Significant Career Lesson From a Corporate Account Manager at a Fortune 100 Technology Company
Christopher, a Corporate Account Manager, recommends entry-level sales roles such as Business Development Representatives (BDRs) or Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) for undergraduates interested in "the quickest way to...get as much experience as possible," noting that these roles typically require a bachelor's degree and often a year of sales experience. The roles focus on "prospecting, outbounding, qualifying leads," preparing leads for account executives.
Sales, Business Development, Lead Qualification, Prospecting, Entry-Level Sales Roles
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christopher Bradley
Corporate Account Manager
Fortune 100 Technology Company
New Mexico State University Year: 2014
University of Pikeville (M.B.A)
Business Management & Admin
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Technology
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Entry-level sales roles such as Business Development Representative (BDR) and Sales Development Representative (SDR) are good starting points.
2. These roles focus on prospecting, outbound lead generation, and lead qualification, providing valuable experience.
3. A bachelor's degree and some sales experience (sometimes just one year) are typically required for these positions.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
That's a great question, Gabby. From a very high level, it really depends on your plan for career development. There are many departments under the umbrella of a business, such as sales, marketing, and engineering.
I picked sales because I felt it was the quickest way to gain as much experience as possible across different organizations. So, back to your question, some entry-level roles in this industry that I highly recommend for sales are SDR (Sales Development Representative) or BDR (Business Development Representative).
What these individuals do involves prospecting, outbounding, and qualifying leads. Their role is to ensure leads are qualified before they are handed over to AEs (Account Executives) to work the sales cycle.
BDR and SDR roles are entry-level positions in sales. From my research, most of these roles require a bachelor's degree and one year of sales experience, aligning with a first sales job out of school.
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