Why did you choose Penn State University?
That’s an easy question, the name says it all. Penn State is an incredible school and, being from Pennsylvania, I feel like everyone wants to go to Penn State. The satellite campuses lower the barrier of entry. However, I went to HACC prior to going to school at Penn State University, because I wanted to get some gen eds out of the way.
How participating in the sales club helped you?
The pro sales club was my foot in the door with companies during interviews because I would have a lot more confidence knowing that it’s on my page. I had the pro sales club on the bottom of my resume, so I knew that was my ace. When the interviewer landed on the sales club part of the resume, a majority of the interview time was spent talking about it. It was also way to differentiate myself. Another cool thing was having an idea about how to go into sales from the beginning, since I had previous experience from competing in the sales club competitions, which are very realistic and comparable to doing a sale in the work force. Simulation is the best preparation if you’re going into sales or business, because you will always need to be able to sell yourself confidentially. I still find myself saying lines I came up with while practicing for the Pro Am Salesathon.
How has this impacted your career and current success?
I was hired at Mimecast, which is a cyber security company, as business development. The position I held was kind of like glorified cold calling, but everyone needs to start somewhere. An opportunity rose within four days of me starting in the company to manage inbound lead traffic. I immediately jumped all over the chance to move up, and, because I was so enthusiastic, they chose me for the job over other people who were seniors in my department. Through all my experience with the club, I believe that the upper management saw me not as a college drone, but as someone who actively pursued this type of career.
What competitions did you compete in and where were they held?
I know I did the Pro Am Salesathon, but I can’t seem to remember the name of the other event I participated in. I went to St. Louis, Missouri; Cromwell, Connecticut; and San Francisco, California for the events.
What did you enjoy most from your time with the sales club?
This is hard to say, but it made my college whole experience. I went to HACC first, then Penn State Abington for two semesters. Both of these schools were great, but at Penn State Harrisburg, I helped create this club that made me want to stay on campus all day with my club-members come friends. I met one of my best friends, Sam Crowder, from this club, and he went on to be the best man at my wedding. I think the best part of college was creating and participating in the sales club and the relationships I made through the experience. The simulation events taught me how to have confidence in high stressful situations, which prepared me for the future. I feel like through this club, I have been able to jump forward with no fear, and, to this day, I have seen this permanent spark within the other members! It trained us to leap onto any opportunity.
What made you want to start the sales club?
I approached Dr. Bartholomew after he gave a presentation in class about needing help drafting the constitution and bylaws of the club. I started writing the constitution and bylaws with another student, Temi, whom I could not have done this without. She is one of the most amazing people I know. I met Sam, Mikayla, and a few others who were also great to work with. I don’t want anyone to think I did this by myself, because without all of amazing people mentioned and countless others, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we did. Dr. Bartholomew talked about real world jobs and what the industry looks like, so when he asked for someone to help him start the club, I just knew I had to do it.