Career Path of an Inside Sales Manager North America at IDT
Austin's career path began with heavy involvement in campus activities at the University of San Diego, including running "the bull pit" and starting the National Collegiate Student Section Association, and unexpectedly shifted towards biotech after a marketing internship at Illumina, where Austin stayed for seven years, moving from brand strategy, including naming products and leading a global rebrand, to inside sales selling service contracts and the whole portfolio of products before transitioning to Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) as a field sales representative and now, inside sales manager for North America.
Sales, Marketing, Biotechnology, Leadership, Career Path
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Austin Jacobs
Inside Sales Manager, North America
Integrated DNA Technologies
University of San Diego
Finance, Marketing
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Sales and Client Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Involvement in extracurricular activities and leadership roles in college (e.g., bull pit, Jewish Union, business organizations, National Collegiate Student Section Association) demonstrates the importance of building a diverse skillset and network.
2. Internship at Illumina led to part-time work during senior year and eventually a full-time position, highlighting the value of internships for gaining industry experience and building relationships with potential employers.
3. Transition from marketing to sales within Illumina demonstrates career flexibility and the potential for growth within a company, as well as the importance of being open to new opportunities and challenges.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Please start with your experiences in college.
Include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
At the University of San Diego, I was very involved. I was part of the Bull Pit, which focused on school spirit and the student experience, primarily around athletics. I ran the Bull Pit for about three years.
I was also heavily involved in the Jewish Student Union and business organizations like the sales club, the American Marketing Association, and the Student Finance Association. I attended any meeting I could on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
I also started my own company in college called the National Collegiate Student Section Association. This brought together student leaders from different schools to share ideas. We held an annual conference and had an executive board of seven people from across the US, working with about 60 schools and over 60 different leaders.
My collegiate experience also included a year in Greek life, though it wasn't a major part of my time at USD. The summer between my junior and senior year, I had an internship at Illumina, a large biotech company in San Diego.
I never expected to go into biotech, thinking I would pursue sports marketing with companies like Nike or Under Armour. I applied for various internships and landed an interview at Illumina. I was impressed by the company and secured an internship in their brand marketing department.
The role was broad, focusing on big-picture marketing strategy rather than tactical execution like ad placement. We covered everything from product naming and packaging to a company-wide rebrand. I continued working at Illumina part-time, about 20 hours a week, during my senior year to stay with the company.
They couldn't offer me a full-time role immediately due to budget uncertainties for the following year. By working part-time, I kept my foot in the door and received a full-time offer upon graduation. I stayed at Illumina for seven years, spending four years in marketing on the brand strategy team.
In marketing, I was responsible for naming products and services and was part of a team that managed a global rebrand for Illumina. This involved changing how the company presented itself visually and in its messaging. I was heavily involved globally, with a significant focus on Asia and Europe.
I traveled to these regions to understand their markets and how to best market and brand there. After four years in marketing, I moved into inside sales. At Illumina, inside sales involved two roles. One focused on selling service contracts for their DNA sequencing instruments.
These instruments are expensive, and repairs can be costly. Service contracts provided a flat fee for all repairs. I covered the entire West Coast of the US, working with about 12 sales representatives.
I was then promoted to a district inside sales representative, where I sold the entire portfolio of Illumina products. I worked with an LA team for a little over a year.
From there, I transitioned to IDT (Integrated DNA Technologies), where I work now. I moved there almost two years ago as a field sales representative, covering a territory in San Diego and Arizona. I was the company's representative in person, meeting with customers, understanding their needs, and positioning IDT products.
This involved a lot of prospecting and attending events. About six months ago, I became the inside sales manager for IDT. I now manage 10 people who support sales across North America, including Canada. We also have sales development representatives focused on prospecting and inbound leads who report to me.