Career Path Of A Solutions Specialist At IBM
Dylan's career journey began with a computer science and business degree from Lehigh University, immediately followed by a two-year rotational program at IBM's Global Business Services, "giving new hires experience in different roles." After roles in GIS deployments and intermittent work with IBM's events team supporting major sporting events, an MBA from UCLA and a pivot into sales led Dylan to their current position as a Solutions Specialist at IBM, where they focus on "licensing and pricing for a variety of solutions."
Career Development, Technology, Project Management, Sales, Sustainability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Dylan Evans
Solutions Specialist
IBM
Lehigh University Class of 2010
UCLA Anderson MBA
Computer Science
Technology
Sales and Client Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. After graduating with a degree in computer science and business from Lehigh University, Dylan started a two-year rotational program at IBM, gaining experience in various roles and projects.
2. Dylan's career path demonstrates the value of combining technical skills (computer science) with business acumen, as seen in his roles in consulting, GIS deployments, and finally, sales of sustainability software solutions.
3. Dylan's pivot from a focus on sports management to a sales role at IBM showcases the adaptability and openness to new opportunities that can lead to career success. His MBA from UCLA provided additional business skills and professional network connections that were instrumental in this pivot.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college and then any internships or jobs that you had before your current role?
I went to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania for my undergraduate studies, majoring in computer science and business. Right after graduation, I started at IBM in their Consulting team, which was then called Global Business Services. They had a two-year rotational program designed to give new hires experience in different roles, projects, and teams.
The goal was to help us discover our strengths and potential career paths within the company. After completing the rotation, I was promoted to a team focused on Geographic Information System deployments. We helped clients, specifically utility companies, digitize their asset mapping.
Previously, they had relied on paper maps, which were not very dynamic. During my time in consulting, I also had the opportunity to work with IBM's events team intermittently. They developed mobile apps and websites for major sports events sponsored by IBM, such as the Masters and the US Open for golf, and tennis majors like Wimbledon.
I really enjoyed that work. In college, I was an athlete and played golf at Lehigh. When I began thinking about my MBA, I wanted to explore opportunities in sports, leveraging my business background. I looked online and found many roles at the PGA Tour, Titleist, other club companies, and agencies.
Most of the interesting positions preferred MBA students. UCLA has strong connections in the sports industry, which is what led me to their MBA program. Initially, my focus at UCLA was entirely on sports, but I decided to pivot while in business school and pursue a sales-focused role.
After Anderson, I returned to IBM and joined their Summit program, a sales training program for new hires. I spent about 18 months in that program. Currently, I'm on the sustainability software solutions team, where I've been for about five years.
In my current role, I'm responsible for licensing and pricing for various solutions. I work with 28 accounts located in Connecticut. As I'm from Boston, these accounts are relatively close. That's a summary of my career so far.