CAREER GROWTH STORY: Henry
From the Store to the SSC: How an Internship Is Shaping Henry’s Career
Henry began working at The Home Depot during his freshman year of college at the University of Idaho. He joined the Pro team as a Sales Associate, helping our Pro customers find the products they needed for their projects. When he successfully closed a $42,000 insulation sale, Henry knew a career at The Home Depot was a goal he wanted to pursue.
Last summer, that goal took him from his store in Idaho to Atlanta. He worked as a Merchandising Intern at our Store Support Center (SSC), The Home Depot’s corporate office.
What Is the Field-to-SSC Internship at The Home Depot?
The Field-to-SSC Summer Internship Program is an 11-week paid opportunity for eligible retail, warehouse, and contact center associates enrolled in college. Interns support teams across the SSC, including Technology, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Supply Chain, and more. Along the way, they gain hands-on experience, grow their professional networks, and contribute to large-scale projects that impact our business.
When his store manager shared the opportunity, Henry saw a chance to learn how the business works behind the scenes. “Having worked in the aisles, I really wanted to understand the science and strategy behind running the biggest hardware store in the U.S.,” he says. “It meant so much to me to get that opportunity.”
What Kind of Projects Do Field-to-SSC Interns Work On?
Henry’s project focused on helping stores across the country prepare for and respond to hurricanes. He created a hurricane disaster merchandising playbook to help stores respond quickly and efficiently during emergencies. He also built a data-driven tool that takes stock of store inventory, flags shortages of emergency products, and recommends how much to restock.
“By automating my analysis, the tool reduced a 30-minute manual process down to just one minute, helping to deploy aid much faster,” Henry explains. He used AI tools, including Gemini, Copilot, and Claude Opus within GitHub, to build the tool. When his first approach didn’t deliver the result he was hoping for, he found another path forward. “Rather than abandoning my idea, I networked across the organization,” he shares. Henry connected with new teams to help him secure access to a different AI model that would make his vision possible.
Henry believes his store experience was one of his biggest advantages on this project.
Because I’ve worked in the aisles, I know exactly what front-line associates and customers actually experience.
– Henry
“That perspective was crucial when I was planning for disasters.”
Henry’s project has the potential to help Home Depot prepare for and respond more quickly when disasters affect our communities. “By getting emergency supplies to the stores faster, we can directly accelerate the support we provide to our customers when they need it most,” Henry says.
What Is It Like to Intern at The Home Depot’s Corporate Office?
Henry admits he walked into his internship with some assumptions. “I expected a large corporate building where nobody knows anyone and I would just sit in a cubicle,” he says. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Store Support Center is a very warm and connected place to work.”
Henry found that teams collaborated regularly, and associates were happy to answer questions and share their expertise. He was excited about the opportunity to build his network, scheduling multiple coffee chats each week to build strong relationships across the company. Those conversations helped him learn about new parts of the business and shape his career goals.
“After meeting and shadowing the merchants, I realized that the buying side of the business is incredibly exciting,” Henry says. “It’s exactly what I want to pursue.”
Can a Store Associate Build a Long-Term Career at The Home Depot Through the Field-to-SSC Internship?
Henry returned to Idaho for the school year and went back to work at his store, but he carries a deeper understanding of what happens behind the scenes. “I now know exactly how each bay is merchandised,” he says. “It’s made me much more patient when changes happen at the store level. I realize the SSC team is coordinating support for thousands of retail locations on a massive scale.”
Next summer, Henry is looking forward to continuing to grow his career with another internship at the SSC. “I’m most excited about coming back and leveraging what I’ve learned to drive positive change across our stores,” he says. “I’m passionate about using my unique perspective to help support our customers and associates.”
Are you pursuing a 4-year degree and interested in interning at The Home Depot? Apply now!
Are you an associate enrolled in college, and interested in interning at The Home Depot? Apply now on CareerDepot!
