Launch Career Strategies
This podcast is all about young professionals and their careers. College students or those first years into your career. Sit in on conversations with hiring managers and professionals of all levels who’ve found success across a variety of industries. Hear from professionals at Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. What has helped them stand out and be successful in their careers? How have they networked? How did their undergrad studies and internships shape the path they chose? Did they stay on their original path or take a few detours? We’ll also cover topics around personal finances and budgeting, company culture, diversity, and really anything that seems relevant to twenty-somethings and their career. Hosted by Karen Elders of Launch Career Strategies.
Launch Career Strategies
The Playbook for Breaking Into Tech Sales | Anna Stein's Journey from ADR to Account Executive
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From the Field to the Sales Floor | How College Athletics Prepares You for a Career in Sales
What does it take for a college athlete to thrive in a competitive sales career? In this episode, we sit down with Anna Stein, Account Executive on the MuleSoft Financial Services team at Salesforce, to find out. Anna took a classic path - starting as an Account Development Representative and earning promotions to Senior ADR and then AE - and she shares what it actually took to make those moves.
A four-year starter and captain at Lafayette College, Anna draws a direct line between her experience as a Division I lacrosse player and her success in sales. From being coachable and competitive to having tough conversations with managers (just like with coaches), the parallels are real and practical. She even compares reviewing recorded sales calls with her manager to watching game film - a habit that's paid off.
Anna also opens up about the job search process: how she used networking and LinkedIn to prepare for interviews, why over-preparing is non-negotiable, and what externship programs taught her before she even graduated. She shares candid advice on getting promoted, building mentor relationships, leveraging AI for meeting prep without losing the human touch, and giving yourself grace when rejections don't go your way.
If you're a current or former athlete figuring out your next move, Anna's story is a reminder that the skills that made you great on the field can absolutely carry you forward.
PS Don't forget to check out Prospect HQ - Prospect HQ helps college athletes and former college athletes turn their athletic experience into internships, jobs, and professional connections by combining networking, athlete-focused recruiting, and video-based personal branding. Essentially - LinkedIn plus a career center, but designed specifically for athletes transitioning from sports to the professional world
LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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