilities, daily duties, working hours etc.):

SR: Our mechanics work on all types of small and heavy construction equipment. The highest level of these is our heavy equipment road mechanic who travels to job sites and deals directly with customers. The working hours for this position are generally 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with overtime, depending upon customer needs.

GIJ: Can a new hire stay in this position for an entire career or do you require new hires to “move up or move out” like the military does?

SR: An employee can stay in a position as long as he or she is productive and happy in the position. We like for our employees to take on more responsibility, but it is not a requirement.

GIJ: What is the average starting pay for this position?

SR: The average starting pay for a road mechanic is about $15 per hour, plus overtime and monthly profit share bonus (when applicable).

GIJ: Describe the benefits of this position (healthcare, retirement, vacation, etc):

SR: Sunbelt Rentals offers group health, life, dental and vision insurance. We also offer a 401(k) with matching company contributions, training and education, vacation, sick pay and much more!

GIJ: Describe career progression at Sunbelt Rentals?

SR: Sunbelt allows for flexibility in career progression meaning there is nothing regimented about having to move from one position to another. Instead, we look at competencies and capability and what skills are needed to move into another position. By doing this, we encourage self development. In order to obtain certain skills, an employee might have to move into a specific position to gain the experience. A mechanic might have a couple of career paths to explore. They can move into the role of shop foreman, and then profit center manager. Or, they can move into the “store” as inside sales and then to outside sales or profit center manager. It all depends on what the employee wants to ultimately do and how much time and effort they are willing to put forth to get there.