Career Path Of A Chief Revenue Officer At Braintrust Tutors
Jon's career path took an unexpected turn from a music major to a successful career in education technology. After "dabbl[ing] in" internships and working part-time at Kaplan Test Prep, a large corporation in the early 2000s, Jon progressed from instructional roles to general management, eventually moving on to several education technology startups after six years.
Career Exploration, Career Development, Leadership, Education Technology, Entrepreneurship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jon Small
CRO
Braintrust Tutors
McGill University 2000
MA NYU and MBA UCLA
Fine Arts, Music, Psychology
Education
Education
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Jon's career path demonstrates that a non-linear path is possible, starting from music and transitioning into education technology.
2. His experience at Kaplan showcases career growth within a large corporation, progressing from instructional roles to sales and management.
3. His subsequent work at various startups highlights adaptability and experience in dynamic environments relevant to today's job market.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
In college, I switched majors a couple of times. I was originally a music major and did some work composing music for multimedia, helping out at performing arts facilities. That was part of my college experience, though I didn't pursue music as a full-time career.
I did some internships to see if it was a long-term fit. I ended up deciding to work part-time while transitioning out of performing arts for an education company called Kaplan Test Prep. This was in the early to mid-2000s, and Kaplan was one of the largest companies then.
From there, I found my career path, which I'd never considered. Coming from a music and arts background, I got involved with helping people study and prepare for standardized exams. I worked for Kaplan in their instructional and sales departments and became a general manager of some of their facilities.
I moved up their career path and ladder at Kaplan, staying there for six years. After that, I moved on to several other companies, competitors of Kaplan, more on the startup side. So, I started with a large corporation in educational technology and then worked at a series of startups since that time.